Welcome to Cornerstones Pottery
I'm Hilary Nunn. I create ceramics from my home studio in Northumberland. Working on a traditional potter's kick wheel as well as an electric wheel, I make hand thrown stoneware ceramics for use every day. I glaze my work with layers of colour inspired by the landscapes around me.
My Creative Process
Hand Thrown on a Wheel: How my Ceramics are Made
Unique & characterful Homeware
Creating homeware pieces which are useful, durable and beautiful to use involves designs which are practical as well as pleasing. Hand thrown pottery for me is about uniqueness and individuality, so I design and glaze "loosely", not repetitively, believing the joy of "handmade" is in the choosing of each piece for its own character and its similarity of form and colour tones to other pieces in a collection.
From Studio to Kiln: The Making Process
Clay preparation and throwing takes place in my home studio where pieces are slowly dried and then trimmed. My kiln and glazes are housed in a studio in my garden so the dried pieces are carefully moved to this second studio area for bisque firing, glazing and finally second firing.
Environmentally Considerate Ceramics: My Commitment to lowering my impact
My work studios are small and compact but this doesn't mean I can't be environmentally considerate. Waste clay is fully reclaimed and worked back into production. Glaze washings are collected throughout the year rather than poured away — these accumulated "slops" become my signature Mystery Glaze for the following year. And whenever the sun is shining, I time my kiln firings to draw on solar power from my rooftop panels and battery storage. Small steps, but ones I'm proud of.
