ANJA PENGER-ONYETT

Painting with minerals and fire or the potter with the risky glazes.

My work is mostly thrown on the potters-wheel and I use white stoneware clay, which can be fired to high temperatures and allows the colours of the glazes to come through. To achieve most of these glazes the work has to be fired in a kiln with an open flame (gas-kiln). At a certain point during the firing the atmosphere is being starved of Oxygen, by closing a damper over the flue exit. This creates a reduction-Atmosphere and the very oxygen-hungry flame finds the oxygen from the metal-oxides in the glazes. Magically copper green turns into red or in a certain glaze into purple and iron honey-brown into greens or blues. The layering of multiple glazes creates new and unexpected colour-combinations and effects.

Other colours are achieved firing an electric kiln to stoneware temperatures and layering several glazes on top of each other to create agean-blue, sea-like colours and effects. The fire and heat has done the work, melting the minerals into beautiful glazes!

2009-2016 – Art in Action, Waterperry Gardens – Exhibitor as well as offering teaching sessions in pottery throwing throughout the annual 4 day event.
2010 – Anglian Potters – Appointed as a Selected Member.
2011 – exhibited at Gouda Ceramic Days.
2011 – current `Eagle Gallery, Bedford – Member of the Eagle Gallery in Bedford; solo or small group exhibitions in this gallery.
2016 ceramic water-feature as part of a show garden at Tatton Park Flower show.
2008 – date -Work displayed throughout galleries in East Anglia including: Dial House Gallery, Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire; Mardleybury Gallery, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire; Seapictures Gallery, Clare, Suffolk; Dolby Gallery Oundle, Northamptonshire, Ferini Gallery, Lowestoft, Suffolk, Grapevine Gallery, Burnham Market, Norfolk, Seapictures Gallery, Clare, Suffolk, Hare and Moon Gallery, Alby, Norfolk, Fire and Flux Gallery, Norwich, Norfolk, Wynd Gallery, Letchworth, Hertfordshire.