Alan Pearce of ADP ceramics.

My inspiration comes from oriental arts and craftsmanship. My work is quite precise with a high attention to detail. I use 2 types of clay body, Earthstone original and Vulcan black. This gives me the opportunity to use a wide range of glazes and glaze effects.

I work mainly with slab which allows me to achieve the detailed effect I am looking for. My range of work uses many geometric shapes and in several styles.

I look for meaning in much of my work and going forward, I am working with symbols and organic shapes. I am currently learning the art of Raku firing and look forward to showing the results soon.

Background.

I ran my landscape gardening business for 28 years. I have always loved plants and gardens especially the Japanese gardens and their plants, Japanese maples and Bamboo. I connect with the attention to detail the Japanese craftsmen show.

I had some ideas for large Bonsai pots. After looking round for a long search, I decided to make my own. I took a college course in 2015 to learn the basic techniques and managed to make several large Bonsai pots. By then I was hooked and spent the next few years perfecting my craft, style and design.

In 2019 the landscaping was becoming too hard for me, so I decided to concentrate on my ceramics. It was great to finish filling skips with clay and having a much more creative relationship with it.

I have always been a creative person and have always used my hands in my work. You can still see the Japanese influence in my work.