Jane Silk

Jane trained in ceramics at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, graduating in 1973, and has continued developing her own work since then alongside her career in teaching. Her bird forms reflect her ongoing love of birds, their forms, behaviour and personalities. She enjoys pushing the exaggeration of their features and movements in an attempt to achieve the very essence of their ‘birdness’. Together with her love of birds, the natural world has always been at the root of her inspiration. A keen walker and lover of the great outdoors, she intuitively responds to her surroundings and is currently especially inspired by cliff walking along the coast and rock formations over time. Weather and its impact on the environment, the power of the elements, erosion and decay - unending inspiration. Now retired from teaching, Jane has the time to explore and experiment with new ideas and concepts. Her work is predominantly hand built and sculptural, revealing a fascination for textural surface qualities and edges. She is excited by the colour variations and effects that can be achieved through experimentation, making use of a range of clay bodies, slips, oxides and glazes. Jane’s work is exhibited widely at galleries and exhibitions in the south east and elsewhere in the UK. She was a finalist for Surrey Artist of the Year 2018.