About Stephen Girard

I work in clay, and other earth materials. This is the oldest human activity since the domestication of fire, and I never forget the long tradition that I work in and learn from, as both artisan and artist.

Much of my work is made from the local clays which I have dug and refined myself in the valleys around Eastend. At the same time I have studied – and continue to learn from and experiment in – the chemistry of all the elements that constitute clay bodies and their surface finishes. I use kilns that I have built myself, gas-fired and high temperature, but I also work with electric-fired smaller kilns and am currently experimenting with very promising lower-temperature glaze recipes.

Nothing I make is purely decorative, and nothing is merely functional. I expect the pieces I throw, shape, glaze, decorate and fire to be appreciated as objects to look at and hold, while also having practical and efficient uses in people’s kitchens and living rooms.

No single piece of ceramic ware from my studio is a clone of another – I like to think that the slight variations and harmonies in even the most similar suites of cups or plates or bowls allow people to choose a favourite, and have a personal relationship with it.

I don’t believe that people need to be connoisseurs to appreciate the subtleties of good pottery– the hand and the eye have their own instinctive ways of responding to the marriage of beauty and function, whether in a cup touching one’s lips, a vase set down on a windowsill, or a casserole lifted steaming and fragrant from the oven.