about the artist

Margaret Gardiner

Margaret Gardiner works in porcelain, thrown on the wheel and slab built for both domestic use and enjoyment. She concentrates on finely thrown bowls, large centrepiece dishes, all sizes of jugs, and, of course, a wide range of drinking vessels. Margaret loves textures: lace, peacock feathers, shells and shiny things and the process of evolving these into her ceramics. She recognizes that she has 3 main influences: Victorian architecture, Greek pots and the sea. She particularly wants to emulate the joy she feels when snorkelling: she delights in the colours and patterns of coral and sea creatures. Margaret notices patterns wherever she goes and she travels whenever possible. Once she has designed the forms, she uses them as a palette for textural patterns and chooses how to place them in the kiln for emphasis. She finds the random element at this stage very exciting and the results a constant motivator.