Studio Shop 4: Jane Sheppard

I’ve been working as a ceramicist since the 1990s.  I moved to Frome in the first lockdown, having previously lived in Bath. I was a  full-time lecturer in Art and Design at Bath College for 15 years whilst exhibiting my work nationally.  I was a recipient of an arts council award in 1996 and travelled extensively in Africa in !998, returning to deliver workshops in the Kalahari with funding from the British Council and University of Namibia.

I took a break whilst raising my boys as a single mum, but returned to the studio in 2020.  Since then I’ve become a selected member of the Craft Potters Association and have exhibited nationally with a debut sell-out show in London (Kensington). Locally I’ve been fortunate to have exhibitions at Beaux Arts Bath, David Simon Contemporary and Vanner Gallery in Salisbury.  I’m about to show in the Oxford Ceramics Fair (last weekend in October) with other nationally acclaimed ceramicists. Work is currently available through Contemporary Ceramics opposite the British Museum in London.

My work celebrates the heritage skill of coiling with clay and is influenced by ancient artefacts with cross-cultural references.  Sustainability has always been at the core of my practice, with low temperature firings and low output.  Most of my work is large scale (45-50cms).  Recent work is moving towards monumental scale with figurative pieces reaching 2 metres. One of these is currently featured in a curated art trail of Monmouthshire churches (Vessel Art Trail, www.artandchristianity.org).

I’m also an ordained Interfaith Minister, but that’s a story for another day……

I deliver masterclass coiling weekends and ceramics retreats.  There’s a mailing list on my website for interested parties. More info is on my website www.janesheppard.me, or follow me on instagram for updates rev_jane_sheppard