Facing the Sunshine: Spring Potfest in the Pens 2025

Facing the Sunshine. My entry for the Potters' Competition at Spring Potfest in the Pens, 2025.

“We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won't do harm —yes, choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.”

― E.M. Forster, A Room with a View.

I was in my mid-twenties when I scribbled this passage into a little black notebook, where it sat among other fragments—lines of poetry, sentences torn from novels—that I couldn’t leave behind. As a young woman, this one struck me deeply. Forster’s compassion was comforting, and his directive empowering: yes, you will make mistakes, cast a shadow, do harm—to do so is to be human. What matters is how you exist, and the integrity with which you try. Strive to exist in a way that doesn’t cast the world around you into shade. Do your best, learn from your missteps and your failures of judgement, and then—exist! Your shadow can be small without you yourself being diminished.

Nearly 15 years later, this quote resurfaced for me. It feels timeless and multi-faceted, its meaning effortlessly widening to embrace modern environmental, cultural and political contexts. So when I got a last-minute place at the Potfest in the Pens this spring and saw the competition theme of Famous Quotes and Sayings, this quote instantly came to mind.

The Poetry of Ceramics

This piece was also an opportunity to lean into something I enjoy in the work of Edmund de Waal. I like how he weaves poetry, literature, memory, and place into ceramic installations. His works have been inspired by writers such as Rilke, Dickenson, Basho and others who explore time, loss, travel and memory. I love that ceramics can hold or convey emotions or ideas—or indeed moving passages from a book. My ceramics started with making mugs, bowls and practical items but I am increasingly interested in exploring work that escapes the repetitive nature of batch ceramics. I like that ceramics can be intellectual and emotional but still tactile and grounded by everyday use.

Thinking About Shadows

I consistently find myself returning to the idea of shadows—not just as a metaphor, but as an aesthetic element. In Japanese aesthetics, the role of shadows is integral to an object or architectural space. Shadows are crucial in pottery: they help define form, give depth, and separate the object from the surface on which it sits. In gallery lighting, they lift work off the plinth and invite the viewer to consider the negative space as part of the whole. Shadows complete the form—they are necessary. Edmund De Waal and Jennifer Lee are just two ceramic artists I admire for their understanding and subtle use of shadow.

In the Western world, culturally and emotionally, shadows often carry a heavier meaning. They’re associated with moral or emotional darkness, with the things we hide or regret. And yet, we all have them. To be human is to be flawed; to cause harm sometimes, even unintentionally. To return to Forster's quote: I find comfort in the idea that a shadow doesn’t mean failure—it simply means we are present.

Making the Piece

The final piece consisted of a slab-built rectangular dish and a small wheel-thrown vase. The form of the dish was intentionally simple and the vase, placed at one end, was deliberately joyful. The tiny lugs, a detail I often use on my mini vases, always feel full of life. I often think of them as little arms, thrown up in a joyful cheer. Staying close to my usual style felt important; I didn’t want to make something completely outside my regular work. Staying true to my own way of working was a way of “standing for all I am worth,” even if that came with a twinge of vulnerability.

I applied three different glazes to create the effect of the shadow cast by the vase (a smooth matte black I developed a couple of years ago, John Britt's Nickel Yellow and John Post's Juicy Fruit) hoping to bring Forster's quote to the object. The shadow is explicit, which works within the context of the competition and portrayal of the quote, but I would like to explore more subtle expressions of shadow in future work.

Potfest Weekend

This was my first time attending Potfest—and my first national ceramics show of this kind. The weekend was filled with warmth, generosity, and a genuine sense of community. It was such a pleasure to meet fellow potters, collectors, and visitors, and to have so many thoughtful conversations about clay, process, and working in this industry. The standard of work across the show—and especially within the competition—was incredibly high, with so many inventive, funny, and clever responses to the theme. Several prizes were awarded, and special congratulations go to the Judges’ Prize winner Lucy Blackley and the Potters’ Choice winner Pippin Peacock, both of whom created truly outstanding pieces.

Finally, thank you so much to the group of Scottish potters who chose my piece for the Scottish Potters' Choice Prize, and to Peter, who liked the piece enough to take it home with him.