John Wheeldon : In conversation with Contemporary Ceramics Centre
CCC: Why do you do what you do?
JW: I do what I do because it’s what I do !!
I’ve been doing it for 50 years this year and it has never occurred to me to do anything else. I have supplemented my income with part-time teaching, demonstrating, workshops etc. but they have always revolved around my core practice of making pots.
I am, I realise, very lucky to have been able to make a living (albeit sometimes frugal) from ceramics for all this time and have no plans to retire until I am forced to. We are as potters privileged to be involved in a way of life that we can follow for as long as we wish.
CCC: What route did you take when first starting out. Did you take a formal route through education or a more informal approach?
JW: On leaving school I went to Art College in Chesterfield to do a foundation course intending to follow a career in graphics or photography but became fascinated with ceramics, ending up spending most o…
CCC: Why do you do what you do?
JW: I do what I do because it’s what I do !!
I’ve been doing it for 50 years this year and it has never occurred to me to do anything else. I have supplemented my income with part-time teaching, demonstrating, workshops etc. but they have always revolved around my core practice of making pots.
I am, I realise, very lucky to have been able to make a living (albeit sometimes frugal) from ceramics for all this time and have no plans to retire until I am forced to. We are as potters privileged to be involved in a way of life that we can follow for as long as we wish.
CCC: What route did you take when first starting out. Did you take a formal route through education or a more informal approach?
JW: On leaving school I went to Art College in Chesterfield to do a foundation course intending to follow a career in graphics or photography but became fascinated with ceramics, ending up spending most o…
