I’m a mum of two living and working in Westhill. I came to Aberdeen after my doctorate to work on midge research then became a freshwater ecologist for SEPA. When I had my first child, I was also struggling with chronic Lyme disease. When I recovered sufficiently to be able to work again, turning my ceramics hobby into a business offered a family-friendly opportunity.
My first few fairs were fairly disastrous! I loved working with clay so much, and the idea of having my own wee business made me happy. I was offered a place at an Etsy local fair organised by Laura
Bremner of Juniper Press. I’ll never forget being absolutely delighted at coming home with over £500.
My husband, the kids and I are all very into the outdoors and we’re blessed with such beautiful countryside to explore. I’m also an enthusiastic member of Mid Grampian Mesolithic and Mesolithic Deeside. We look for evidence of Scotland’s earliest inhabitants. Unsurprisingly, I get very excited if we unearth some pottery fragments!
My studio is the large conservatory at the back of the house, and I have a kiln in the garage. I’m often found working in my pyjamas late at night, or unloading the smoke firing in my slippers! I find handling clay to be incredibly soothing and carving into leather hard clay is one of the most satisfying things in the world. Ceramics is technically challenging. So many things can and do go wrong. Ceramics teaches you Zen-like levels of acceptance of failure and perseverance. Quite a lot of things end up in the bucket of doom, to be recycled.
I find a lot of inspiration in coasts and the sea. I kayak, when I can, and most Mondays I swim and have a sauna at Aberdeen beach. I love nothing more than a beach walk, picking up wee treasures. I hand build, rather than use a wheel. I’ll usually make my ideas it straight away in clay, thinking about the glaze and finish at the start. I’ll make a few of a new design and use them in my own kitchen to ensure they are robust and truly functional. I like to come up with one or two new product lines each year, usually retiring one or two old ones. This keeps my work fresh and interesting for me and my customers.
Aberdeen Art Gallery has been my happy place since the renovations. If I have a day to myself, I’ll take myself off to the gallery as a treat. I felt there could be more child-friendly attractions in the gallery, to keep their interest, so I’m really happy to have been asked to create The Craitur Trail – a spotter trail of 17 little creatures for kids to seek out as they tour the gallery. Each craitur has its own little story and I had a blast making them. They’re designed to encourage children to look more closely at the items in the room and think about them. The Craitur Trail is due to open this summer.
I’ll be exhibiting at the Tea Green Fair at the Art Gallery on August 16th and 17th . You can also find my work in Rooted, the houseplant and homewares shop on Rosemount Place and I do sometimes list items on my website, sealceramics.com You can find out more about what I’ve been making and which fairs are coming up at instagram.com/nicola_seal and facebook.com/sealceramics
