I've just discovered the extremely talented ceramicist Helen Beard via
Homes & Antiques and I can't get enough of her whimsical work. Each pot is thrown in Limoges porcelain and hand-painted. Her freehand line drawing is transferred onto the pot and colour is then painted over using a series of ceramic stain washes. The pots are then dip-glazed and smoothed down ready for the final stages of firing (thank you helenbeard.com for the technical description!) Helen describes her work as "drawing on pots" and I love that while they are most definitely works of art, they are also very practical pieces that can be used all over the home.
After being told by another artist in 2005 about the Serpentine swimmers, Helen went to observe their rituals in London's Hyde Park. Finding herself intrigued by their eccentricities they were among the first characters she began drawing on her pots.
Her character pots. as she calls them, have gone on to immortalise over 300 people, some of them even cropping up more than once. Counting people observing as her favourite pastime, it is no surprise she is able to capture their idiosyncrasies so perfectly.
Next on the agenda for Helen is a collection of pots that placed together tell a story. This is inspired by the 51-piece cityscape of Edinburgh she showed at the city's Art Centre last year. Something I would love to see! To see more of her work pop over to
www.helenbeard.com or read a short interview with her on
The Beat That My Heart Skipped.
In the UK you can purchase her work at the
Oxford Ceramics (they post worldwide too) and in the US, some of her pieces are available at
Ashes & Milk. I am yet to find anywhere in the Land Down Under that sells her pieces so Oxford Ceramics is probably our best bet.
Nicolex
Very cute collection! Just found your blog and loving it, now following! Miss Walker
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