Kate Malone

A Starburst Tall Lady Gourd, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 56cm (22") Diameter 34cm (13 3/8")

When did you first discover a passion for working in clay?
At school at the age of 12 or 13. The big comprehensive government school had a ceramics department, thank heavens.

 

A Pair of Fun Atomic Candlesticks, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 29cm (11 3/8")  Diameter 21cm (8 1/4")

Q What other materials have you or would you like to work in?
I have had a few pieces converted to Bronze, and I have blown and cast glass and would like to paint more seriously.
 

Bronze Drinking Fountain, Castle Park, Bristol.

 
Q Your work is well known for being large scale – what is the biggest piece you have ever made?
In one piece it was 1m20cm all and 1m wide and 1m deep.. but the largest public piece in many sections was 16m x 5m tall. I am just about to start a project 56 m long and average 3m tall.

THE WALL OF A THOUSAND STORIES

Ceramic installation for the Children's Library at the Royal Jubilee Library, Brighton. Made over a period of a year and a half 2003-2004 and comprises 91 wall pieces that are hung on the back wall of the children's library space. The wall is 16 meters by 8 meters.

 

 

Q Each of your pieces seems to have a personality – does this develop in the design stage or during the making process?
It develops on both, I have an idea, and make sure one piece follows the original, but then having started others at the same time, I let them develop in the process.

 

Secret Garden, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 67cm (26 3/8") Diameter 56cm (22")

Q You have become very famous in the world of Ceramics – what are the keys things that brought you this success?
Luck, hard work, determination, perseverance, tunnel vision, addiction to clay, a fabulous partner who is there in support in so many ways, a fabulous art dealer with generosity and vision and style, being aware good photography is paramount to show people what you can do, talking and connecting where ever possible and working and aiming to share the progress of the field of ceramics with as generous a spirit as is possible, this attitude, tends to have the same response… not that I do it for that reason.

 

Monumental Forest Fern, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 80cm (31 1/2") 65cm (25 5/8") Depth 60cm (23 5/8")

Q Organic forms feature heavily in your work, what else inspires your work?
People, places, travel, history, friends, TV, magazines, life.
 
 
Q Who is/are your favourite artist(s)/maker(s)?
Andrew Logan, Zandra Rhodes, Axel Salto...

Monumental Fennel, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, Height 85cm (33 1/2") Width 60cm (23 5/8") Depth 57cm (22 1/2")

Q You have just finished a solo show at Robilant & Voena  Gallery, London, what is next?
See my web site for the details about the Robilant Voena show… now the run of international shows with my international art dealer, Adrian Sassoon, (see his web site for the dates and details), but as well as some 5 joint shows for him next year I have a huge public commission and two large pot commissions for clients in the USA… I also have plans to try to work with industry and to paint more and to make a DVD teaching film for sale from my web site…

2010 Solo Show at Robilant & Voena Gallery London

 

Q You are very generous in sharing techniques, glaze recipes and your working processes – what is the thinking behind this philosophy?
To further the field, openness encourages a drive to forward and progress, I want people to be a success and this makes the whole world of ceramics a more exciting place to work and learn….

 
Q Crafts in the 21^st Century – what does this mean to you?
Anything goes now, same as art, it all comes in circles, but ever faster turning and reinventing… but the paramount thing for me is that the standard of excellence advances, with new technology and adapting to change….
 

A Tutti Frutti Baby Bad, 2008
Pebble-glazed earthenware. Height 12 cm. (4 3/4")  Diameter 14 cm. (5 1/2")

Q What is your greatest achievement to date?
Being a mother and in a partnership with my daughters dad for 27 years…. And being very happy… but that’s not my achievement, it is their patience…

 

Sliced Heart Pillows, 2002
Pebble-glazed earthenware and Crystalline-glazed stoneware, clay press moulded. Studio edition, repeated in different glazes. Diameter 11 3/8" (29cm)

Q What is your typical working day look like?
Live and work in the same building, Awake at 7, Up around 8, daughter to school, then clear house a little and start work around 10, chase my tail and try to wake up… breakfast at 10 … good lunch with assistants at around 2pm, get into gear,,,, daughter home form school fusion of homework and cooking and continuing to work, family to bed around 10 I often work on into the night.. now it is 2am, working on tax accounts, the worst part of the year,,, as im late to bed, ill probably sleep to 8 am – just able to wake to say bye to my daughter to go to school, ,,,then the process starts again…

 

Medium Sliced Triple Pea Pod, 2000
Pebble-glazed earthenware, clay press moulded.

 
 
Q What is your working style?
Chaotic and cyclical…. Periods of making, then glazing, then clearing up!
 

Q How do you sell and promote your work?
Exclusively in collaboration with Sassoon and his office of staff…also recently did some u tube weekly diaries, they were great fun to do and i hope to do more... have a look at the YouTube kate malone ceramics, and find the 8 video diaries, and one by the Robilant & Voena Gallery... 

An Acorn Box, 2010
Crystalline-glazed stoneware, limited edition 11 of 30, Height 23cm (9") Diameter 16cm (6 1/4")

Q What 3 words of advice would you give to aspiring makers?
self-motivate, listen to mistakes, persist..…

 
Q What music are you listening to at the moment?
Jacques Brel and Anthony and the Johnsons. 

 
Q What do you do to relax?
Make pots, cook, cycle, travel, party, tai chi and tv… swim when I can, do the ironing!

 



Editors Note: Kate Malone’s Work is also housed in these following Public Collections:

The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
British Council Teapot Collection
British Council Touring Collections
Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds
Crafts Council, London
Arts Council, London
The British Council, Manchester and Bahamas collections
Manchester City Art Gallery, Manchester
The Cleveland Arts Trust
Paisley Museum & Art Gallery, Paisley
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol
Gallery Oldham, Oldham, Greater Manchester
Stoke-On-Trent Museum, Stoke-On-Trent
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich
York City Art Gallery, York
Geffrye Museum, London
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
McManus Galleries & Museum, Dundee
Contemporary Art Society, London
Harley Foundation Collection, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire
Ulster Museum, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Musée National de Céramique, Sèvres, France
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, USA
Boise Art Museum, Boise, Idaho, USA
J.B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Montreal, Canada

Charan Sachar

 

Dancing Diva (This wall sculpture is a part of a series inspired by the songs and dances seen in Bollywood movies)

 
Q So who is Charan Sachar?
Charan Sachar is the potter behind Creative with Clay. I have lived in India for a significant part of my life where my mother ran a boutique designing clothes for brides and bridesmaids. The colors, fabrics, embroidery and designs I came across then have a strong impact on my work now.My work also reflects my love for Bollywood movies and my fascination with life in India. I strive to give life to clay, decorating it with Indian influences keeping functionality and uniqueness in mind.

Pottery has given me the much needed respite from the monotony of everyday life. Working with clay and giving it form feels as satisfying as organizing and bringing peace to all the chaos that is there around you. My goal is to continue to work with this medium to create art work which is cherished for life.
 

Bollywood Inspired Hand-built Tumblers (stoneware with slip decoration)

 

Q India features heavily in your designs – are there any other cultural influences in your work?
For having lived in India for a significant part of my life, majority of my influences do come from India. However I was born and brought up in Kuwait for first 16 years of my life. We were raised in a very Indian atmosphere, but the middle east influences do creep into my work. I enjoyed writing Arabic as it was so fluid and just like drawing. The intricate patterns seen in mosaic work also makes an impact on my work. Interestingly, I have noticed that same patterns which I thought are Indian, are very similar to Chinese and African too and mean different things. The same texture is the rising sun in one culture or fish scales in another. Textures and patterns in general do impact my work greatly and I keep my eyes open to everything.

 
Q You work in clay but is there any other medium you work in or would like to work?
I have worked in several mediums, like painting, pin thread, crafting from recycled material, cooking etc. I knew I always wanted to work with clay and had always been trying to get there. Every now and then I go get attracted to cooking, calligraphy and wood carving. With all the things I would like to do with clay, I don’t know when I will try to accomplish something else.

 

Big Sassy Funky Salt Pepper Shakers Dancing (porcelain, hand-built with slip trail decoration)

 
Q Do you create your work in a studio base or a home base?
I have a studio at home where I create my work. When we purchased our home, my first priority was to have a studio space. We did have to convert a family room on the bottom floor of our house to my studio. I love the space and planned it with potential of growth. With almost 6 years in, it has worked work really well and I am now hunting for more space. I should be good for a few more years and then may be expand into my garage, if my wife lets me. LOL!


Q What is your typical working day look like?
I work full time as an engineer and my studio time revolves around every single free minute I can get. So I really can’t stick to a fixed everyday schedule. Having said that, I am very disciplined about what I need to get done on a monthly/weekly and daily basis. I keep a calendar for that. Usually after work, I take a break and get into the studio in the evening. My pre planning helps in determining what I will be doing in the studio that day. After I complete my work, I leave the studio in clean enough state so I don’t waste time cleaning when I work next. I would rather clean when tired at end of day, than clean when I am excited to make pots.
 
 

Tea Light Candle Holders (wheel thrown, stoneware with slip decoration)

 

Q What is your working style?
With clay, it is all about timing. And with my decoration technique, timing is everything. The pots need to be at the perfect stage for alterations and attaching handles. With my slip decoration, if the clay is too wet, it is hard to get clean patterns. Too dry and the slip decoration pops out. To overcome this, I need to be really organized and need to divide my process in stages.

First is working with wet clay, i.e. throwing on the wheel, extruding or slab work depending on what I am making. Next day is trimming, adding handles, hand-building/altering the extruding work and the day after is the slip decoration or carving, which is the most time consuming. So once I have touched the wet clay, I need to keep on my toes to make sure the pots are at the right stage for every process. This is followed by the bisque firing and then the glaze firing.

 

Sassy Teapot with cups standing with attitude (stoneware with slip decoration)

Q How do you sell and promote your work?
I sell my work at art shows and in galleries across the US (You can see my show schedule and the galleries that carry my work at http://www.creativewithclay.com/). I also sell online at http://creativewithclay.etsy.com/. Majority of my promotional work happens through facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-with-clay/66752007515), my blog (creativewithclay.blogspot.com) and through forums. All of these have their pros and cons. I do enjoy the interaction with my customers at all times.

 
Q What is your greatest achievement to date?
I don’t think I have reached any great achievement yet but I have been very happy on achieving some of my goals. In the last few years, I have been doing art shows which I only dreamed of doing. I had been visiting these shows ever since I got started in clay and thought some day I will apply to these shows and will sell my work here. I feel very fortunate to get into these shows on my first application and getting a great response. This has mostly been possible with support and encouragement of friends, family and my customers.

 

Bowls - (wheel thrown with slip trail decoration)

 

Q What music are you listening to at the moment?
I am a big Bollywood fan. I will listen to everything and anything Bollywood.  Lately I have been enjoying songs of Once upon a time in Mumbai, Action Replayy, Aisha, Raajneeti... The list goes on.

 
Q 3 words of advice for an aspiring Craft artist/maker...
Focus, Determination, Discipline and enjoy every moment with this gift you have


 

Large Cookie Jar - (stoneware with impressed decoration and glaze)

 
Q Who is/are your favourite artist(s)/maker(s)?
This list is going to be long and it would be very hard for me to list everyone here. Also I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. So I am going to let this question go!

 
Q What do you do to relax?
Good question. I wish I had an answer to this since I hardly get time to relax. I do watch a Bollywood movie. A good 3 hours forces me to sit in one place and not work. That is the only way I will not work. But thinking about it, I am still taking in inspiration for my upcoming work while watching the movie. So it is not totally relaxed time.

 

Oval Lidded Trinket Box

To view video demonstrations of Charan’s Slip trail techniques and decoration process please click here:
http://creativewithclay.blogspot.com/2008/09/slip-decoration.html
http://creativewithclay.blogspot.com/2009/05/process-of-decorating.html