L iz Teall is one of ten potters who will be displaying their work at The Barn at the Green, Cuddesdon, from May 15–23 (Site 197) and then at the Town Hall, Chipping Norton, from May 22-31 (Site 358).

Liz sees herself as a traditional potter carrying out the skills of an ancient craft.

Her love of plants, particularly leaves, manifests itself in the glorious decorations that add an extra dimension to her pieces. Everything she makes is thrown by hand and created from red earthware, as it has some freeclay qualities which gives good warp resistance at 1100 degrees.

While her work is decorative, it is all made to use in the home, particularly the kitchen. She says she has only ever wanted to make pots that can be used.

When making casseroles, baking dishes and teapots she adds a medium course grog which gives the pieces thermal shock resistance. This means they can be used confidently in the kitchen and are microwave and dishwasher safe.

The leaves she uses to decorate her pots all come from her garden. Herbaceous plants, wild strawberry, hogweed and even nettle leaves find their way into her studio. They are pressed into the slip to leave a print that will be highlighted during the firing.

The result is a very effective and gives her colourful work an individual look, which has evolved after many years of experimentation with coloured slips and metal oxides.

Her most popular pieces include little olive dishes, salt pots with clay spoons, fruit bowls, such as the one pictured, and oil drizzlers that can be used in both the kitchen and on the dining table. Very large jugs, which are a challenge to make as they call for at least eight pounds of clay, always sell well too.

Liz says that the finish and colour of her work has changed dramatically over the course of her potting career, though the original shapes and forms remain very much the same.