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I’m based in Salisbury, UK, and aim to make pots that enhance the pleasure of routine moments and mark special ones. A cup or bowl is an intimate object, being touched and held in a marvellously comforting way, and making things taste better…
I love the different histories of pottery across the world, and am influenced by various traditions from muted oriental ceramics and Scandinavian simplicity to the richness of highly decorated English harvest jugs and Turkish Iznik ware. I have a huge respect for sound craft skills and enjoy teaching too.
Porcelain is highly vitrified and its smooth surface provides a great canvas for plain classic glazes or decorative surface treatments. On my monochrome pieces I apply a dark glaze to the damp clay surface before drawing through (sgraffito) and firing just once.
Stoneware is a coarser clay that offers a great palette of glaze finishes. I enjoy experimenting with different combinations, producing both subtle and striking finishes as varied and beautiful as beach pebbles.
To see some of my making processes, follow me on Instagram @julie_ayton where you can find my video demonstrations on IGTV.
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- Info Sixty-six Flowers Bowl Porcelain statement bowl with inlaid and sgraffito decoration of summer flowers. The white clay and slate grey glaze create formal patterns from the petal and leaf shapes of garden flowers: dandelions, anemones, daisies and coneflowers. A one-off. Reduction fired to 1280C. Diameter 290mm £640
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Porcelain Flowers Mug
Porcelain mugs, decorated by inlay and sgraffito – drawing through the dark glaze – with cheerful stylised flowers. Made to make your tea taste wonderful!
Diameter 9cm; height 8cm
£65
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Porcelain Fine Lines Cylinder Vase
A simple but sophisticated vase ready to do justice to the most restrained or exuberant choice of garden blooms, from white narcissi to jewel coloured anemones… take your pick!
Plain off-white interior with recessed glazed footHeight Approx 14cm
£65
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Porcelain Halo Bowl
A shallow bowl playing with contrasting treatments on the interior and exterior surfaces. The inside has radiating lines inlaid in dark glaze against the white porcelain. The outside is banded with the dark glaze, drawn through with tiers of similar radiating lines, light against dark.
Single fired to 1280C
Dia: 29cm
£220
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Blackbird Plate
On the front of this stoneware plate two stylised blackbirds are painted in silhouette against a soft off-white glaze.
Diameter 200mm£140, including postage.
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Porcelain Transfer Print Mug
These mugs are decorated individually by drawing by hand through glaze-coated paper and vary in how light and dark the pattern appears after firing. Recessed foot and glazed underneath.
Height 8cm; Dia 9cm. Holds about 250ml.
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Porcelain Sunflower Vase
A slightly ovalled cylindrical vase with sgraffito panels front and back with stylized sunflowers.
Single fired to 1280C
Height: 14cm
£88
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Celadon glazed Cylinder Vase
Cool, calm and collectable… a simple shape with a subtle pattern under the glaze, this vase will complement the simplest posy from the garden.
Height: approx 14cm
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Lobed Celadon Teapot
A fusion of the old and the new. Celadon is one of the classic glazes of the porcelain tradition. It has been loved for centuries, compared to the colour and texture of jade, itself credited with magical properties. This calm and collected teapot may not confer magic but it will make a lovely pot of tea!
Capacity about 1 litre.
£250
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Fine lines Porcelain Mug
Thinly thrown porcelain mug, inside glazed silky off-white; exterior dark bands with vertical sgraffito lines drawn through to the body. Underneath has a turned recessed base with maker’s name. Raw glazed; once fired.
Diameter 9cm plus handle; height 8cm
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Porcelain Nightlight Holders
A finely thrown handful of crisp white porcelain, just the size to drop in a tealight. The borders are decorated with various sgraffito patterns, perfect for cosy winter evenings.
Diameter approx 90mm.
Prices vary according to design; please see my website.
