Meet the Maker: Hannah Berridge

Hannah Berridge doesn’t describe herself as a potter. For Hannah the joy lies in the painting. She is an artist using clay as her canvas. Each of her pots starts with a pencil mark to outline the design, before being painted by hand with coloured glazes and then fired in her kiln. No two pieces are ever exactly the same. Hannah’s ceramic venture took off when she designed a collection based on Southwold’s beach huts and showed it to one of the town’s gallery owners, who was so delighted they filled the gallery with her work. Hannah tells jewellery designer Charlotte Whitmore about her techniques, why glazes can be tricky to work with and her dream of being featured in the V&A’s permanent collection.

Get 10% off Hannah’s hand-painted ceramics while she’s our featured maker with the code ‘Bluebells’. Click here to shop Hannah Berridge on Folksy.

Hand-painted Ceramic Beach Huts Mug by Hannah Berridge – find it in her Folksy shop

I designed my ‘Beach Hut’ range, based on the Beach Huts in the seaside town of Southwold, and presented it to one of the town’s gallery owners. They were so delighted that they filled the gallery with my work and I haven’t looked back.

Hi Hannah, I love your pretty ceramic pieces. I see that you originally trained as a graphic designer. Where did the interest in ceramics come from and how long have you been making pots?
When I had my boy I knew things had to change as babies and deadlines don’t really mix. It started out with the idea of opening a ceramic café but after a few courses, doing painting parties where I found myself drawing ideas for people to paint, I came to the conclusion I much prefer painting my own ceramics! I then designed the ‘Beach Hut’ range, based on the Beach Huts in the seaside town of Southwold, and presented it to one of the town’s gallery owners. They were so delighted that they filled the gallery with my work and since then I have not looked back. Although I started out casting my own blanks from bisque (a liquid clay), I now buy them ready made. I always try to source from English makers.

People sometimes don’t understand the distinction between ceramic pieces that are made with applied stencils and those that are truly painted by hand, like mine. All my pieces are truly individual, none of them being identical.

Where do you work from? Are you lucky enough to have your own studio or work space?
I am! My studio is upstairs in the family house and one of the walls is covered in my work housed in shelves made by my husband. He complains I spend too much time in there but I find it peaceful and the relative isolation allows me to be creative without interruptions. My whole design process is complex, starting with development drawings and finishing with the final piece, painted with the design in glaze and ready to go to the kiln for the first firing. Some peace and quiet really is an essential element of the whole process.

Hand-painted Ceramic Bluebell Jug by Hannah Berridge – find it in her Folksy shop

Drawing or painting on to the ceramic surface, that is usually not flat, is quite different from drawing on paper.

Where does the inspiration for your ideas come from? Do you keep lots of sketchbooks for your designs?
I don’t keep sketch books any more as I draw and paint onto broken and chipped tiles, plates and mugs. This process allows me to get nearer to the real thing, even at the preliminary stages, because drawing or painting on to the ceramic surface, that is usually not flat, is quite different from drawing on paper that is very two-dimensional by comparison. This does though have the disadvantage that our kitchen cupboards are overflowing with experimental plates and mugs!

You have to know your colours intimately, as the glazes are a completely different colour after they are fired when compared with their original colour before firing.

What techniques do you use to apply your designs to the ceramics?
I use a pencil… followed by underglaze as everything is hand painted on to the ceramic. People sometimes don’t understand the distinction between ceramic pieces that are made with applied stencils and those that are truly painted by hand, like mine. Because of this, all my pieces are truly individual, none of them being identical. Some of the more complex designs such as my ‘Stones’ and ‘Boats’ range are produced using a wax resist and these need an extra firing in the kiln.

Hand-painted Ceramic Lily of the Valley Dish by Hannah Berridge – find it in her Folksy shop

The green in my Lily of the Valley collection is the colour I’ve probably spent the most time getting right! When developing the range, I spent ages mixing up glazes for the correct deep green that I use.

I love the colours you use for your Lily of the Valley ceramics. How do you decide on your colour pallet? Do you mix your own glazes?
How interesting that you picked up on the Lily of the Valley colour! This is the one colour that I have probably spent the most time getting right! When developing the range, I spent ages mixing up glazes for the correct deep green that I use. You have to know your colours intimately, as the glazes are a completely different colour after they are fired when compared with their original colour before firing.

Absolute essentials of the design and production process include copious quantities of Earl Grey tea and Radio 4

Do you have a daily routine when you are working?
Not really, because the workflow depends so much on what orders I have to fulfil and variables such as craft fairs or sales events. However, absolute essentials of the design and production process include copious quantities of Earl Grey tea and Radio 4, plus occasional forays into my secret sweetie jar… but please don’t tell anyone!

I admire artists who like to roll up their sleeves and get messy!

As I take a lot of photographs of my work, normally outside, I have photographic breaks when the light is good or I need a new post for my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter feeds. I’m still learning about photography but love doing it.

Hand-painted Ceramic Bluebell Egg Cup, Mug and Teapot by Hannah Berridge – find them in her Folksy shop

If I’m not painting Bluebells on to ceramics, I seem to be out in the garden photographing my designs among the real thing!

Do you have a favourite piece or collection that you like to make?
At the moment my favourite collection is the ‘Bluebells’ range, as the garden is full of them and they are so beautiful. If I’m not painting Bluebells on to ceramics, I seem to be out in the garden photographing my designs among the real thing! The Lily of the Valley is also very special as it was designed in memory of my Granny. It was her favourite flower. The inspiration for my designs almost always comes from my local environment in some way. This applies to the whole range from the ‘Beach Huts’ to the floral designs.

Hand-painted Ceramic Beach Huts Teapot and Jug by Hannah Berridge – find them in her Folksy shop

The inspiration for my designs almost always comes from my local environment in some way. This applies to the whole range from the ‘Beach Huts’ to the floral designs.

Hand-painted Ceramic Hearts Mug by Hannah Berridge – find it in her Folksy shop

It started out with the idea of opening a ceramic café but after a few courses I came to the conclusion I much prefer painting my own ceramics!

Are you planning any new pieces or collections this year?
I’m trying to come up with something for Father’s Day and I’m currently working on a money box for a beer fund. I’m also developing a design with bees and flowers. I’m always on the lookout for inspiration and have some ideas for a new range in mind at the moment, but it’s secret so I can’t tell you about it!

My husband complains I spend too much time in my studio, but I find it peaceful and the relative isolation allows me to be creative without interruptions.

Which other ceramic artists do you admire?
There are many but I have to say Clarice Cliff, Picasso, Grayson Perry and Andrea Zarraluqui are definitely among them. I admire artists who like to roll up their sleeves and get messy!

Hand-painted Ceramic Stone Mug by Hannah Berridge – find it in her Folksy shop

To have George Clooney send me a photograph of himself drinking his morning coffee from one of my mugs would be rather nice. I think that the ‘Stones’ design would suit him well!

What are your dreams and ambitions for your business?
My dreams are always of the next design and, of course, an ambition to make a good living from the huge effort that I put into my work. It would be rather wonderful to have some of my work in the V&A, and to have George Clooney send me a photograph of himself drinking his morning coffee from one of my mugs would be rather nice! I think that the ‘Stones’ design would suit him well!