Karen Dawn Curtis

Karen Dawn Curtis is a ceramic artist working on the south coast of Dorset in Bridport. Her Pottery Workshop delivers a range of course to all abilities along with making and selling oxide-coloured functional art inspired by the South West.

A BA (Hons) in Ceramics from Loughborough started my passion, and since my MA in Ceramics from Cardiff. I have been fascinated by the naked surface of clay. I have produced aesthetic art pieces for many years but have rediscovered throwing and become struck by the unique appeal of ceramics as functional art. Inspired by the landscape of the South West as a place where rugged nature has been lived in but not lost, I create my different collections to explore the point where beauty and practical purpose meet.

I have always been fascinated by the naked surface of clay. I add oxides to the clay body to create the exterior colours without having to mask the natural texture of the material. The interior surfaces of the functional pieces are glazed to ensure that they are food safe. In developing these glazes I have discovered a rich palette of colours which are reminiscent of the South West itself. It is my hope that this work is art which will be touched, used and treasured.