The beautiful organic shapes and vintage patterns on the stoneware of Sea Salt Designs by Sara speak volumes of creator Sara Edwards love of working with clay.  An opus in the making, Sara’s love of drawing, textures, vintage fabric and working with clay has all come together to create the unique pieces that are currently coming out of her kiln.  Sara gives us some insight into what it is like to work on your passion on a daily basis.
 

You are a multi talented artist, also working with fabric, print and illustrations - Do you have a favourite medium to work with and why?
“At the moment it is clay. I like getting my hands dirty especially if I know something beautiful is going to come out of it . Once I get into something new I obsess over it until I can successfully take the ideas from my mind's eye, and transform them into a piece that someone will use and connect with. “

What inspires you when creating your pieces?
“For me, there is inspiration everywhere and in everything. You can catch the smallest glimpse of a pattern made by the shadow of a leaf, and think, I can use that on a plate. I love to repurpose and reinvent as much as possible. There is so much depth to vintage fabrics and doilies, and such great textures and patterns, they can be an inspiration in themselves.”

What do you like about working with clay ?
“It is nice going from something so raw and basic and turning that into something so beautiful and functional. Glazes are so wonderfully and sometimes heartbreakingly unpredictable, especially if you are trying to make a set of mugs or plates all look the same. It depends on the clay - one glaze may react totally differently to different clay and you get a completely different look.”

You get some amazing finishes on your stoneware - can you give us an insight on how you do this?
“I like to make my own stamps. From clay, corks, star anise, feathers and fabrics such as vintage doilies, placemats, practically anything I have lying around. In fact I even kept a piece of render from a recent house renovation to make an interesting grid pattern.”

What is the most satisfying about opening that kiln door after your final glazing?  
To be honest, I get butterflies everytime I open the door, it can be so unpredictable.  You might have one glaze that works completely differently to others. It can feel incredibly disappointing but totally satisfying at the same time, as you may have created a whole new look.  As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - what appeals to some people might be just what I think is a disaster.