Anthea Summers

Anthea graduated with a BA in fine Art in 1981, she concentrated on painting but by 1989 pottery had become her main interest. She studied for about 5 years at Filton College in Bristol under Ollie Kent and over five summer schools at Bickley learnt how to build kilns and do African bonfiring and began experimenting and teaching with a studio at Artspace, an artists co-operative. Teaching has always been freelance. Anthea has always insisted on 'doing her own thing' to keep the complex view of what she is teaching and essentially keep it an artistic experience. She has taught in schools, groups with a variety of special needs and galleries and even given a demonstration on TV!

She began her business Anthea Summers Ceramics in 1977. "I do silk and china painting which is a great way to explore colour and painterly form immediately and freely. My pottery is a much more involved process. Most of my hand-made pots are Raku fired. Raku means, 'letting go' and 'pleasure' in Japanese. Controlling and then giving freedom to the artistic process is fascinating, the boundaries between art and pottery have been rigid but I am determined to continue to treat making mugs, jugs and bowls with as much love and commitment as the Raku made vessels, pottery, sculptured balls and amphora pots. I run workshops or longer projects, festival events, for all ages and abilities - pre-school, retired, special needs of all kinds, weary parents, disillusioned professionals, keen art students, practicing artists, people suffering mental illness or adults with no verbal communication- so no one is excluded!"

"My friendly, communicative and down to earth approach aims to boost confidence and encourage individual artistic expression."

Vessels with a rotund form and luscious glazes which are my trademark

Spiral of sculpted tiles set under a willow dome

School pottery classes, a perfect balance for the curriculum

Smokefire hollow bowls, with burnished slip