The Whale

This is a piece made by A&M Potters during lockdown in response to watching ‘Seaspiracy’ and in order to raise awareness of the importance of our oceans in the battle against climate change.

This piece ‘The Whale’ is made from crank stoneware, mounted on a block of Welsh slate, which was carried from a Welsh slate mine by my own fair hands as child.

I hope you like it and can view more pieces @aandmpotters on Instagram and Facebook

A&M Potters started with Ann teaching Matt ceramics and the rest as they
say is history.
Based in the small Fenland market town of Ramsey, Ann and Matt
produce fun and quirky ceramics, taking inspiration from nature and the
local East Anglian Environment.
Working predominantly in stoneware and crank, the pieces range from
small to medium-sized, for internal and external exhibition.

Ann – I was introduced to pottery at the age of 19, whilst at college
training to be a teacher. I really took to working clay and have had a
passion for this medium ever since.
My late husband, Bill, admired my work and often suggested that I take it
up professionally, but at that age my lack of confidence meant that I did
not pursue it any further. Some years later I had the opportunity to teach
art at a local secondary school which had an active ceramics
department. Every child in years 7-9 had a chance to work with clay and
older students often used it as their preferred medium for exam work.
This is really where my love ceramics and my passion for teaching its
techniques were born.
On retiring I treated myself to a hobby kiln (a very important piece of
information for any A&M Student), but only engaged in pottery
sporadically. It was not until I was asked to exhibit at the Ramsey Craft
Market that I realised that people liked my pieces and then there was no
looking back.

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I met Matthew when he came to me to study pottery as a healing
process after battling with illness and we seem to form a natural bond,
whilst teaching and creating
I am looking forward to what the future holds. As if you had said to me 5
years ago, after retiring you will become the Director of your own
business and guide that business through a global pandemic, I would
never have believed you. Yet here I am with work in galleries and
classes of eager student hungry to learn. I just wish Bill were here to see
me now.
Matt – I came to ceramics about 3 years ago, as a kind of therapy to help
cope with the anxiety and depression I was suffering after becoming
seriously ill with SEPSIS. The therapeutic effect of clay and Ann’s
amazing teaching qualities enabled me to ground, refocus and basically
changed my life. My family, Ann and the ceramics brought me back from
a very dark place, I now hope to use my experience to help others know
‘its ok not to be okay’ and to bring the joy of pottery to all ages and
abilities in my local fenland community and beyond.
I am excited and proud to be the co-founder of A&M Potters and hope
that my work reflects this. Who knew that the those once-a-week classes
with Mr. Griffiths, at Ramsey Ailwyn, would lead me here, well with a lot
of guidance from Ann.