Jane Sheppard

Jane is a self-taught ceramicist and began coiling and smoke firing over 30 years ago. She worked for many years as a lecturer in art specialising in ceramics and finds inspiration in neolithic landscapes and artefact.  Living on the Somerset/ Wiltshire border provides rich source material.

The meditative simplicity of coiling is a fundamental part of her practice.  Jane is fascinated by the universality of clay and how it lies at the heart of the human experience.  She travelled widely in Africa researching the spiritual use of clay and visiting remote pottery communities, running workshops in the Namibia and Kalahari deserts with funding from the British Council.

After a 10-year absence from clay whilst a single parent, Jane is enjoying working from her home studio and engaging more deeply in the metaphorical language of clay. She aims for forms and decoration which appeal to our shared human aesthetic and remind us of our physical connection with the earth.