Debbie Prosser

Debbie was born in Canada.  She was educated in England and studied ceramics at the West Surrey College of Art & Design, and at the Bath Pottery.

On graduating she set out to establish her own pottery and in 1981, or arriving in Cornwall, set up her first studio at Gunwalloe on the Lizard.  In 1988 she then relocated to Penhalvean Pottery, Redruth, where she used a large 60ft gas fired kiln to produce a wide range of decorated domestic and architectural pieces.  She is now located near Newlyn, where in addition to making pots she also hand-prints artwork, poetry and small books.

A potter of great skill and wit, her ceramics, whether useful small bowls, large platters, garden tables and barrel-stools, goblets or tiles all tell stories, and are referenced to classical and local history. The intense colouring in golds and yellows set a background for intricate paintings of Celtic design, people, animals, etc. making her work always distinguishable in any collection.   Having started out in 1978 producing raw fired earthenware, her focus now has shifted to porcelain.

 

“Perhaps as a reaction to 30 years of using red earthenware raw materials, now in my Newlyn workshop I have found the exciting practice of exploring new materials and firing temperatures to suit the batch of work I wish to make. This period of flux is a huge learning curve developing the group of recipes I will eventually run with. For now, I settle on the techniques of applying Terra siggliatta on the outside surfaces and glazing inside the function shapes.

I will be returning to red earthenware with the forthcoming completion of a 40cu’ brick kiln. Working slowly back to porcelain once I’ve seen how it fires. I certainly look forward to making larger ware again.” – Debbie Prosser