Hello! As this is a new format for me, I thought I would introduce myself and tell the story of how I began to make my work for a living! I’m Elizabeth and I have been working as a ceramic artist professionally now for almost 15 years.
I graduated in art and design a long time ago, and immediately found a job as an interior designer for luxury residential homes in the Manchester area of the UK. During the following 8 years, I learned the ropes and designed interiors for some really lovely people and their beautiful homes. I learned skills that we still use now in the studio, in the design and space planning services we offer, and the flexible, design-led artwork that I make.
However, during my spare time when I was working in interiors, I was developing a serious clay addiction! Every chance I got, I would go to a group pottery studio and learn the craft of clay, building on my fine art degree, and practicing and learning from people who’d been working with clay longer than I’d been alive. I made friends that I still cherish now, and learned more than I could have imagined.
Eventually the time came that I thought I would like a change, so I quit the job and off I went on my travels.
In the interior of Brazil, deep in a national park, I met a lovely person, who it transpired was a Taoist missionary. Brazil is a wonderful and crazy place, and Lydia was an island of calm kindness in the middle of it all! I never forgot her and how kind she had been. She collected little owl figurines that she displayed on the walls of her teeny vegan restaurant, and I thought that when I returned home I would make one for her and send it to her. Luckily for me, I did not forget…
Many months later, back in the UK, I began to research owl shapes online so that I could make this little gift for Lydia. That day, during my research, I found etsy.com, which was then in its infancy back in 2008. I signed up immediately and thought I would see if I could sell a few pots…. It turned out that the little bird I sent over to Lydia was the first of many artworks that I would pack up and send out to people all over the world! I remember her talking about karma, and about how kindness could show you the way. In making a gift to her that day, I was given one of the greatest gifts of my life – my work. I hope it brought her a little unexpected joy to unwrap her gift – the joy I have received in my work has been more than I ever dreamed it could be.
If you’d like to see more of my work, check out my website: www.elizabethprince.com
or my instagram @elizabethprinceceramics
