Bio

My journey with clay has been a significant part of my life going back a long way, a road that was rocky and hard at times but with an undeniable deep connection and love for the material.

It started with a 3 yrs. apprenticeship in an old traditional pottery in Switzerland (founded in 1786) which I completed in 1978. These were long 9-hour days on the pottery wheel producing a big range of table ware, vases and other decorative and functional pieces.

Then after a 2 year world travel I settled in Australia and I bought an old bakery building which I renovated. I opened the doors to the ‘art and soul gallery and studio’ in the Channon in 1992 which included a big pottery studio and gas kiln. I also offered workspaces to other artists.

As a single emigrant with the pressures of making a living I had to mainly fall back to filling orders as a production potter with a small amount of time to experiment and create pieces for Exhibitions. Gradually I started to have neck issues from sitting at the wheel which forced me to explore other ways of making a living.

I closed the studio and gallery in 2000 and engaged in further studies completing a Master’s degree in creative arts therapy in 2007. Since then, I have been using the creative process for personal development and in-depth psychotherapy working with people individually and in groups. (Link to art therapy website here)

2016 clay called out to me again as I was to work with a client who required help with developing his pottery skills. I continued to work with this client over the years, but it was not until 2020 when covid hit Australia, and my clients weren’t able to see me that I took the invitation to create something for myself, with freedom of time to explore what happens in our being together, the clay and me. The slow method of hand building seemed the obvious new way to connect. This was the beginning of the work you see here on my website.

I still appreciate the meditative qualities of throwing on the wheel. But I have a deeper appreciation now of the time and intimate engagement it takes to hand build a piece.