Carol Jacobs - ceramics

In 1983 she graduated from Loughborough College of Art and Design with a BA Honours Degree in Ceramics. After doing two residencies in schools, which allowed her to continue producing her work, she started teaching and have done so since. In 2001 she took a sabbatical to foster and on returning to teaching reduced her hours to enable her to produce her own work. In 2002 she rented a studio working with 25 other artists / designers where she was able to produce her current body of work Back To Basics – Plant With Contrast.

Carol Jacob continues..

This work marked my journey from teaching art full-time to designing / making on a regular basis accompanied by part- time positions. It took the form of mixed media and ceramic work combining my interest in the fundamentals as a designer, gardener and teacher. During this phase the emphasis had been on fulfilling the need to experiment and develop. It had been about utilizing both the skills and knowledge I have acquired as a student / teacher, and the resources available at my home / studio / work to create a fresh body of work. I felt I had achieved my aim with some success using the ingredients I had. However, to develop further both creatively and professionally I felt I needed more ingredients to work with, which prompted me to apply for the MA Course in Ceramic Design at Staffordshire University and I was pleased to be offered a place and started studying part time in September 2006.

I envisage that future employment will continue to be split between designing / making and teaching. Doing this postgraduate course will provide me with the skills to progress in both areas, allowing me to develop in different directions. Design work will be geared towards manufacture and teaching will be at a higher level in a more specialist area.

Ceramic work produced on the MA course has involved developing ideas for a variety of vessel forms designed for manufacture using a slip casting technique. My interest in the fundamental principals involved in garden design regarding shape/form, tone/colour and texture/pattern has continued to be very influential part of this work with much consideration being given towards the relationship between surface and form. Current work has involved experimentation with the application of colour (greens) to the ware by adding pigments to the casting slip and opaque and transparent glazes. Other exploration has involved creating foliage based imagery for surface design ideas using less conventional methods i.e. embossing (impressing, trailing, etching), scanning paper reliefs to create3D effects. All vessels are created through the adaption of basic geometric forms where equal consideration is given to both visual and functional aspects with an ongoing interest in combining handmade and industrial processes. Versatility, composition and often movement are reoccurring features within the work.