Brendan Hayes

Brendan Hayes has taught ceramics most of his teaching career. In the 1980’s, due to the emergence of new technology many schools and colleges sacrificed the pottery studios and huge kilns to create more needed space. Brendan decided to concentrate on Fine Art specialising in Printmaking and Photography. Once he retired and after many sojourns to St. Ives in Cornwall and the Leach pottery he witnessed a demonstration of wood firing. And so began his journey into this very specialised way of working with clay. A small studio, NO potters wheel and only a small electric kiln for bisque firing, plus of course wood, a large steel barrel and a safe outside space! Everything is hand built. The colours come from seaweed, fruit peel ,garden cuttings etc. And as Brendan says “Then it’s over to the fire gods”