Paul Vining

Paul Vining works from a purpose-built studio in Cardiff, Wales, producing individual pieces of stoneware ceramics, in which the emphasis is on ceramic form. Some pieces are thrown on the wheel, others coiled, and some produced using both techniques. Coiling is a slow process, but has the advantage of allowing more time in which to consider and adapt the form of the vessel as it emerges. The pieces are fired to 1250-1280°C either in an electric kiln, or in a gas kiln which Paul has built himself. He has developed his own glazes sometimes using local materials especially wood ash. Paul's creative influences are diverse: in the field of ceramics, they range from prehistoric pottery to sculptural vessels made by twentieth-century studio potters such as Hans Coper and Colin Pearson. Largely self-taught, Paul is an associate member of the Craft Potters Association.