Joanne has a BA (Hons) in 3D Design from Manchester Metropolitan University. She works from her studio in Holmfirth, Yorkshire, where she individually makes her dogs from stoneware clay.

Artist’s Statement

My ceramic work initially took the form of small scale boxes, a theme which began during the final year of my degree course. A few years after graduation, inspired by a sketch I had drawn of our family dog, I decided to try making on a larger scale. The experience marked a major turning point in my work. A dog obsession had begun.

At first I experimented with mixed media but I soon decided that I wanted to make pieces that could last forever without suffering from wear and tear. I now work solely in stoneware clay, making each dog individually using a combination of slab and coil building techniques. I glaze using a variety of stoneware glazes from recipes acquired over time and then fire to 1235 degrees in an electric kiln.

When producing a piece, my aim is not to replicate a dog in clay but to create my impression of it. I like to exaggerate certain characteristics that stand out, particularly the facial expressions.