The Maker
Linda Bloomfield is a London-based potter who makes hand-thrown porcelain tableware with a tactile satin matt finish and sometimes colour on the inside. She likes to show the hand of the maker by leaving throwing lines and dimples in the freshly thrown clay. The shapes are inspired by biomorphic forms and mid-century modern design. Somewhat surprisingly Linda has a PhD in engineering science. She makes all her glazes from scratch and has written several books about glazes.
The Object: Dimpled bottle, 2005
9 cm h, 8 cm diameter. Porcelain. £36
The Making
Linda loves tactile, biomorphic 1950s forms and with the dimpled bottle she wanted to make a piece that would be irresistible to pick up. She uses an extremely tactile satin matt glaze containing talc, feldspar, china clay, quartz and whiting to give a beautifully smooth exterior, with a glossy glaze on the inside for functionality. The pieces are wheel thrown, fired and glazed to her own recipes in Linda’s garden studio, a group of connected sheds.
Accolades
Included by Make it British as one of the top 25 British Ceramic Brands in 2017. Finalist in the National Trust Artisan and Craft open call 2016, Fab.com Disrupting Design competition at the Conran Shop Marylebone 2013 and the Balvenie Masters of Crafts competition in 2011. This bottle also been featured twice in Elle Deco.
Linda Bloomfield on her Signature Style
‘I am an expert in glaze chemistry and this tactile satin matt glaze, with colour on the inside, is my signature.’
Expert Eye
Linda’s use of beautiful satin matt glaze on her pouring vessel is enhanced by the dimples and visible throwing lines. Preston Fitzgerald