An interview with Amelia & new shop hours in October

After only a year of working with clay, I have become so completely ignited and inspired that I lie awake almost every night planning new pieces.  I went from a weekly night class, operating within term time, to working 3 days a week, 7 hours a day, and I still don’t feel like I have enough time to tackle all the ideas I currently have.  Animals are the bright centre of my creative practice.  Their staggering variation is an endless source of inspiration to me: colour, size, shape, behaviour, names, mythology, conservation.  I love that no matter the “status” of the animal, whether it’s a Bengal tiger or humble hermit crab, I pay them the same amount of care and adoration when sculpting them.  This particular approach informed the title and theme of a small showcase I will be hosting at my studio in Woodstock.  

It is the first time I will be exhibiting my ceramic work and I am so excited to share my creatures with an audience. 

Charismatic Mega Fauna, Saturday, 21st November 2026, 10am – 2pm, 502 De Waal House, 172 Victoria Road, Woodstock, Cape Town.

I had been struggling with a creative block for about 2-3 years after returning from living in Berlin. I was an illustrator who couldn’t illustrate, everything I drew felt as though it lacked direction, personality or excitement. So I decided to throw myself into a different medium, as a hobby, which meant the pressure was off “to perform creatively”. It was as if a light flicked on: here was the energy, the excitement, the obsession that had gone from my illustration. Even though I was inexperienced, just finding my feet with the medium and working three-dimensionally, I couldn’t stop. It’s what we all want, what we all seek, as artists: that flow, that inspiration and desperation to create. My sketchbooks have never been fuller, not necessarily with illustrations but with ceramic pieces I want make and animal studies. So I would suggest that anyone who is feeling disconnected from their medium, or generally sipping the dregs of their creative cup: try something new! Something you have no experience in, whether it’s dancing lessons, drawing classes, joining a hiking club or learning a new language, take the pressure off and let yourself stumble, fumble and make charming mistakes. You will be surprised at how new adventures are able to give back things you didn’t know you lost.

My methods are somewhat unestablished as I haven’t had formal training in ceramics.  I mostly approach making a piece with naive optimism, fatalism and treasuring every piece of advice offered by teachers, fellow artists and the internet at large.  I guess one could say that I hand build, I use a LOT of newspaper bundles at the start to shape my pieces and then I stumble on from there.  Taking my tongue out my cheek: I am mostly self-taught, still very much finding my way and discovering what techniques work best for me through trial and error.  I would love to work with methods that help me create bigger artworks, perhaps one day even sculpt something that leads to casting a bronze piece!

My favourite ceramic hack, which I was taught by the talented and generous Lucy Stuart-Clark at Sitting Duck Studios, is using a pin to poke holes for air bubble release. I tend to build up instead of cutting away and this does lead to thick sections of clay and trapped air pockets. So I poke holes after scoring and before adding clay. And once I am finished with a piece I go over the whole thing and make tiny, inconspicuous holes to allow air to escape and ensure the best possible chance in the kiln.

Up until now, I have only worked with flat, graphic underglaze colour on my artworks. However, I am about to glaze a large piece with a combination of Belissimmo Colorobbia Mint Shake and then Mayco Jungle Gems “Mystic Jade” painted over the top. My experimental test piece just came out the kiln and it is exquisite!

(Shout out to Georgia at Clay Corner for helping me with glaze guidance)

I joined Clay Circle in April and it has become my second Studio, I wouldn’t be able to create as regularly without it. Tash and her whole team are incredibly supportive, warm, generous and calm. You are instantly welcomed into and trusted with their space. I feel very much part of the Clay Hands family, after just 6 months, and proud to be a member of such a special studio. (not to mention the beautiful building and courtyard you get to enjoy as you work)