Helen Beard - Ceramic Showcase

 

 

26th April - 27th July 2019

Helen Beard is a potter and illustrator with a love of her local area which inspires much of her work. There are all sorts of characters who crop up again and again in Helen’s sketchbooks and on her pots, from swimmers in the parks to traders at the local markets. By grouping her pots together, her work tells a story which create whimsical scenes capturing the small yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A word from Helen:

"I am a people watcher at heart.  I love my local area and find it inspires much of my work here.  There are all sorts of characters who crop up again and again on my pots, from swimmers at the Serpentine to market traders at Columbia road.  I like to come up with new ideas for each for each of my shows, varying the themes around different places that have struck a chord in me.  By grouping the pots together, I like to tell a story; creating whimsical scenes that capture the insignificant yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.  My 'bespoke' ceramics, which are each individually thrown on the wheel and hand painted, are made for exhibitions and commissions.  I often collaborate with private clients, luxury retailers, galleries and museums; for example recent commissions include designing and making porcelain for Fortnum and Mason and The National Gallery.  I have also been keen to produce functional pots that can be handled and enjoyed on a regular basis, and it is for this reason that I created the 'dailyware' range.  The pots are slip cast from moulds of my hand thrown forms and are decorated using ceramic decals which have been lithographically printed in Stoke on Trent."