Contemporary Ceramics Shop in conversation with Lorna Fraser

I fell in love with ceramics as soon as I tried it in my first year at art school. At that moment there was no turning back and I knew that clay was the material for me and I wanted to work in 3 dimensions. Ive never lost my love of working with clay and I just thrive on the process of making.

It was a month of gentle goodbyes to Spring, as the days become warmer and longer and Summer finally beckons. A month of playing with soft sweet smelling lilac, and beautiful bold peonies, in my studio for styling opportunities, as I stretched my throwing skills further and experimented with new colour palettes with my porcelain slip casting.

How do you work?

I am lucky enough to have a beautiful studio in the heart of Edinburgh. My studio is in a large building with over 50 artists. This has been a real advantage to my practice as I work in an enriching environment with painters, weavers, jewellers, printmakers as well as other ceramicists. This has fed my creativity and given me the confidence to incorporate other disciplines like printmaking and sculpture into my work. I dont do detailed drawings, preferring to scribble initial ideas into my sketchbook but finalising my designs in clay. 
Im not a morning person and love nothing better than settling down in my studio, with Radio 4 playing in the background, and working late into the evening

What advice would you give to others starting with clay?

Work hard and dont worry about making mistakes. I love playing with new ideas and never think of it as a waste of time. Even if these playdays come to nothing that very process will keep your love of clay alive.

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My work changed dramatically about 15 years ago. I used to make very richly decorated lustrous caskets inspired by Medieval reliquaries, but one day almost overnight I realised I had reached the end of the road with that work. I had had enough of colour and just stopped. I packed away all my glazes and lustres, ordered some samples of porcelain clay and started afresh. In hindsight it seems a rash thing to do but I have never regretted it.

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