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Andy Van Vliet
Ceramicist
Based in Sheffield
“Brought up in Devon within a family of artisans; I always wanted to be outside and to make things. I first trained as a civil engineer and then a landscape architect developing skills and sensibilities that feed my distinctive approach to making pots; one that combines intuition, technical capability and a search for rightness.
A wheel and fire potter, I make things both useful and sculptural; each piece different and often in a series exploring ideas of form and materiality. Using stoneware clay, my work is reduction fired in a gas kiln to 1200C. Limited colour palettes are often used; rough textured clay body tones and modelled surface melding with earthy, iron-rich glazes.”
Nick's personal carvings usually depict real or imagined creatures. Often the pieces are imbued with humour. Sometimes this is overt and at other times it is quite subtle and understated. Always sensitive and skilfully crafted Nick's work will offer pleasure to the viewer for many years.
Recently he has begun making intimate sensitively carved tiny birds on beautifully selected blocks of burr elm. Blue tits, gold crests, tree creepers and wagtails make up the current range, but I am sure more will be added soon.
In his own words:
"I carve and paint each bird by hand. No two are the same. They are limited in the sense that for my own sake as well as yours, I won't churn them out. I carve them freshly and spontaneously while paying attention to the basics of anatomy before I paint each one as if it is a watercolour on wood."