February 2026 Monthly Analysis of Progress

This analysis is based on my Learning Agreement from this current module. It is undertaken to aid me in seeing my progress. This module, my Learning Agreement somewhat switches from its format and forms the basis for my final written module, the poster. As such, this reflection serves not merely as an account of what I have achieved, but as an opportunity to critically consider how my practice is developing and where tensions, gaps and opportunities for further enquiry remain.

To write short rhymes that form the basis of original character-driven stories

Since my assessment in January, I have worked out a way forward in many ways. My narratives are now more included within my designs for builds. It is this that has been my focus in February and, as such, I have not added to any of my written poems.

However, this shift suggests that my narratives are beginning to move away from existing solely in written form and are becoming embedded within the ceramic objects themselves. I am beginning to question whether the poems are now generating the work or whether the act of making is becoming a form of storytelling in its own right.

That said, I am now quite focused on researching Victorian England, particularly London and specifically around the period of the 1880s, as this was when freakshows were on the wane and would clearly be a tad worn and worse for wear.

This weekend we went down to London to visit Niamh and managed to get in some research at the V&A Museum in their Britain 1760-1900 section. In addition, perambulating around the capital's architecture and parks brought forth some fabulous remnants from the era.

I have also taken to reading around the period too. Liza Picard's Victorian London: The Life of a City 1840-1870 holds a wealth of interesting, bite-sized facts. Ruth Goodman's How to Be a Victorian is equally informative and The Time Traveller's Guide to Victorian London by Natasha Narayan has been purchased and is ready to start. Overall, I feel fairly immersed in Victorian London at present.

This immersion in Victoriana has moved my research beyond gathering factual references and towards understanding the social atmosphere of the period. It is helping me make decisions that feel more authentic and considered. I am becoming increasingly interested in capturing the mood and perceived atmosphere of the era rather than merely reproducing its aesthetics.

My final research on all things Victorian involves guns, cartridges and bullets of the period. This is to inform my latest design for Lady Delores and her weaponised accessories. So maybe not exactly writing new narratives at present, but definitely absorbing Victorian culture with my research. Increasingly, I am recognising that research itself forms part of the storytelling process, as the credibility of my fictional world depends upon the depth of understanding that sits behind it.

To design and make ceramic forms, primarily in stoneware, that visualise these narratives

My building continues apace. Each design is more complex and I feel includes the narratives far more. I have stopped worrying so much about how to get the poems in and I am now focussing on how to encompass the overall visuals from the poems within the detail of the pieces. This is a step forward, I feel. It has freed up my designs, adds to the layering of a piece that I have been seeking and makes the building process far more fun.

I suspect part of this enjoyment comes from no longer treating the narratives and the ceramics as separate entities. Instead, I am increasingly approaching them as interconnected parts of a single practice. This feels important because it suggests I am beginning to find a more natural relationship between writing and making.  I still have work to do in this area.

I designed a new version of Lady Delores and after three days building, I decided that the engineering was not workable as I could not include sufficient narratives in the piece. I took the difficult step of reclaiming her rather than firing the piece. The reality was that I had learned so much during the build and had changed aspects of the design that meant the balance was lost. Adding on her hat and accessories would have seen this further hampering the balance.

The decision to reclaim the piece rather than persist with it marked an important shift in my thinking. Previously, I may have continued simply because of the time already invested. Instead, I recognised that unsuccessful work can still represent progress if it reveals limitations in design thinking and opens possibilities for improvement. The failure of the piece was therefore not a loss but an important stage in the iterative development of the work.

I filmed the smashing of the leatherhard piece and it had several thousand views on social media. Apparently people enjoy destruction! Whilst somewhat amusing, the response also made me think about the public's fascination with process and failure. I generally only present finished pieces, yet this experience suggests that audiences are equally interested in the realities of practice and perhaps even more engaged by vulnerability and experimentation than by polished outcomes.

I am about to start building her again this week with modifications, a new design, improved engineering and even more of the narratives from her poem.

To identify ceramic processes (e.g. sculptural modelling, pictorial decoration, illustrative mark-making) that most effectively communicate narrative elements

My sculptural modelling continues and I improve with each build, learning new aspects about weight, balance and techniques. This is all positive. However, I am increasingly aware that technical development and narrative communication are becoming inseparable. Improvements in engineering and modelling do not simply make better sculptures; they provide me with greater opportunities to communicate stories through form and detail.

My glazing will always be an area I am unconfident with, but I have made progress recently. I have been underglazing bisqued pieces and experimenting with a method of washing my work to achieve a dirty effect. The underglazing involves painting each piece three times which is very time consuming. I am looking into one-coat underglazes, but there seem to be none available on the market at present, bar black.

The dirty wash is an underglaze that is a 25:75 glaze to water ratio. This I can then pour or brush onto my fired pieces and wipe back or leave depending on the finish I require. I have fired the test tiles and now have pieces in the kiln to see the effects on them. It is quite exciting, to me at least!

So, my work will get fired to bisque, then underglaze fired, then dirty wash fired and then clear matte glaze fired. Applying this in my tests has moved around the glaze wash, hence the extra firing. Not really very sustainable, so I hope to find a way around this somehow.

This process raises tensions between achieving my desired aesthetic and working sustainably. It has prompted me to question whether my current technical processes are compatible with my values and whether achieving a particular finish justifies the additional energy and material costs involved. Finding a solution to this tension feels increasingly important as my practice develops.

To experiment with surface design techniques such as printing, etching, embossing and carving, to explore their potential for storytelling

I still feel limited in my surface design. I want to achieve a layer of mark-making that adds to the piece, preferably holding the dirty stain wash I have developed so that it can add to the overall aesthetic of the piece.

I suspect part of this frustration stems from my work becoming increasingly narrative-driven. The more developed the stories become, the greater my expectation that the surfaces should contribute to the storytelling rather than function merely as decoration. Consequently, my technical skills in this area may currently be lagging behind my conceptual ambitions.

I have work to do here. I think it could add to my style and I am not yet there with what makes me happy. I intend to do some further testing in this area so that I can explore possibilities and find myself some processes that work for me. It remains elusive presently. Expect further updates in my March analysis in this area.

I have been looking into lustres this month and have got as far as purchasing one to try. I am awaiting the results from the kiln this week to see how they work in a matte style. Again, further updates on this will follow next month.

To research artists and ceramicists who use narrative as a core element of their practice, developing a comparative framework

I am aware that I need to find my place in contemporary ceramics and have been researching artists who use narratives. New to me this month are Kim Svetlana and End Times Pottery Club, both discovered whilst going down a rabbit hole on social media.

Both of their work is very narrative, both have excellent surface designs and both are highly accomplished ceramic artists. The detailing on End Times Pottery Club is a joy and is definitely an example of what I have been trying to achieve in my own work. I am nowhere near this standard, but it is satisfying to know that it is possible.

What interests me is not simply that these artists employ narrative, but how seamlessly their surface treatments and forms support their storytelling. This comparison is making me consider whether my own narratives are sufficiently integrated into every aspect of the work or whether some elements still function independently of one another.

Kim Svetlana has very much developed her own style too. Again, the levels of detail are what have drawn me to her work. Additionally, she seems to have developed a great method of working social media algorithms to get her work out there to the masses. Something to think about.

Rob suggested Ben Fosker and Harm van der Zeeuw as artists I may enjoy. He was right. Again, they are very established and their work holds great depth. It is easy to see how years of practice evolve one's work to improve the aesthetic. I think this may be something I need to recognise for myself. Time will move on my skills, understanding, processes and achievements against my aims and objectives, and I should be patient with myself. Rome was not built in a day, Maxipoppins!!

To explore the historical role of ceramics as a medium for storytelling, situating my work in relation to this

I have finally found the time to do some historical research on ceramics. I have been reading about majolica, the Mesopotamians, ancient Greeks, Islamic lustreware and much more besides. My focus was on how ceramics have been used to tell stories of all sorts. I wrote this as a blog on my website and it was quite informative.

I have got to the point where I wonder if there is a difference between narratives and actual storytelling. I have no conclusions, but it has made me think more about my own work as three-dimensional illustrations rather than ceramic pieces with a hint of narratives.

This distinction feels increasingly important because it potentially changes how I position my practice. A ceramic object can contain narrative references without necessarily telling a story. I am beginning to question whether my ambition is to create narrative ceramics or whether I am attempting to produce three-dimensional illustrations that actively perform storytelling. The jury is firmly still out on this, but I will hopefully find some kind of conclusions at some point.

To bring these strands together, developing a consistent, personal style that balances narrative playfulness with technical skill

I have hinted at where I feel my work has moved on against these objectives. I feel it has. As always, I am only ever as good as my current research, which proves tricky with my exceedingly dodgy memory.

I want to get my current pieces through my many stages of firing and then I can make some judgements and conclusions on my emerging processes and overall newfound style.

I think this last section will be a long, drawn-out process of fine tuning and adjustments over the coming months. It will probably be a constant in my practice for the rest of my days. Increasingly, I am aware that developing a personal style is unlikely to be an endpoint. Instead, it appears to be an iterative process of continual adjustment and refinement. The conclusion of the Masters may therefore represent not a finished identity but the point at which I possess sufficient understanding and confidence to continue developing independently. In many ways, I may be finishing my studies but only just beginning my practice.