A tea bowl is a hand made clay vessel traditionally used for drinking tea, coffee or other beverages. This type of pot originated in the orient, and in Japan has associations with the tea ceremony. Many potters in the west have been inspired to make tea bowls. Using a tea bowl is more intimate than using a cup or a mug with a handle, as the pot is held directly in the hands when in use, giving the drinker a more friendly, tactile experience.

Apart from its function as a drinking vessel, an important quality a good tea bowl should have is a contemplative presence: the capability of engaging the mind and imagination of the user, through the aesthetic, intrinsic uniqueness of its form, depth of colour and surface texture. When these elements are all present, the tea bowl has the same power as any inspiring work of art, to move the spirit, cause empathy and sometimes a feeling of consolation.

My tea bowls are unique because I have developed their forms and surfaces over many years of practice. Unlike many other tea bowls with smooth sides which are then decorated with glaze or into which an incised, impressed or painted pattern is applied before glazing, my tea bowls are carved at the turning stage, to create dramatic ridges and ledges which the overlying glaze gathers on, and which provide an ergonomic, tactile feel for the hand. I use layers of different glazes to build up texture, depth and colour in a gestural, painterly way. The result, when it works well, is more than just a pot: it is a unique sensory experience.