Hannah McAndrew

Hannah’s pots are inspired by traditional British earthenwares and her decoration is derived from the world around her. Often the floral abundance in her garden and the surrounding wilds, both cultivated and untamed, are referenced in her pots. Sometimes there are political statements veiled in imagery of folklore and symbolism.

Hannah explores ways of translating sentiment and recollections of a person into slip and clay. In her most recent pots the reference, sad but filled with love, are memories of Hannah’s mother who she lost recently.

She enjoys the challenge of creating a piece that will not simply perform its task well but will be attractive to the eye and instil a sense of comfort and warmth to its surroundings. Her pots are thrown in red earthenware clay and decorated using coloured slips. The decoration is applied to the surface of the pot by use of a slip trailer, while the surface is still glistening wet. Sometimes she allows the slipped surface to dry a little, so that she can inscribe motifs with sgraffito lines. These slips are subsequently enhanced by the addition of a layer of rich honey glaze.

Photo by Shannon Tofts