From Mud to Marvellous
- Cindy Watson
- Aug 28
- 2 min read
It is such a pleasure to visit artists in their studios- they are unfailingly generous with their time and happy to share their expertise and interests. I especially enjoy visiting ceramicists, as I only have a passing knowledge of pottery, and truly admire those who can manipulate clay into recognisable shapes, not to mention intricate forms with beautiful glazes.
Katrina Rogers of Mud Shed Pottery returned to working with clay less than 5 years ago, and quickly fell under its spell. Mud Shed Pottery is a treasure trove of large and small pieces, with an emphasis on surface texture and interesting effects created both in pit and kiln firing. All of Katrina’s pieces invite tactile appreciation, especially her latest work which includes organic serving platters and Japanese/Korean inspired Ikebana vases. Some of her more delicate work is used in the construction of totems where small, highly textured forms, reminiscent of sea urchins and corals, are interspersed with twisted pieces of wood to create organic sculptures. Katrina also creates functional pottery including bowls and handle-less mugs, which she calls “art that you can hold”.
Katrina is also a guide for others on their own creative journeys, using her travel expertise to organise and lead pottery tours to India, Korea, Japan and Bali. I came away from Mud Shed Pottery with an even greater appreciation of potters and their work.
Check out more of Katrina's work at:
Rebecca Tester, who will be a guest Artist at Kore Earth Ceramics, welcomed me to her busy home workshop, where I found many projects in different stages of completion. She is currently preparing for an exhibition in October, as well as Open Studios, and combines all of that with teaching, managing the studio, and mentoring at Canning Arts Group.
Speaking with Rebecca, it reminds me once again of the depth of knowledge required to become proficient as a ceramicist. There is not just the need to know how different clays will react to being handled, but also drying times, firing temperatures and the chemical make-up of glazes. At any stage cracks may appear, glazes may react unpredictably, and the kiln gods could be capricious. And that’s after wheel-throwing up to 12 kilos of clay for large scale pieces!
Rebecca’s work is mainly functional, but with added extras like wavy edges, and includes large platters, bowls and cups: she really enjoys working on the wheel and experimenting with glazes to achieve a desired, consistent outcome. For her part in the Under the Surface 2025 exhibition, Rebecca is concentrating on glaze effects reminiscent of the sea, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the calming turquoise colours.
You can find more of Rebecca’s work here:
Further details for Under the Surface 2025:
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