ruthanne tudball

East Dereham, ENGLAND

Ruthanne Tudball at work in her studio, East Dereham, England.

Ruthanne Tudball, Tall Oval Jug, 2018. Stoneware, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln. 30 cm H. — Ruthanne Tudball, *Tall Oval Jug*, 2018. Stoneware, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln. 30 cm H.

Being “locked down” is a strange place to be, but I am very lucky to live in the countryside where I can walk without seeing anyone and enjoy being out in the sunshine. I have injured my hand and had to have surgery on it, so I have been unable to pot. I have always drawn, but I have also wanted to learn Chinese brush painting, so I have been trying that with mixed results, but in the same way that drawing does, it makes me look and look and look to see form. There is no doubt that drawing feeds into how I work with clay. I don’t draw pots, but looking at natural forms is a delight and opens that inner eye. Music is very important to me. Several years ago I tore all the ligaments in my right hand and had to give up playing the classical guitar. I had to learn how to throw clockwise in order to be able to handle the clay. Even after I could use the hand again for potting, playing the guitar was painful and difficult bending the fingers. So I stopped playing. But I have started re-learning what I once knew so well and thought I had forgotten. I am even practicing my French, which has gone stale. This “great pause” caused by the pandemic for me has been an opportunity to think differently. I have a firing waiting to go into the kiln when the doctor gives me the all clear. There are slip and clay tests which may lead to new work….who knows?

Ruthanne Tudball, Platter, 2018. Stoneware, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, 38 cm diameter — Ruthanne Tudball, *Platter*, 2018. Stoneware, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, 38 cm diameter

during the lockdown, RUTHANNE TUDBALL HAS taken Time out from ceramics to PRACTICE Chinese brush-painting—Something she has been wanting to do for many years.

Ruthanne Tudball, Platter, 2020. Stoneware with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade., 38 cm diameter — Ruthanne Tudball, *Platter,* 2020. Stoneware with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade., 38 cm diameter

Ruthanne Tudball, Teapot on 3 feet, 2020. Stoneware thrown and manipulated wet on the wheel, slip decorated with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade. 18 cm H — Ruthanne Tudball, *Teapot on 3 feet,* 2020. Stoneware thrown and manipulated wet on the wheel, slip decorated with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade. 18 cm H

Ruthanne Tudball, practice at Chinese brush painting for future projects on clay, 2020. — **Ruthanne Tudball**, practice at Chinese brush painting for future projects on clay, 2020.

Ruthanne Tudball, Oval Basket, 2020. Stoneware with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade. 32 cm H — Ruthanne Tudball, *Oval Basket*, 2020. Stoneware with hakeme and haiku ash, soda vapor glazed in a wood-gas kiln, fired to 1300 degrees centigrade. 32 cm H

BIO: ruthanne tudball

Ruthanne Tudball was born and brought up in California, USA, and after high school moved to England to get married and study English Literature at university. She discovered clay while studying and fell in love with it. After graduating she taught herself to throw on the wheel, and eventually got accepted to do post-graduate study at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London where she did research alternatives to salt as a source of sodium for glazing pots. Soda vapor glazing was published as a book Soda Glazing in 1995. Ruthanne set up her own studio in 1978, combining potting with raising a family and teaching. Since 1989 she has worked full-time as a potter. Apart from writing the first book ever written on soda glazing, she is best known for throwing, manipulating and assembling work wet on the wheel, to capture the soft organic quality of the clay and preserve that softness in the finished piece. Ruthanne is a Fellow of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain and a member of the International Academy of Ceramics.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

ruthanneatudball@gmail.com

www.ruthannetudball.com

@tudballruthanne

rate of affection

Ruthanne Tudball nominates Josie Walter