Meet the Maker: Into the Dark - In conversation with Jillian Riley
Image credit: Chris Webb
Main image credit: John McLean
We continue our journey Into the Dark with our Meet the Maker series, spending time with the artists and makers whose work shapes our new craft and design showcase. This time, we spoke with ceramicist Jillian Riley to learn more about her practice and her day-to-day life as a maker.
With a background in graphic design and more than fourteen years working in ceramics, Jillian draws inspiration from corvids, entomology, mythology, and folklore with a fondness for the darker side of nature. Jillian has developed a unique series of apothecary-style vessels, cast from original Victorian poison, scientific, and apothecary bottles. Her works in parian or porcelain clay echo the forms and spirit of mould-made glass.
Some works feature oxides, lustres, and her own illustrations and text, while others evolve into sculptural forms adorned with hand-built porcelain flowers, plants, birds, or creatures. Using a limited palette of black, white, and dark green, her pieces evoke the feel of a 'Cabinet of Curiosities'.
Main image credit: John McLean
What inspires your work?
From a love of corvids, entomology, flora and fauna, mixed with a passion for things a little bit 'on the dark side' I have been inspired to create collections of apothecary vessels and sculptures.
The collections are a personal journey from designer to ceramicist and my inspirations along the way. The route is sometimes simple, an illustration of a raven, magpie or toadstool, capturing a moment in nature and time in a graphic way. These images marry my love of drawing with the more unpredictable use of copper oxide. The illustration is as important as the quality of the vessel, both working in harmony. The sculptural bottles follow on by turning my illustrations into 3D.
Tell us a bit more about the inspiration for the pieces you have included in the Into the Dark showcase.
The collections for MAG are very much at the heart of my practice and so I confess, this showcase was perfect for me and I only had to pick some of my favourite pieces.
The apothecary of poison bottles illustrated with dark illustrations are my 'happy place'. It is a real pleasure to be able to be part of this showcase.
Tell us a bit more about your practice.
I have a huge collection of Victorian poison and apothecary bottles which are my starting point. I make the bottles using either porcelain or parian clay. Some will become decorated with my illustrations. These bottles take three firings, a low bisc firing to make the bottle safe to handle, the second firing is high temperature with transparent glaze & copper oxide. I love this firing as it's when I choose which illustrations I will use. The oxide runs in a very organic way, different every time. I wait to see where the 'drips' are then look at which of my illustrations will fit in the gaps. This also means no two bottles will ever be the same.
My illustrations are very detailed, using Rotring ink pens & drafting film so I get a crisp line when scanned. I could not recreate this tight detail directly onto the clay so I have ceramic decals made of my art. They are applied on the third and final firing.
The sculpted bottles are usually parian clay often only fired once. The decorations are porcelain and applied slowly and organically. Each flower is made from individual petals, slowly built up until the whole flower emerges, they are applied to the bottles one at a time. I do have a vague plan but I much prefer to just see where the flowers go, sometimes three flowers are perfect and sometimes thirteen is the right number.
Describe your workspace.
I live in a small town in South Derbyshire and I work from home. I have two studios! Upstairs is my designing studio, all my drawing and designing there, it's ( mostly ) a clean space and is also where I keep all my 'collections' of inspirational treasure. Some say it is a little like walking into the Pitt Rivers Museum, I have my Victorian bottles, skulls, feathers, nests and bird eggs, all found on walks and charity shop finds. Then there are the books, lots of books! This is not a place for lovers of a minimal life!
My clay studio is in my backyard, and I absolutely love it. It was made for me by my partner and is made to measure, I'm 4' 10" so it's a small space but has everything I need, including my two trusty kilns and a rescued Butler's sink! I have everything to hand and it's a perfect place to disappear into the world of clay.
Who has influenced & inspired you?
A long time ago I worked for a bookbinding company, restoring books on behalf of the British Museum. This sparked my love of old book illustration, often just black and white prints. It took me back to my college days and my love of black and white illustration and etching.
Coming to ceramics later in life I have to say that I was like a child in a sweet shop. I went to many ceramic fairs and was blown away by the amazing variety of clays, glazes and styles of work. Rather than being inspired by a single person, it was more what techniques I could learn to move from my 2D illustrations into ceramic art.
What is your favourite piece or design you have made?
I really love making my sculpted bird bottles and the ceramic nests and eggs. They take time but I lose myself in the process when I am creating them. It sometimes feels like a guilty pleasure taking time over each detail but it all pays off when you see someone's face light up when they see them.