Craig Underhill: Maker in Focus

About

Craig's work evokes the feeling of landscapes that he has visited or travelled through. The work is influenced by the inconsequential visual effects that are created in landscapes by the repetitive and methodical actions of humankind as we go about our day to day or year to year routines. 

Craig uses the surface of his slab built vessel forms like a canvas onto which he applies mark-making techniques, layers of engobe, slip and underglaze colours. Exploring ideas through drawing is an important part of his making process, which Craig tends to do before committing himself to the ceramic pieces.

Craig says: 

In each piece that I make I have endeavoured to create a balance between forms that are man made and those that are naturally created. Some edges have an eroded, random feel while others are straight and angular appearing man made rather than naturally formed. Surfaces are build up of layers of colour and engobe that are painted and over painted, fired and refired, working all the time as a painter applying paint rather than a potter glazing a pot... The fascination of making work is the discovery of finding new ways to express ideas and feelings that couldn't be expressed in any other way.