Florence Dwyer

I work mainly with ceramics and textiles.

Q&A

What craft do you work with?

I work mainly with Ceramics and textiles. I first got into ceramics by working with another artist on a collaborative exhibition. Since then I have undertaken residencies in Arita, Japan and Cove Park where I have developed my skills. Other than that I am largely self taught. I enjoy slip casting, glazing, hand building.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

The excitement and unpredictability of firing things in a kiln. Experimenting with different materials. Exploring colour through glazing. The tactility of clay. I mainly like to use slip, pigments, porcelain, ash glazes, press moulds and moulds.

How do you start your creative process?

Ideas often start or form whilst I am out and about looking at objects and talking with people. Either museum objects, vernacular pieces of craft or everyday items. I translate these ideas in to drawings in my sketchbook and then start to think how they might be made 3 dimensionally. This then evolves through prototyping, using different materials, casting, carving, glazing. Often the hardest bit is choosing which idea to commit to and which ones to leave behind.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

I have a studio with a loom and big desk space where I plan projects and develop ideas. I then have access to a ceramics room, plaster room and wood workshop in the building. This is where I work to fabricate things. I also have a sofa bed in my studio – this is crucial to have a nice space to relax whilst working.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

Learning more about glazing and combining/making glazes and how different firings can affect that.

What have you learnt or the best advice you have received that you would like to share with fellow crafters?

Undertake courses, collaborations, placements, internships. This is often where you learn the most. A dream of mine is to be able to work on larger scale, longer term research projects that result in public commissions or museum acquisitions