Terry O’Brien

Terry returned to pottery after moving to Abinger Common and retiring in 2002, having trained in ceramics many years ago at Putney School of Art. He has set up his studio with wheel and kiln at the end of the garden. He has exhibited from time to time with other local artists in Open Studios and at occasional Craft Fairs. He used to make mainly hand-built pieces, slab work, coiling and pinching, but has since been using the wheel to crate variations on the bowl with a range of piercing and decoration. Birds and trees are recurring themes, with his tree-pots signature pieces. Over the last few years he has been developing a range of what he calls Light Pods: decorative closed shapes on stands with internal lights which throw patterns on adjacent surfaces. Terry has always enjoyed the creative process rather than focussing on selling, so he is reluctant to repeat, and events like Open Studios are the only occasions when he exhibits and sells.