Some years ago, Penny Graham came upon the remarkable programme, Planet Earth, on television. This showed our planet photographed by satellites in space. The images showed Earth in its wondrous beauty and majesty; and the ravaged spoil and pity of the desecration wrought on it by humans: destruction of rain forests and scars wrought by the mining of the tar sands in Canada, as well as the expansion of deserts due to climate change. It evoked almost unbearable emotions in Penny: wonder, anger, despair and hopelessness, which became almost paralysing.

From these emotions came Earth from Space, Raku- fired pottery inspired by the tv programme; a form of work driven by organic pattern and colour, and a new and intense flame of love for our planet. Raku firing is an absolute passion for Penny: it is exciting, dangerous, totally unpredictable and wondrously combines earth, fire, water and air in a magical, alchemical process to produce stunning results.

Penny started to work with clay later in life, about twelve years ago at the Cube in Folkestone. This adventure started with a basic skills course in ceramics, supplemented by Raku workshops with master potters in the UK and also in Croatia. She loves the feel of clay and enjoys allowing it to have its wicked way when making pots. Penny remarks that: “…making a vessel is almost a meditative experience and the piece emerges with its organic form, really not dictated by me. Always, it is a one off.”

Recent work includes a series of Raku Goddess pots, gourds and her current stoneware platters and bowls inspired by photos of Earth from space.

Please note: there are no facilities at St Clement, Old Romney