Jaqui ATKIN

Dates: b.1954

She returned to education in the mid 1980s after having her family. Initially she intended to study interior design but became interested in ceramics while doing a Foundation in Art.  She studied for a diploma in Design/Ceramics at Staffordshire University but did not go on further due to health problems. Having developed an interest in smoke firing she attended a short course with Jane Perryman and began to experiment with surface patterns in firing. She uses various hand building methods, burnishing her work to a high sheen before bisque firing. The surface markings are created by using masking techniques before the work is smoke fired. The high sheen is restored by using a final coat of wax on the surface.She regularly writes on ceramics and has published four books whose titles are: Handbuilt Pottery Techniques Revealed (Barron's Educational Series, 2004) Pottery Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start Making Beautiful Ceramics (Barron's Educational Series, 2005) Tile Artists Motif Bible: 200 Decorative Designs with Step-by-step Instructions and Charts (Krause Publications, 2007) Tile Artist's Bible, A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2007