About Me

When I was a kid, I was lucky to have an art teacher, Mrs Hawkins, who was always enthusiastic, and arranged for our class to make some art out of clay and have it fired. I was fascinated, and when the little pieces came back and she told me they were good I was blown away.

Many years have passed since then, and having returned to pottery later in life, I've discovered that I love it; the whole process, from collecting local clays, to the development of my own craft, to the glazing and firing of the finished product. There's nothing like the surprise of a new piece! I'm completely hooked by this art form, the joy of creation that it involves, and communicating with others through clay. I'm inspired by ancient ceramics as well as the amazing work of contemporary artists and their ability to push the boundaries of pottery even today.

Outside of pottery my story is unique to say the least. I was born in Papua New Guinea, and grew up in New Zealand, and I've spent a life surrounded by music. I found a love for singing before I had turned 10, and have sung more or less continuously since then. I studied at the Royal College of Music in London and lived and worked in Europe as a singer, while I also worked in cancer research at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. After moving back to New Zealand to bring up our kids, I continued working in oncology research at Auckland Hospital, and have found enormous satisfaction in working to improve the lives of patients and their families. I believe in giving back to others, and am using sales of my work to raise money for Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre. 

And so, in setting out to learn and find my own way with ceramics, I've made the decision to document this journey, to share with anyone else who is interested. This website is a window into my journey and my work. It allows me to find out what pottery means to people in their everyday lives, and what pieces move them. It's also a way of documenting this journey, which I want to share with you. New ideas are very welcome, and I'd love to hear from you.

So please have a look, subscribe on YouTube and Insta, and maybe buy something and help me cover the website fees. But most of all, please follow along and be a part of the journey - your involvement is what makes the difference.

Looking forward to sharing this with you,

A