Carmarthenshire is an old-fashioned fruitcake of a county – a bit unpromising on the outside but on close investigation, full of delightful treats.
That's a fanciful analogy I know, but who would expect to find (for example) the technicoloured glory which is Gwili Pottery on a side road off the rural green highway of the A485 between Carmarthen and Lampeter? The scenery is pastoral, flocks of sheep are to be seen on either side of the road quietly munching away on picturebook hillsides. An occasional red kite soars overhead, easily recognisable by its forked tail. The winding switchback road is bordered by little cottages, chapels, agricultural suppliers; the last thing you're expecting is a great ceramic experience ..........
Gwili Pottery: Ceramics to Delight the Eye
The Gwili Pottery is situated a few villages out of Carmarthen (you pass through Peniel and Rhydargaeau, the pottery is signposted left just as you come into PontarSais). Having turned off the main road, you then take another sharp left up hill and find yourself in a little car park with the Pottery behind you, and in front of you a panoramic sweep of Welsh countryside.
It's green, it's peaceful, it's a bit like that Bjork song – oh, so quiet and then – you step into the pottery and a joyful explosion of beautiful ceramic loveliness hits you smack between the eyes – aaah!
Designs and Inspiration
Gwili Pottery designs take their inspiration from the countryside which surrounds the studio and the seashore which is only a whisper (and a short car ride) away. There's also an element of the poetic and mythic to some of the designs, as if the potter has tapped into the essence of the surrounding countryside.
There is a pattern called "Fairy", but "Milliflora", "Glas" (the Welsh word for blue) and "Coloured Butterfly" are all evocative of Welsh legend, the "tylwyth teg" (fairy folk) and times long past.
For those with an eye for more contemporary pattern, "Big Cat", "Dairy" and "Tropical Fish" use bold colours and witty, modern images, whilst "Ocean", "Mollusc" and "North Sea Fish" are timeless and would fit into any home quite comfortably.
Materials and Process
The clay body used is a mixture of white earthenware clay and porcelain; the bowls, dishes, mugs, jugs and jars are hand thrown and hand decorated whilst "green" (unfired) with oxides before being fired for the first time in the kiln. Everything is then clear glazed and fired once more to finish; each piece is unique, the product of many processes and many hours of painstaking work.
The ceramics are beautifully displayed on Welsh dressers, tables and bookcases made locally by John and Dan Sears and also for sale from the studio.
Unexpected Treasure
The functional shapes and vivid colours, and the clear artistic vision which is obvious as soon as you step into Gwili Pottery's display space are an unexpected surprise. The work space sings with vibrant energy, as if it and all its contents have grown and taken nourishment and inspiration from the surrounding countryside.
The Gwili Studio is just one of many treasures hidden away in the depths of the Welsh countryside – who knows, on your next walk through Wales, you may discover King Arthur having a nap next to an enchanted lake .......... it's an old country and such a magical place, anything's possible.
