judy caplin ceramics

Judy Caplin trained as a painter and printmaker before she discovered the wonders of clay, and never looked back.
I throw all my pieces on a kick-wheel, which allows for more intimate contact between hand and machine.
I only make small batches at a time so all the pieces are ‘one-offs’ and variations in colour and size are part of this handmade process.
As well as making and selling my ceramics I have created community projects and worked on public commissions throughout the North East.
I work out of my studio near the beautiful village of Mickleton surrounded by the rolling hills of Teesdale and only 200 yards from the mighty River Tees.
The kitchen and tableware range developed from wanting to make pieces that looked good on a dresser and felt great in the hand. It took many experiments to find the right forms – the mugs, cups, bowls, dishes, jugs and teapots are ‘road tested’ in my kitchen and finely tuned as I throw each new batch of pieces.
The 3/4 glazed pieces reveal the fired surface texture contrasting with the smooth silky glaze. I mix the clay myself – a regular stoneware body plus a bit of terracotta. I love the way this creates a ‘toasting’ on the surface – as the fluid glaze and raw pot fuse in the kiln, some magic occurs, tingeing the body with a warm blush. With minute changes in the amounts of oxide the glazes will vary from ‘cloud grey’ to ‘duck egg blue’, ‘eau de nil’ , ‘teal’ or ‘stone’
The fruity pieces are fun to make – drawing the fine lines of fruit and leaves with a slip trailer and painting on the glazes. I love the freedom of drawing on the pot in this way – and allowing the kiln to do its work – so the fruit stalks and leaves blend with the flowing glaze and create a unique image – no two will be the same.
The pieces can (and often do!) go in the dishwasher but if you want to retain the shiny, silky surface you may prefer to wash them by hand.
They can go in the microwave but they do get warm (iron in the clay) so beware!

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