Often drawn to working on a fairly large scale, Nancy's forms are generally organic with a skin like surface, smooth, yet imperfect with scrapes and variations; marks of imperfection, and texture, much like the human body.
Nancy succumbed to the lure of the wheel whilst working as a primary school teacher in Bristol, a love that grew and finally became her passion after a trip to New Zealand. "I joined a community pottery in Nelson where the studios were open all day and all night, so I was able to totally immerse myself in the process. By the time I left I was completely smitten!" On her return to the UK, Nancy was fortunate enough to secure a space at the Gaolyard Studio in St Ives, founded by the ground-breaking potter, John Bedding. It was there, surrounded by other creatives and ceramicists, that she allowed her imagination to breathe life into the large sculptural pieces that have since become her signature style, It was an amazing experience as we were all young artists eager for recognition. Over the four years I was there, we hosted several group exhibitions which started to attract the attention of the art world and suddenly my pieces became sought the UK."
Her work is deeply rooted in her love for nature and how we as humans interact with it. The smooth contours and graceful lines of her recent series entitled 'Drift,' are inspired by the forms and shifting nature of the landscape of Shingle Street. These pieces echo the strata of stones, which form large, curved swathes across the coast, enclosing lagoons of water. Beautiful, yet like itself, with unpredictable currents, creating a precarious, unique, precious environment, that perhaps, against all odds, find an inherent sense of balance and equilibrium. As a result of this work, in 2023 Nancy was chosen as a Rising Star at the New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham - a prestigious recognition involving the University for the Creative Arts and The Crafts Council. Nancy is also a member of Contemporary Applied Arts, whose aim is to promote excellence in craft and which represents some of the most talented craft makers in the UK.
Nancy's sculptural ceramics have the ability to tell a story by inviting us to interpret the narrative she skillfully weaves into the clay.
The pieces are made combining wheel, throwing and hand building to make large, sculptural forms, usually unglazed. The pieces often combine slips, burnishing, and smoke, firing techniques to produce tactile surface that allows interaction with lightning shadows to highlight the forms.
