Ann Sohn-Rethel

Cheltenham

Ann is drawn to traditional peasant and country pottery such as English slipware and Mediterranean decorated earthenware. She uses red earthenware clay (from Valentines, Stoke on Trent) because she loves the warm colour of the red clay, as it appears through the cream slip that is used. Ann’s colours are all from three natural mineral oxides – cobalt, iron and copper – in varying combinations and strengths; (also a tiny bit of Persian turquoise

Her first encounter with pottery was in short courses with with Deborah Baynes and Douglas. She then went on to complete a part-time two-year certificate course in the late 80s at the Sir John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel.

She later did various evening classes and learnt coil pottery

with Mo Abdullah, Sudanese potter, at the Camden Arts Centre.

In 2002, having moved out of London to Cheltenham, where she installed a workshop in the garden here and started to do pottery full-time.

Her aim is to make beautiful and functional objects for everyday use.

Her work is high-fired (1125 degrees bisc) which makes it strong and dishwasher-safe. It is not, however, so suitable for the microwave.

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