Lucy Baxendale – Creative in Residence

You may see Lucy darting back and forth lugging heavy clay and other materials from the workshops on her bike between our Folly Lane Campus and her home. Lucy is using the Creatives in Residence scheme to explore the imaginary world in her head and to tell the story which is being written around her every time she creates a new piece of work.

“There are creatures there who grow forests from their finger tips and out of their tails. There are ones that wear friendly masks to hide their threatening faces, and others have hands for feet.”

These creatures are being created in our Ceramics workshop where Lucy has had access to a variety of different glazes, clays and fire-able materials.

“Having the option to work with different clay varying in texture, colour & quality will expand the style and nature of creatures that I can create, opening up new and exciting possibilities. It will give me a higher knowledge of the material that I am working in and also the ability to produce things I am incapable of doing in my current set up.”

Lucy’s aim is to create an installation of different monsters accompanied with scenery that come together to make a physical world that can be explored by the public and hopes to leave the scheme with an extended knowledge of clay and glazes and an improved contextual understanding of her work which she can carry forward into her own everyday practice.

“I’ve also done a lot of sampling, using different glazes, clays and fire-able materials. I would say I’m on track with what I proposed at the beginning but I’ve already learnt more than I thought was possible! It’s been the best few months; I don’t want it to be over. It’s been really exciting to push materials, process and ideas. I am now working on pulling the story together.”

Once again, We are all very excited to see all of the final results in the acuminating exhibition that features all of the Creatives during April, so keep an eye out for dates!

Sophie