Cragg Jones Clay

Cragg Jones Clay is a contemporary ceramics studio and shop where Nicky Jones and Sue Cragg make and sell handcrafted ceramics. The light-filled upstairs studio is a calm and welcoming place to visit.

Sue and Nicky’s work shows a distance from mass production – as handcrafted vessels, no two objects are the same. It is important for them to create objects that are timeless and sustainable and that will give pleasure in daily use. Both makers are influenced by Scandinavian design and their work has a contemporary and rustic feel.

Sue Cragg

Sue throws her pots on the wheel and uses white, black and toasted stoneware and porcelain clays. She makes a range of modern/rustic tableware with pared-back simplicity. Each piece has a unique form and finish and has been created to handle well in use. Sue mostly uses simple matt glazes in neutral tones to enhance the shape and balance of each piece.

 

Nicky Jones

Nicky hand builds each piece enjoying the process of pinching, coiling and press moulding. It is important for her forms to reveal the process of making and the unexpected outcomes presented by the materials involved. She has a background in fine art and uses these skills on the surfaces of her pots by drawing with glaze and creating exciting colour pops. Her Kindface series hopes to reference the best chance for bending curves in directions that are good for people and the planet.

She has exhibited at international craft fairs and galleries in the UK. Her ceramics can also be found in the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair Online (GNCCFonline).

There aren’t many moments in our day-to-day lives when we use something handmade. Using a handmade vessel reminds us of the care and thought the artist has put into it; they are lovely to hold and look at and will lift your spirits.

“You can watch us at work in the studio attached to the shop, where we have a wheel, hand build area and kiln. We delight in sharing what and how we make.”

Cragg Jones Clay are happy to take commissions and orders for bespoke ceramics.

They also run 1:1 beginners wheel throwing classes in the studio and small group hand-building classes in the Centre’s Space 2 workshop area.

 

A ‘spot-lit’ maker will exhibit their current work in the shop each quarter. This provides a showcase for local ceramicists and an opportunity for customers to meet them and ask about their process at the launch event.

For details of classes, events and commissions, please contact [email protected].