Hebridean Glazes

About

Exhibition of Crafts using local Hebridean materials, and items for sale.

By training I am a ceramist and when I moved to South Uist in 1999 my desire was to use local materials in my work. Initially I was not hopeful as I could find no clay and the only natural glaze I knew about was a mixture of clay and wood ash, but South Uist has few trees!

However, after much empirical research and experimentation, I was amazed at the glazes that could be achieved with locally collected materials. I replaced wood ash with plant ash and clay in the glaze with other forms of degraded rock. 

Crafts were originally materials led; the adaptation by humans of things they found around them to provide the necessities for living.

Arts and crafts now spring from that itch to create that most of us have and weather materials lead or concept lead is the choice of the maker; I tend to be materials lead. 

I love to see what I can find in my local environment, not only for my ceramics but also for other crafts that interest me. Including; wool work, dyes, basketry, plaster casts, dried flora, paints and frescos. Examples of some of these can also be seen in my gallery.

Using local materials is not absolute and there are times when it is the inspiration that is local and the materials are imported to bring a project to fruition. 

A range of glazes made only using local materials is on display.

Miranda Forrest is author of Natural Glazes and Our Lady of the Isles.