David Mason Pottery
2026 – Taking part in Potfest in the Pens – Penrith Autumn
Making pots has been the main constant in my life and while I have been making pots for over 40 years, I sometimes describe myself as a rather mixed-up potter! I am self-taught making mainly slip earthenware which has been thrown, moulded or construction pieces. My pots are generally functional for fired in an electric kiln.
In the last 20 years in addition to my earthenware pottery I have also been making woodfired stoneware. This work is very different to my earthenware pots. Form and texture play a much larger influence compared to slipware. In 2017 I helped build a woodfired kiln in Scotland. The kiln is fired two times a year. Woodfiring adds a completely new dimension and complexity to my work where the characteristics of the pots are more determined by the types of glazes and idiosyncrasy of the wood fired kiln.
It as though I use two different parts of my brain to make the two different types of pots. Nevertheless, the heart of my potting is to make pots that can be used every day and are attractive to the user.