Carole Irwin uses terracotta clay, enjoying its warmth and reliability. She makes vessels, and their decoration is inspired by botanical and architectural drawing. Colour is provided by painting with slip. (Stained clay fired onto the vessel.) Her pots can be used as vases but most of them stand alone like sculpture.

She started work as a potter making stoneware tableware, very much in the Bernard Leach tradition. When She lived in Asia it was a revelation to see old terracotta reliefs and unfired sculpture modelled with so much movement and life. The unfired clay, usually of religious subjects, is boldly painted using any old paint, and this freedom helped me break out of my training in traditional methods.

Carole very sadly died in May 2014. She will be sorely, sorely missed by the Putney Artists. Our hearts go out to her husband Dave and the rest of her family.