Lorraine Bates
Woodsetton Art Pottery
Woodsetton, West Midlands
United Kingdom
Website
www.woodsetton.com
Artist Statement
A potter of 30 years; beginning as a trainee production thrower in a factory while studying a 3D Design degree at Bath. I make pieces of use. From a family of metal workers, I incorporate metal where essential for good functioning of the piece.
Studio Description
Our Victorian studio in the Black Country of the U.K. is the former home of the descendants of Abraham Darby 1st, so it has housed a long line of manufacturers in metal. The area is an International Geopark which is a strong influence on material and form.
What type of clay do you use?
Stoneware and porcelain
What temperature do you fire to?
1260/1280
What is your primary forming method?
Throwing
What is your favorite surface treatment?
Sprigging
Do you make any of your own tools?
Yes. I make tools from British fossils.
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Fossiliferous
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
There have been makers there for over 150 years.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Tea
What are your top three studio wishes?
To get my gas kiln working.
To build more space.
To share it with others.
What’s on your current reading list?
Anglo-Saxon history
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
By making my own glazes from locally dug minerals in a ball mill.
How do you recharge creatively?
Going to Aberystwyth International Potters Festival and attending and demonstrating atvArt in Clay.
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
Mixing simple glazes from scratch and LOTS of experiments.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
To combat “imposter syndrome”
What did you first piece look like?
A little sculpture– Two Christmas choristers wrapped up against the cold, made at 11 years old, when I decided to become a potter. My mom still has it.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
Longevity. I need forever to explore and experiment.
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Les Sharp, my throwing tutor at Corsham (Bath Academy of Art U.K.)
What is your studio playlist?
Psychedelic Furs, Nina Simone, Radio 4.
Why do you create art?
I don’t create art. I’m a potter and I’ve made it my living for 30 years.
What is your best studio tip?
Make another one.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
It would appear miraculously in every school.