Emma Turner

More than a few years ago, I studied sculpture, ceramics and photography at degree level, and since then have dabbled in glass fusion, painting and collage. Raising a family and working full time in education leaves little time for engaging in creativity, but now that I am semi retired I have the luxury of making in my small garden studio. I focussed on mosaics after making a friend a sea themed birthday present, and for the past few years I have enjoyed nipping, cutting and arranging colours, shapes and textures to create joyful art. My influence is nature based, incorporating a more imaginative, perhaps naive characteristic than realistic. Wildlife, especially birds is a recurring theme. Sometimes the subject matter comes first with the china chosen carefully to represent colour or pattern, other times it is the plate’s pattern or texture itself that dictates the theme.

I work with second hand vintage and modern china, often found in charity shops, combined with stained glass, porcelain tiles, glass beads and tiles and millefiori, and occasionally repurposed jewellery. Although the majority of my work is designed to be displayed inside, some pieces are suitable for living outside depending on the substrate. My love of recycling extends to the bases, using terracotta and slate roof tiles, wooden fair trade boxes and unwanted ply amongst others.