Orchard Pottery is a small studio pottery - the partnership of Doreen Gardner and Tony Smither . They have been in business since 1980. The workshop is situated in a small village in West Devon on the edge of Dartmoor . They concentrate on the design and manufacture of sculptural birds and beasts for the home and garden.  

Artist’s Statement

We use most of the ceramic manufacturing processes available at Orchard Pottery. These include coiling, press moulding, slip casting, throwing, extruding, and slab building. On many pieces two or more techniques are employed.

All of our work is frostproof stoneware so that it can be safely used in the garden all year round.

Stoneware is clay that has been fired to a high temperature so that the molecules fuse together or vitrify and make the pottery non porous. Many pieces are hand painted with colour that is then fired on. Where a glaze is used it is sprayed on, which together with the firing effects, gives terrific variety to the finish. Some of the pieces are fired in a gas kiln where, by manipulating the air supply to the gas flame, we can effect the colours of the glazes used. Most of our work is now fired in our new large electric kiln.