Helen Rondell

Helen established her studio in 2001 after studying at North Staffordshire University, gaining a BA (Hons) in Ceramics.

In 2014 she was accepted as a member of the Craft Potters Association and in the same year began teaching ceramics part-time at The Ceramic Studio, Kent.

Her narrow-necked vases are Raku fired using resist slips. After the bisque firing, the resist slip is painted onto the form and when dry, a crackle glaze is brushed onto a selected area. It is then fired in the Raku kiln and taken out using tongs before being plunged into a metal bin containing a mixture of paper and sawdust which ignite. When covered with the lid, smoke smothers the piece. Once cooled it can be cleaned and the glaze falls away leaving the black 'cracked and spotted' marks where the smoke has penetrated.

"I want to create pieces that flow and curve, leading the viewer around and through the piece. I build them slowly over a few days - the forms can often change and evolve during the process, almost like I’m drawing with clay."