Jill Ford - Ceramic Artist

Jill Ford began working as a potter in 2002, converting her garage into a studio pottery and establishing her company Jill Ford Ceramics.

Her contemporary porcelain, which encompasses innovative textural wall pieces, vases and bowls thrown on the wheel and a range of candlesticks is now sold in an impressive host of galleries and shops both in the UK and overseas, including New York.

Jill’s work mirrors the seasons, both in the processes she uses as well as the changing nature of her landscape. Her latest work tends towards a more abstract nature and draws heavily on the themes of ice and rock, particularly informing her wall pieces and Strata range of vessels.

She says: “Winter is a particularly inspiring time of year and we experienced extreme temperatures. This made fantastic ice formations, which were frozen for a long time. The ice was incredibly thick and you could see the layering of ice blocks and snow. It was very white, so it lent itself well to my use of porcelain, especially when built up in really thin layers of clay.”

She continues: “I’ve also spent some time sketching by the coast looking at rock formations and strata, which translate really well using porcelain because it has a fragile strength. It’s difficult to work with but once fired it’s very strong so you can create very thin surfaces and objects.”

What inspires you in your art?

I’m inspired by the landscape – wild untamed areas are particularly fascinating. I’m interested in how landscape are formed – the processes that built up mountains and have eroded cliffs and rocks. Looking closely at crevices and patterns in rock formations reveals a wealth of textural detail and pattern.

What medium do you work in?

Porcelain

What are you looking forward to at Make it Up North?

The opportunity to show in my local city in a beautiful historic venue – mixing old architecture and new craft items. I enjoy the link between the craftspeople who created and used the Guildhall and contemporary artists working in Craft.

What work are you showing at the event?

New bowls and wallpieces inspired by my creative retreat the N.W.Highlands earlier this year. I spent 3 monthe sketching rock formations and coastal scenes and have developed the sketches into a new range of thrown porcelain as well as coastal wall pieces.

Have you any exciting news to share?

I am currently working on a huge commission for a wall piece depicting a Scottish seascape. I sketched the view from Redpoit over Loch Gairloch with Skye and the Cuillins in the distance. The pieces as posed several challenges due to it’s size – it’s a triptych with finished dimensions of 150 cm x 55 cm!

If you could sit in a room with any artist….who would it be and what would you ask them?

I would have loved to watch Turner paint – not especially to ask questions but to observe how he applied paint and moved it over the canvas creating such moody and atmospheric impressions.

Name your favourite quote/or philosophy to life?

I try to follow the Buddhist principles and love this quote by Buddha – it powerfully illustrates our human potential

.“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

If money was no object what piece of work would you create? 

A sculptural pieces for a public garden. I would create a structure that soared to the heavens with an angelic figure at it’s peak. I’d need plenty of technical help with the construction and I would work with porcelain to build the sculpture piece by piece. I would aim for it to capture the imagination and be thought provoking.

Jill Ford will be showing her work at Make it Up North Event at The Guildhall in York on the 5th and 6th of October. 
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