Behind the Work…

Jim founded Whichford Pottery with Dominique in 1976, following an apprenticeship at Wrecclesham Pottery, where he learnt the English Country Pottery tradition.

Fascinated by woodfiring, particularly the Japanese tradition of Bizen, Jim makes everything from intimate vessels to monumental sculptures. His work confronts the uncertainty of thresholds, the precipice of change and the moment of transition from one state to another.

In 2024, Jim built his eighth woodfired kiln at Whichford. Fired continuously over eight days, it produces extraordinary natural ash and flame effects, each piece emerging from a collaboration between the potter, the clay and the fire.

Dominique co-founded Whichford Pottery with Jim in 1976. Having studied English Literature at Cambridge, she has always been drawn to drawing, storytelling and the relationship between art and the imagination.

Her hand-sculpted stoneware heads take inspiration from mythology, nature and the human figure. Each has its own expression and personality, with subtle differences in form and gesture suggesting a character or story beyond the sculpture itself.

The heads are fired in Whichford’s woodfired kiln, where flame and natural ash deposits bring unexpected colours and textures to their surfaces, adding another dimension to Dominique’s expressive forms.

Jim and Dominique founded Whichford Pottery together in 1976. Their collaborative sgraffito ceramics bring together Jim’s experience as a thrower and Dominique’s love of drawing and storytelling.

Jim throws the mugs, bowls, jugs and chargers, which Dominique decorates with lively compositions inspired by animals, plants, mythology and the Warwickshire countryside. Using the traditional technique of sgraffito, she scratches through coloured slip to reveal the clay beneath.

The work reflects their different but complementary approaches to making, combining the simplicity of traditional country pottery forms with Dominique’s distinctive, often humorous illustrations.

Adam grew up at Whichford Pottery, learning to throw from an early age before joining the family business in 2000. Now Production Director and Master Thrower, he makes the pottery’s largest and most technically demanding pots, drawing on skills developed over a lifetime at the wheel.

Alongside his work at Whichford, Adam makes slipware using earthenware clay dug from his field in Cherington. Rooted in the English earthenware tradition, his work celebrates the immediacy and vitality of working with clay. Throwing and then decorating with slip, he creates vibrant colours and bold patterns. 

Enjoying the pleasures of cooking and sharing food, Adam makes pots that explore the relationship between form, function and use. His wares are at their best when being used.

Simon joined Whichford Pottery in 2000 and is one of the workshop’s most experienced throwers, skilled in making everything from small flowerpots to large, complex forms.

A keen surfer, Simon’s own sculptures are inspired by the sea and the changing coastline. He is fascinated by the effects of copper in glazes, experimenting with surfaces ranging from soft matt finishes and sparkling crystals to dramatic runs of colour.

Drawing inspiration from lighthouses, sea mines, shipping buoys and traditional diving helmets, each sculpture begins on the wheel before being reshaped and assembled by hand.

Rob joined Whichford Pottery in 2007 and is now one of the workshop’s highly skilled Senior Throwers. Debbie joined as a decorator in 2016. They met at the pottery and are now married, combining Rob’s precision throwing with Debbie’s background in contemporary art.

Their porcelain takes inspiration from the grasses and wildflowers growing along local field margins. Working predominantly in blue and white, Debbie uses coloured slips and fine scratched marks to create delicate, layered landscapes.

Together they make both functional and decorative pieces, bringing a painterly quality to the clean forms of Rob’s thrown porcelain.

Tony trained in the pottery village of La Borne, France, during the 1970s, before becoming Lead Thrower at Whichford Pottery, a position he held until the early 2000s. He later established his own pottery at Castle Hill Farm.

Tony’s stoneware is characterised by unusual shapes and richly varied glazes. He enjoys experimenting with the proportions and contours of his vessels, creating forms that are both playful and carefully considered.

Using ash gathered from the surrounding hedgerows, Tony develops his own glazes, exploring the colours, textures and unexpected effects that emerge during firing. His work includes distinctive deep black surfaces alongside softer, more varied ash finishes.

Charlie became fascinated by throwing at nineteen, studying pots and their makers before joining Whichford Pottery as an apprentice. During seven years at Whichford, he established his own studio and began experimenting with reduction firing.

In 2020, Charlie moved to Devon to join Svend Bayer’s Kigbeare Kiln Project, developing his interest in traditional woodfiring and the relationship between clay, form and fire.

Charlie believes beautiful pots should be used and enjoyed, whether for preparing food, serving meals or growing plants. For him, the character of a pot lies above all in its form and the instincts of the person who made it.

Steve studied ceramics in Hereford and Cardiff before continuing his training in Kilkenny, Ireland. He later established his own pottery in Ross-on-Wye before joining Whichford Pottery in 2020, where he now works as the workshop’s glaze technician and a thrower.

Having also worked as a chef, Steve has a particular interest in functional ceramics and the relationship between pots and food. His work draws on a wide range of ceramic traditions, from Italian majolica to Japanese Bizen stoneware.

Alongside his own pottery, Steve collaborates with Sineater, experimenting with decoration, glaze and surface to create distinctive pieces that combine his technical knowledge with a production approach to making.

Frank studied Fine Art at Oxford’s Ruskin School before discovering ceramics during a residency in China. He learnt to throw in Berlin and later apprenticed with potter Penny Simpson before joining Whichford in 2021.

Working on a kick wheel, Frank makes earthenware inspired by traditional English slipware and the fluid forms of production pottery. He works within a strict colour palette, using layers of wet slip to decorate his pots.

His work retains the marks of throwing and the movement of decoration, reflecting his interest in the balance between the potter’s control and the unpredictability of clay.

Originally from the Isle of Wight, Boadie first met Jim Keeling while volunteering at the Oxford Anagama Project, a communal woodfiring initiative co-founded by Jim. She has since travelled widely, gaining experience working alongside potters across Europe.

Boadie completed her apprenticeship at Whichford Pottery in 2026, learning the traditional skills of handmade flowerpot production while developing her own sculptural practice.

Her handbuilt sculptures, particularly her wonderfully expressive horses, have a rawness and warmth that capture the character and movement of the animals. Fired in Whichford’s woodfired kiln, each piece is further shaped by the natural effects of flame and ash.