CAROLINE BOUSFIELD GREGORY
QUALIFICATIONS: 1967 - 71 DIP AD in 3D Design (1st class hons) specialising in furniture, at High Wycombe College of Technology and Art. 1971 - 72 Art Teacher's Certificate, at Goldsmiths College, London. 1971 Became a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen.
EXPERIENCE: 4 years teaching ceramics in Further Education at Kingsway College, London. 23 years teaching woodwork/furniture-making at Hackney Community College. 26 years making pots in my workshop/shop in Hackney, east London; where the public can visit to watch/chat/commission/buy my work.
EXHIBITIONS: Regularly with the Society of Designer Craftsmen, and the London Potters Group. In Cornwall at North Cornwall Museum and Gallery, and at St Ives and Rock with Valerie Wright. At stalls in community festivals all over east London, including the Hackney Show, and Sutton House (National Trust).
Work is on display at the Chase Gallery - Wadebridge, at Bishops Gallery and Bishops Castle, Salop. Since 1998 I have been involved in setting up and running a co-operative Gallery for Hackney potters, called Broadway Ceramics.
"My pots are all stoneware, a varying range of domestic ware and more individual functional pieces. I love cooking, and the shapes of my pots are very influenced by food: the different ways of storing and cooking it, displaying and presenting it at the table.
The pots are all fired to 1280 C in an electric kiln, are vitrified and can be used safely in the oven and dishwasher. I mix my own slips and glazes, and especially like matt and semi-matt surfaces. The patterns used in the decoration have often developed from the method and movement of application of the coloured slip - using brushes, slip trailers, latex resist and cut sponges - onto biscuit fired clay.
The scope of my work is often extended by requests for quite specific items - such as dummy eggs for broody pigeons - some of which then work their way into my regular repertoire - such as cutlery drainers. I regularly make commemorative dishes for weddings and named mugs for children.
I have enjoyed developing a variety of handle shapes - both rolled and pulled - and making alterations to the thrown form."
WORKSHOP 77A Lauriston Rd, Hackney E9 7HA (0) 20 8986 9585.