Pottery Throw Down: In the studio with star potters from Cambridge and Suffolk

If watching Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones tear up over a tea set has inspired you to fill your home with handmade ceramics, read on. . . Alice Ryan profiles three local potters, each with a standout signature style

Sarah Howard Pottery
Known for her posy pots, wall shrines and dinky trinket dishes illustrated with dogs and cats in hats, Suffolk’s Sarah Howard specialises in pieces “that tell a story and the customer falls in love with”

Falling in love: I stepped into the world of ceramics just before Covid struck and was instantly hooked. I took a year-long pottery course at the Art House in Sheffield and although my pottery lessons were cut short due to lockdown - I have never learnt how to use the wheel - I practised and practised hand-building techniques. My imagination is endless once I am lost in the making and creating process.

Going into business: After moving down to Suffolk and having had ‘refresher’ pottery lessons at West Suffolk College, I really wanted to go my own way and invested in my own kiln and equipment. I quickly realised my home was being filled with lots of things I had made. My daughter encouraged me to apply for a craftmakers market and it snowballed from there.

Signature style: My style is very quirky and somewhat whimsical, I don’t make ‘traditional’ mugs or bowls; I leave that to the wheel-users of the ceramic industry. My main influence for style and colour is Eastern European folk art, which you can see in my cat trinket dishes and wall shrines. My interest in mythology and nature plays out in my other pieces... From sleeping foxes tucked up in a bowl to goddess posy vases and tiny fairy houses, I like to create pottery that tells a story and the customer falls in love with.

The technical bit: Slab building is my go-to technique for creating my pieces. It’s exactly as it sounds. Clay is rolled out, with the thickness of the clay playing an important role. If it’s too thin, it will probably collapse. If it’s too thick it might crack or be too heavy to support itself. It’s all about getting the balance right. There are lots of fails in pottery, but that’s half the fun of it. The charming cats and dogs on my pottery are all hand drawn by me, then digitally sized to fit and made into ceramic waterslide decals. They add something different - and who doesn’t love a cat wearing a hat?

Sense of reward: I still love opening the kiln after a glaze firing, it’s genuinely like Christmas Day! Each piece I make is treasured by me and sometimes hard to let go of. My sleeping fox bowls - each of which have their own personality – are a firm favourite of both mine and my customers. It’s always a pleasure to see people’s faces light up when they pick a piece up and hold it for the first time.

See and shop: I have an Instagram account - @sarahhowardpottery - where you can see what I’m working on. I also have an Etsy shop of the same name. My next big fair I’m attending, where you can both see my work and buy, is at Cambridge St Barnabas’ Church on April 11 and 12, with the Lookout Illustration and Art Fair. See you there!

Paula Armstrong Ceramics
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her ceramics business, Fenstanton potter Paula Armstrong is set to show her organic sculptures at the Florence Biennale this autumn. As a teacher, she believes we all have innate creativity - we just need to tap into it

Falling in love: I was 13 when we were introduced to clay and I fell in love almost instantly. We were lucky enough to have a full ceramics studio in the art department, but not lucky enough to have someone who really knew what to do with clay, so I spent many hours in there making only to have most things break in the kiln. Thankfully I can be quite stubborn and I just kept at it!

Going into business: I decided when I was 5 that I was going to be an artist. Although there were some wobbles, where real life - and career advisers! - intruded on the dream, I stuck with it, doing an Art & Design foundation course before going on to do my degree. I graduated in 1997, worked to save some money then went self-employed as an artist in 1998. I've been working in the arts and making in clay since then.

Signature style: My current work is abstract, organic sculptures, which celebrate the potential inside all living things. Inspired by the many and varied elements of the natural world, they are filled with worlds of colour, texture and pattern inside a tactile pod form.

The technical bit: I am a hand-builder, which means that I don't throw on a wheel but instead create with my hands and handheld tools. I use all of the main hand-building techniques, depending on the effect or form that I'm after. I single-fire my sculptures, which means that as I'm making them I also decorate and glaze at the same time - it's the only way I can manage to decorate the insides.

Passing the baton: I passionately believe that everyone has the ability to be creative and love teaching because of this. I get a kick out of seeing students’ faces light up when they see a piece they made fresh from the kiln that they love, especially when they weren’t expecting it to work. I have heard too many people say: “I envy you. I’m just not creative” - including some students when they first arrive. Being creative doesn’t mean being good at art and craft. It’s soooo much broader than that.

Sense of reward: Looking back over the last decade, I'd have to say the biggest moment was moving into my current studio in Fenstanton. It gave me the chance to make the space everything that I dreamed. It sounds really minor, but my previous space didn't have a sink in the studio itself, so I had to use a bucket system. Now I have a dedicated studio sink - with trap in place - which is fantastic!

See and shop: You can find my work in my studio in Fenstanton - details at parmstrongceramics.co.uk - and, although all dates are not confirmed for 2025 yet, I also exhibit at various local exhibitions throughout the year. Currently my main focus is working towards exhibiting at the Florence Biennale in October; I'm really excited for the chance to get my work out into the international art scene.

Amber B Pottery
As anyone who owns one of Amber Boissieux’s signature Sweary Stamped Mugs will tell you, the Gamilingay potter’s wheel-thrown, dip-glazed vessels are irresistibly tactile. As she puts it: “They’re cosy and funny. . . and bring smiles to faces”

Falling in love: I first found my passion for clay when studying at Bath Spa University. I was shown how to throw on the potter's wheel and that was it! It took patience, but I knew from then that this was the craft for me. I loved the ritual of the technique, the connection between my mind, hands and clay, and the endless possibilities the material has.

Going into business: After leaving university, I set up a small at-home studio to continue with my practice. I continued to teach myself and broaden my skills and started selling products at local markets. It wasn't until lockdown in 2020, when I got the blessing to be in the studio full-time, that I began to realise that this is how I wanted to spend my time.
I started creating 'hug in the post' care packages for local people to send to loved ones, which encouraged me to create an online shop to streamline the process. This gave me the push I needed to jump into being a full-time potter. Since then I've started selling to shops across the UK, continued to be part of artisan markets, and started teaching workshops for all abilities to share my love for clay.

Signature style: I make hand-thrown pottery for your hands and home. Tactile, contemporary and individual, made in stoneware for everyday use.

The technical bit: I have always been drawn to wheel-throwing, so the majority of my work is thrown. However I am beginning to expand into hand-building a range of pieces. I mix my own glazes from recipes and dip in the bisque-fired ware.

Passing the baton: Teaching is becoming one of my favourite parts of my job! I get such a thrill from sharing the mindful and creative qualities of clay to all abilities and ages. I pride myself in creating a space for people to express their creativity, have an escape from everyday life and to unleash their inner potter. I have also recently launched a membership package, where you can come and make at your own leisure, continuing to expand your skills in a creative space with other like-minded potters, with light guidance from me. Find more details on my website.

Playing favourites: Mugs never fail to be my best selling product! This was why I decided in 2024 to expand my offerings of different mugs, which brought about the new best-sellers of Sweary Stamped Mugs. All hand-thrown and glazed, with a cheeky message stamped inside, they're cosy and funny, make great gifts and bring smiles to faces.

See and shop: You can purchase my work and book classes via my website: amberbpottery.co.uk. Alternatively, follow my social media @amberbpottery to keep up to date with special workshops, behind the scenes of the studio and the markets I will be trading at.