Wendy Lawrence

Wendy Lawrence is a clay specialist designing and creating pieces of varied scales, suitable for both indoor and outdoor display. 

Her deep appreciation for clay as a material stems from its versatility. She enjoys experimenting, pushing her boundaries and consistently strives to create exceptional works. Not only that, she is also passionate about sharing her knowledge with the next generation of craftsmen and women, through teaching and collaborative projects with other makers and disciplines.

The work of Wendy Lawrence is inspired by natural form and texture, as well as architecture and antiquity. She enjoys using volcanic glazing and high fires her work with stoneware temperatures.

Her designs are elemental and volcanic, attempting to exaggerate qualities evident in the geological process. Textures and colours are intensified: framing a multitude of nature’s work within a single piece.

Her latest work combines the simplicity of form and textural carved elements found within erosion, focusing on sculptural pieces which are no longer a surface quality but become part of the form itself.

In 1994, Wendy Lawrence enrolled in an Art foundation course with a view to becoming an illustrator. During this time, she discovered clay and fell in love with the material, specifically it’s versatility and responsiveness. She went on to receive a BA (hons) in Ceramics, focusing on Raku and smoke firing. However, she soon came to find limiting, with her work evolving gradually to become more textural and carefully carved.

Utilising a variety of different volcanic glazes, she multilayers onto the ceramic using a brush, while adding Oxides: Copper, Vanadium and Titanium, under and over the glazes. Silicon Carbide in the glaze creates a gas whilst firing and this creates the bubbles and blisters.

‘I feel incredibly lucky that I have a passion for clay. It has and still continues to open up so many opportunities.’ – Wendy Lawrence