Ali Upton-Lalupots
2026 – Taking part in Potfest in the Pens Penrith – Autumn
I am a mostly self-taught potter, with still much to learn. I live on the northwest coast of Scotland, on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Whilst having had a career in social work / social care, I have always had a passion for crafting. Over recent years I have discovered the joy of working with clay.
I work in stoneware which I then slip with terra sigillata. My pieces are all hand built, combining pinch pottery and coil building. At times I am imprinting with natural materials and integrating gathered wood into the pieces; the connection with place and landscape is integral to my work. After bisque firing I smoke (sagger) fire them in sawdust, lichens, oxides and seaweed. There is always an unknowing as to how the materials and oxides will react in the fire, and therefore a unique giftedness in the colour and texture that emerge. By burnishing and then polishing, the pieces retain a subtle patina, in harmony with their form. I am inspired by the land and seascape of West Ardnamurchan where I live, in the forms, the imprinting, and the firing. I find a stillness in the gathering of materials as well as in the making of each piece. I create pieces that are to be held, to be turned over in the hand. My hope is that by encountering them in this way, others can connect with that stillness in the holding.