Wendy Lawrence
- janebrumfield
- Nov 12
- 4 min read
Wendy Lawrence sculpts forms inspired by nature from clay. The surface is heavily carved and changed with volcanic, reactive glazes creating the appearance of worn, weathered and corroded stone.
“I enjoyed the spontaneity of the clay to begin with, bashing and pummelling clay into trough like forms. My work has evolved gradually and is becoming more textural and carefully carved. I make for the enjoyment of the material, alongside the desire to express the qualities of stone and therefore have a variety of hand building techniques. I gouge out solid pieces, slab build, coil, drape slabs into moulds and formers and carve solid pieces of clay.”
Wendy lives and works in North Wales. The geology of the landscape and observations made while taking local walks are a prominent inspiration. She also draws from a large library of images she has collected over years of travel, from river systems to cave walls and geological forms. She is also influenced by styles of architecture that creates busy surfaces on simple forms.
“I have been documenting geology, form, surface and texture through drawing, photography, and collecting found objects for years. My work is also inspired by monoliths, stone circles, troughs and wheels: forms that capture the majesty of stone.”
Wendy builds thick solid pieces or forms from slabs or heavy coils. This is a process of establishing the scale and shape that will provide her with a surface she can then carve. Her work is very much about form and surface. The making and carving of the form are her favourite part of the process. The glazing is an important element to creating the surfaces she wants to achieve, but it is not her favourite thing to do. It is a means to an end, and it is in the results that she finds joy.
“My ceramics are elemental and volcanic, attempting to exaggerate form and texture evident in the geological process. Textures and colours are intensified; framing nature’s characteristics within each piece.”
She admits she is a messy artist when it comes to glazing. Although she has an extensive knowledge of how certain glazes and oxide behave, she is reluctant to pursue the control of glazing chemistry. She prefers to rely on experimentation and embrace the unexpected results of combining chemicals within the environment of the kiln. She fires the work to 1260 degrees in an electric kiln, varying the atmosphere from oxidation to heavy reduction. The vitrification of the clay means that her work can be displayed in interior or exterior spaces.
The thickness of the application of glaze will also have its say on the resulting surface. She mixes silicon carbide in some of the applied glazes. This creates gasses and bubbles in the glaze. The surface is a layered combination of glazes, oxides and engobe slips. Once fired the surface may require softening. Wendy may take a grinder to the surface to work back through the layers removing any areas that are too rough. In doing so she may reveal unexpected oxide reactions that have become covered through the process.
Wendy’s life in clay is more than an occupation – it is an engulfing lifestyle. She discovered clay early in her Art foundation course. She remembers, “I really thought I’d end up in a career doing graphics or illustration and went into the 6-week 3D taster with trepidation as I really had no interest. It was almost a light bulb moment, and I am still so passionate about this versatile material.”
She went on to study at the University of Central Lancashire, gaining a BA in 3D Design (Ceramics), followed by a postgraduate certificate in Education.
Wendy worked for sixteen years at a tile company in Denbigh creating massive mural commissions. Many of these were for public spaces including swimming pools. She jokes that her time creating sea inspired murals still seeps through to her current work showing itself in the coral forms she makes. She was involved in many community-based mural projects and workshops.
She has embraced the community found in the field of ceramics, participating in symposiums and workshops across the globe. She says, “Clay has and still continues to open up so many opportunities and I’m really enjoying the journey.” She has developed an impressive network of friends, colleagues and collaborators. Throughout her career she has also taken many artist residences giving her further opportunity to travel.
She is always keen to learn new ways of making and is generous with her own knowledge. She happily combines her time making with teaching. She has taught every age group within both community and more formal educational settings. She currently teaches workshops from her studio on Denbigh and is a senior lecturer in ceramics for the Applied Arts Course at Wrexham University.
She has been a Director of The International Ceramic Festival in Aberystwyth and is one of three founders of the Ceramic Wales event at Bodrhyddan Hall. She has participated in many events throughout the UK including Art in Clay at Hatfield and Windsor, Earth and Fire at Rufford, and the prestigious Ceramic Art London (CAL) at the Royal College of Art. She exhibits internationally and Ruthin Craft Centre has shown her work over many years.
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