CERAMICS are having a bit of a moment. Whether through social media, TV shows like The Great Pottery Throw Down, or the effects of the pandemic causing a surge in pottery classes, the appetite for ceramic art is certainly booming.
One seasoned Scottish ceramist with a striking signature style is Lara Scobie. Her vivid pieces typically encompass an aesthetic of clean, cut precision and graphic lined patterns with a bold interior colour. All of Lara’s work is handmade, with each piece formed using Fine Porcelain Parian clay and decorated using a combination of inlay and sgraffito drawing.
“My work is completely done by hand, for all the drawing and the mark making – I don’t use a ruler – so it’s quite controlled and intricate,” Lara explains. “It’s really important to me that it’s about the human touch. I draw directly onto the clay when it is leather-hard (partially dried to a cheddar cheese consistency), the lines are engraved onto the surface and then I paint colour over the engraved lines which soaks in.
“The placement of decoration and the composition of the form is really important. Surface, form and decorating a three-dimensional vessel is all about getting the balance and the composition right.
“I do purposely avoid wrapping the entire form in decoration, I want some of the pure clay to be exposed.”
Lara admits her techniques and aesthetic style have always followed a similar pattern throughout her career. Even while studying in London at Camberwell Art College, she was developing work of a similar nature – although her bold use of colour was introduced later. After her studies, she returned to her hometown in Edinburgh and immediately invested in a studio to create her own work. At the same time, she began teaching at Duncan of Jordanstone Collage of Art & Design in Dundee. In fact, Lara was to teach at the art school for 20 years, until the ceramics and design course was closed.
Working full-time on her own proved solitary for Lara. As a result, she became very involved with the Craft Potters Association – the main body for ceramics in Britain.
“They have a gallery in London, a magazine and also run fairs, including Ceramic Art London for which I am on the Chair,” she says. “As a maker, someone who’s earning their living from making pots, it’s lovely to be at the forefront of giving opportunities to other makers as well.”
Lara’s own work has opened up many opportunities for her. Her pieces have been exhibited widely and received numerous awards for her work including Premier winner of The Fletcher Challenge in New Zealand and Honourable Mention at Mino Ceramics, Japan.
“I feel very lucky that the things I want to make people want to buy, because it is a tough world when you’re a maker,” she points out. “As I’ve become a bit more established more people see my work around, and social media platforms like Instagram have been great. But I’ve found people will come to me for a commission when the time is right, usually for a special occasion or a birthday.”
Lara’s commissions have grown over the years, yet her work is predominantly for galleries. She is working on an exhibit with the Scottish Gallery, though she usually will curate for a combination of solo-exhibitions.
“When you have a solo show that’s a big thing and a lot of work,” she explains, “so it takes months and months to prepare for that. But it’s such a privilege to have your own space to curate your work.”
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