Paula Bowie

Paula Bowie is a full-time award-winning ceramic artist living on Macleay Island, Southern Moreton Bay.

Bowie’s passion for clay began after completing two years of art school, followed by a Diploma in Ceramics at TAFE under the tutelage of Dr Steven Harrison, Laurence Mearing, and other tutors from Sydney.

Bowie is constantly inspired by local surroundings, especially Mangrove trees. Her work is influenced by ancient voluminous pottery, particularly paying attention to form, proportion and profile of the vessels and the interconnections between the interior and exterior.

The vessels in this exhibition are predominately wheel thrown in white stoneware, often using hand-built additions and prominent textures, such as terra sigilata and sgraffito technique for the Mangrove leaves.

The vessels are saggar fired using found organic matter, ochres and oxides and licked by flames of the kiln.

Clay is an organic material and artistic medium which both inspire and constantly surprises Bowie, which fuels her love of this medium and craft.