Shropshire Potter gets festive for Pottery
Distinctive Shropshire potter, Elspeth Soper is holding a festive open studio event on Sunday November 29th from 10am – 3pm.
Elspeth moved to Shropshire during the early 80's and set up Willey Furnace Pottery in 1985.
From her "very basic but homely" pottery in the woods on the Willey estate near Broseley, Elspeth Soper creates distinctive and very individual pieces of practical pottery.
Elspeth, inspired by country pottery from England and Eastern Europe says "many of my designs result from when I kept chickens, ducks, geese and guinea fowl here at the pottery some ten years ago" says Elspeth, "until foxes came and steadily stole them away".
The aim at Willey Furnace Pottery is to produces functional, honest pottery which is distinctive and decorative. The earthenware is made out of red clay and is decorated using coloured slips (liquid clay) often built up in painted layers over a poured or dipped base colour. The pots are then raw-glazed using a transparent or a honey glaze and then fired in a gas kiln to around 1120C.
Elspeth continued: "I pick out certain details of the final design before firing to emphasise particular elements, such as a bird's feathers or a fishes tail, these lines are called 'scraffito' which means to scratch in Italian."
Working with earthly glaze colours such as soft blues, greys, muted terracotta's, ochre's and greens, Elspeth's finished pieces would sit happily in any home.
"A lot of work goes into organising an open studio event," Elspeth said. "The pottery gets a good clean and it's really exciting to set out all the of my wares, which looks glittery and bright after a good clean!"
Elspeth added: "It's wonderful having an open day event, to be able to meet so many new people is fantastic."
Willey Furnace Pottery is at Barrow Road, Broseley. TF12 5JQ and will be well signposted on the day. For more information please telephone Elspeth on 01952 885759 or mobile: 07790347007 e-mail: elspeth.wfpottery@hotmail.co.uk
