Penny Phillips

I have always had a strong interest in all areas of the arts. I spent ten years developing a successful career in television as a technician supervisor and Vision Mixer. After starting a family, a night class in sculpture was followed by a two year HND in 3D design, where I specialised in ceramics.

The subject continues to engage me both practically and intellectually. I volunteered for the Yorkshire Museums Trust helping with their very large collection of studio ceramics donated by William Ismay. This collection is now a key part of the Yorkshire Museums Trust's new ceramics gallery which opened in September 2009.

My earlier work was predominantly thrown porcelain using a palette of green and white. I have been especially influenced by eastern concepts of simplicity and natural form. In 2007 I was fortunate enough to attend a 6 week ceramic seminar in Japan, meeting and working with many other international ceramic artists. Over the last 3 years I have been developing my skills as a sculptress and it is this area of ceramics that I am now concentrating on. Over the last couple of years I have been working on heavily textured, figurative forms using mixed clays and oxides. I have continued an exploration of animal forms both real and imaginary as well as playing with textures and mixed media