Ratbag Studios

My ceramic practise is driven by my fascination of the minerals and clays underneath, the layers of the earth and how we uncover them. Echoing my local landscape and using raw volcanic clays from nearby properties here on Tamborine Mountain, Australia, I look to geological metamorphosis and histories when developing my concepts.

I like to combine organic textures, patterns and coloured clays into the surfaces of my ceramic vessels rather than use glazes. I do this by creating free formed nerikomi blocks of contrasting wild clays and stained porcelains, which I then inlay into the walls of my slip cast, wheel thrown and slab ware. These designs are structural and not just a surface matter. The transformative and technical properties of my ceramic materials drive much of my practise and extends upon my passion for exploiting porcelain’s possibilities and boundaries.

All of my art pieces and small batch cup collections are designed and created from my home studio; a reclaimed underground bunker, located in the Gold Coast hinterland on Tamborine Mountain. I am a senior Art and Media teacher with 20 years’ experience. In 2019 I left the classroom to concentrate on my art career full time. When my hands aren’t in clay, I can be found researching, writing, and presenting online and in person workshops. You may like to check out my Education page which includes some of my published articles.