“The passing seasons, shifting light, and daily birdsong are ever-present in my Cotswold studio and, together with foraged natural elements, continually influence, inspire, and guide my work.
Each piece captures a sense of nostalgia — of time’s passage and lived experience within everyday life.”
The Maker
Working from her garden studio in the Cotswolds, Amanda is surrounded by an eclectic collection of treasures curated from the natural world — wild clay, weathered surfaces, and foraged elements shaped by age and environment. Found tree bark and branches, rusted metal, fungi, moss, and feathers bring their own histories into each ceramic piece, evoking memories as unique to the holder as the pieces themselves.
“The cyclical nature of clay deeply fascinates me — formed from rock, becoming a malleable medium shaped through experimentation, and, through heat, returning once again to solidity.
For me, the kiln is not an end point. A piece continues to evolve, able to weather, shift, or decay over time. Each moment in the life of a vessel is simply a moment in time, echoing the rhythms of the natural world.”
Laying down roots
During her childhood, Amanda’s mother ran a traditional craft study centre from their home, hosting specialist tutors across many disciplines. There was a constant flow of people arriving with ideas and leaving with their creations, conversations unfolding in the kitchen over tea and cake. Over the years, thousands of makers passed through the centre, and Amanda grew up immersed in art in all its forms.
After moving to their long-term family home in the Cotswolds and preparing for the arrival of her first child, Amanda felt a strong urge to nest and create something meaningful for her family — a handmade dinner service. She turned to ceramic artist Alice Shepherd for guidance, and week by week made each piece until it was complete.
Over the years and under the tutelage of Hilary La Force, Amanda developed her skills in hand building, throwing, slip casting and glaze mixing. The building of her garden studio in 2023 became a defining moment, truly allowing Amanda to immerse herself in her work — experimenting, refining, and continuing to learn through self-directed study and from other artists.
Recognition
A journey in clay that began over twenty years ago is now a firmly rooted practice receiving international recognition. Amanda launched her work publicly in 2024 with two solo exhibitions with Bamford in the Cotswolds and Mayfair, London. Her work was subsequently acquired by galleries in Paris and Houston.
In 2025 she started exhibiting with Joanna Bird Gallery in London, and this year she will collaborate with the gallery to present her work at leading international art fair, Collect 2026.
This year Amanda will also be taking up the invitation to present her work at Potfest by the lake and at the Yarrow Gallery, Oundle.
Education
2025 Course with Patricia Shone, London
2024 – 2025 Course with Julia Ether, Portugal
2024 Course with Maria Loram, Los Angeles
2023 – 2024 City of Oxford College, Oxford, UK
2017 – 2024 Tutelage under Hilary La Force, the Cotswolds, UK
2006 - Tutelage under Alice Shepherd, the Cotswolds, UK