Personal details

I was born in London in 1948 and have been making pots since I was eighteen. I moved to Brighton in 1975 and have had several studios during my thirty years in the city. I now work from a studio in Richmond Street.Last year I was selected as a Professional Member of The Craft Potters Association.[I now have a page on their website, visit it now at www.cpaceramics.co.uk. Go to the gallery page and enter my surname] Over the years I have featured in many exhibitions, and I currently sell my ceramics in several Brighton galleries, and in galleries throughout England.

Methods

I throw and hand-build in various stoneware clays, making bowls, vases and sculptural forms. However, my main output is concentrated on small-scale porcelain bowls. They are exclusively hand thrown. Because of the small size of my porcelain pieces, they are often thrown ‘off the hump’, which involves throwing up to nine or ten bowls from the top of a one kilogram cone of porcelain. After throwing and subsequent turning, I often distort the piece while it is still malleable, which increases the organic qualities of the work. I am inspired by natural form, colours and textures.

I then bisque fire the pots to 1050°C, and finally glaze them in one of a range of semi-matt glazes, which I prefer for their tactile and visual qualities. All the pots are then re-fired to temperatures between 1230°C and 1260°C, depending on the glaze used. After firing, pots are often further decorated with geometric shapes using gold and copper leaf as well as various lustres.

Teaching

I teach ceramics two days a week at a day centre for adults with physical disabilities in Brighton. I enjoy the opportunities that this gives me to inspire people who never thought that they would be able to create beautiful ceramics, increasing their self-worth. 

Over the years I have run several evening classes in the city.

I also give one-to-one ceramics lessons at my house/studio.

Exhibitions

Exhibited in three Open Houses Brighton May 2009
Exhibited in four Open Houses Brighton May 2008
Pyramid Gallery Christmas Show 2007
Pyramid Gallery Summer Show 2007
Exhibited in three Open Houses Brighton May 2007
HQ Gallery ArtWave Show 2006
Exhibited in three Open Houses Brighton May 2006
Start Gallery Christmas Show 2006
Pyramid Gallery Summer Show 2006
Start Gallery Christmas Show 2005
Bettles Gallery Christmas Show 2005
Exhibited in three Open Houses Brighton May 2005
Exhibited in two Open Houses Brighton May 2004
Alpha House Gallery Christmas Show 2003
Bond Street Gallery Brighton, Solo 1997
Bond Street Gallery Brighton, Solo 1996
Bond Street Gallery Brighton, Solo 1995
Gallery Blue St Ives, Solo 1993
Index Gallery London, Solo 1992
Gallery Blue St Ives Christmas Show 1992
Index Gallery London, Solo 1991
For many years I have exhibited in several Open Houses (Christmas and May) in Brighton. Next year, in the May Festival,my work will be shown in two houses.

Retail Outlets

Click on the underlined links to visit the website

Alexander Gallery, Brighton www.thealexandergallery.co.uk

Brighton Designers and Makers, Brighton

Start Gallery, Brighton www.startgallery.co.uk

Star Gallery, Lewes

HQ Gallery, Lewes www.hqgallery.co.uk

Montpelier Gallery, Stratford-upon-Avon

Pyramid Gallery, York www.pyramidgallery.com

Gallery Nine, Bath www.bathshopping.com

Out of the Blue, Marazion www.out-of-the-blue-gallery.co.uk

Bettles Gallery, Ringwood www.bettles.net

Alpha House Gallery, Sherbourne. www.alpha-house.co.uk

Phil Lyddon June 2007