
CHRISTINE CHERRY
![Screenshot_20220209-104807_Chrome[1]_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bcb150_0856220b52124079aa58a78638fca8a1~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_163,y_0,w_519,h_644/fill/w_250,h_310,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Screenshot_20220209-104807_Chrome%5B1%5D_edited.jpg)
About Me
I started my journey into ceramics over 30 years ago, at college in Stoke-on-Trent. After gaining an honors degree in design, my career path moved into teaching.
A Primary School Teacher for over 25 years, I loved my job with its rewards. However, more recently, I felt it was time for me to leave teaching and return to creating. So here I am, over 30 years after completing my ceramics degree, finally taking the plunge and starting a new adventure. I now work as an arts youth worker in the evening, teaching young people a variety of art and life skills and I create my pottery in my trusty, little shed during the day.
I make two kinds of ceramic ware. My carved series which is made of slip-cast Parian Porcelain. First I handcraft forms from clay or Plaster of Paris. I make moulds for these and then slip-cast vessels, using my own 30-year-old Parian-slip recipe. The forms I make are intricately carved and decorated. I work closely on each piece, individualising and finishing them. My work is fired to around 1240°C and rarely glazed, as I prefer the noble quality of the medium to speak for itself. The Parian vessels are highly translucent, self-glazing and possess a marble-like finish, which is incredibly tactile.
My other work is a stoneware range, mainly consisting of mugs and fuctional pieces. These are thrown on a pottery wheel, turned and finished, then decorated using a variety of glazes and techniques. I love to glaze these pieces using a variety of beautiful ready made industry glazes on each one. Several layers of glaze are painted by hand, resulting in an individuality on each vessel. All of the glazes I use are completely lead free, food safe and non toxic.