The photos shown on this page are indicative only of the artist’s work. Please go to the online store page for available products to purchase.

Kay’s ceramic practice focuses on the human figure and through it she explores the human psyche as expressed in gesture, expression and movement. She draws on her own experience and interpreting the moods and behaviours of others. She is an observer of life and interprets it in her ceramic figures.

Her focus is also on anatomy, likeness and proportion - observation of the human body through life drawing and the regular practice of sculpting in clay over 17 years.

Each piece is hand built and unique in form and posture. Daily practice in the studio has allowed her to explore different types of clay and firing temperatures, experimenting with oxides, painterly or natural finishes.

Kay finds the tactile, malleable qualities of clay therapeutic, but what is also satisfying is that the medium invites infinite forms of expression, presenting many interesting problems that need solving, and she likes that too.

All Kay’s work is hand made from scratch, no moulds are used. Therefore each one is uniquely different.  She often works in a series because she is excited about an idea or form and wants to explore it through repetition.

Most of her figures are hollow to ensure the clay dries fully before firing otherwise they would explode in the kiln if the clay still has moisture content. Solid clay would take a long time to dry out and would be very heavy.

She uses several clays to achieve different effects these are the main ones she am currently using;

Laguna earthenware paper clay is a cream colour when fired.  It is called paper clay because this clay contains cellulose (paper or wood fibres), which is very helpful in the making of figurative sculpture as the fibres help hold the clay together as you join the clay limbs, or additions.

Feeneys Red Raku clay is brown when raw/wet, but when fired to a high temperature 1180deg C it becomes a terracotta colour.  The clay carries a lot of grog (ground up fired clay) it is very helpful when making figures or large vessels as it doesn’t slump due to gravity when it is wet and allows one to go big quite quickly.

Travellers series: These red raku figures have been lightly brushed with white clay slip to define their features and contours.

The series was made as marquettes (smaller versions) for a major solo exhibition Kay was preparing for.  She was really delighted with the sense of humanity they display and this worked well, as at the time she was considering the plight of migrants as they arrived exhausted in Europe (or wherever) having left their home and everything they knew behind.

Viewers of these figures become very involved with a narrative they are formulating in their own heads about what the figures represent, where they are going, what is going on, who they are reminded of.

For Kay, the child figures are inspired by her own children and grandchildren and are expressions of love for the young and innocent in general. She loves children and is fascinated by people, she always has been and it shows in her work.