About Sarah

Hi, my name is Sarah Abell. I’m an artist based in Berkshire, UK.

For more information, or if you would like to visit my Wokingham studio please email me

I make ceramics from stoneware clay and enhance them with glazes developed in my studio.

I also make jewellery from my own hand-crafted polymerclay beads.

Here’s One of Each

Pot and Beads

How it came about

After a short career as a secretary and a long career with horses I discovered the joys of clay.

My enthusiasm led me to do a three year degree course at Farnham’s UCA where I became interested in developing glazes.

Now in my own studio, my main interest is in creating ceramics decorated with my own studio developed glazes.

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Making beads from polymer clay began for me as a result of attending Oxford Summer School.

This clay comes in wonderfully bright colours, mostly unavailable to the glaze maker. The endless possibilities fascinate me.

Designing the jewellery for my beads seems like a world away from designing ceramics but equally enjoyable.

What I do in my studio

Recycling clay

I like to work my waste clay quite wet but on a plaster batt. It is easy to wedge up to a usable condition.

Clay recycles well until you fire it.

Hi

Glaze testing

I develop my own glazes.

Making a line blend using various proportions will give an idea of how my chosen ingredients will react.

Glaze Mess

Innovation

I have decorated this wheel thrown stoneware pot with coils of coloured polymer clay.

I love to try out new methods of creating things.

Polymer Pot

My Kiln and I

Opening the kiln. Always an exciting moment.

Glaze firing temperature rises slowly to 1250º and takes a day to cool down again.

kiln and me

C.V.

  • Maker of glazed ceramics and polymerclay bead jewellery.
  • BA (Hons) Three Dimensional Design: Ceramics. University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
  • Artist in Wokingham Arts Trail - 2011-2018
  • Member of West Forest Potters Guild westforestpotters.org.uk
  • Member of Wokingham Art Society wokinghamartsociety.org.uk

Past Exhibitions

  • Henley Arts Trail - Charvil Village Hall (2022) and previously with Artists at Shiplake
  • Art at the Herb Farm, Sonning Common
  • Wokingham Arts Society Exhibition, where my pots have won the Ceramic Prize for the past six years.
  • Hurst Show and Country Fair Art Show
  • Southhill Park’s Craft & Design Fair
  • Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead
  • Wokingham Arts Trail annually from 2011-18
  • Runnymede Gallery, Egham
  • Rising Stars - New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
  • British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke-on-Trent
  • Homes and Gardens Magazine borrowed my work for a photo shoot.
  • May Farnham Creates - Farnham NewTalent
  • During my degree course my work was shown in group exhibitions:
  • Art in Clay, Hatfield and Farnham: - New Designers, London: - Earth and Fire, Rufford: - Graduate Show and James Hockey Gallery, UCA Farnham: - and South Hill Park, Bracknell.