Frances Lumber
Frances Lumber lives and works in the rugged and windswept valley of Garsdale, South Lakeland. After studying Graphic Design and Photography at Lancaster University she worked in education for over 20 years. In 2015 she decided it was time to devote more time to other projects, including her own creative practice. Her art includes landscape and still-life photography as well as mixed media pieces and now ceramics - all inspired by nature, memories and the changing seasons.
Frances’ ceramic art takes inspiration from the textures and forms of nature - the curl of a fern frond, the outlines of weathered stone, the silhouettes of plant stems. Clay is the perfect medium to express her fascination with texture, surface detail and colour.
The colours are created using blends of different oxides on the green stoneware before the pieces are biscuit fired. After the first firing more oxides are added to the details followed by a coat of wax resist to areas of each piece. A transparent glaze is applied before the final firing. The wax resist creates areas of matt texture amongst the gloss of the glaze, giving parts of the pot a more weathered, tactile appearance.
Her process involves the slow building up of layers of colour and texture to create unique artwork and functional pieces celebrating the beauty of the local landscape.
17.5cm wide 10cm high
Blue and green round bottomed bowl with fern imprints by Frances Lumber