Louisa Riley

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Hello, I am the face behind Fancy Frog pottery. 

I love working with clay and can't remember a time that I have not enjoyed using this medium.  I have always gravitated towards artistic pursuits but clay is what I always come back to.  Like many kids I enjoyed playing with mud pies in the garden and loved clay lessons at primary school.  My fascination with this squishy stuff carried on all the way through school and sixthform.  I got my first small kiln for my 18th birthday and was hooked.

 

My degree in art and design enabled me to focus on ceramics as well as gain QTS (Qualified Teacher status). After university, I worked for a short time as a primary school teacher before realising that I don't agree with the way schools educate children in this country ( far too much stress for the children and the teachers!).  I decided that the healthiest option was to home educate.  Financially this was very challenging but I'm so pleased we managed to follow this route.  My three kids (now adults) were educated at home until college age and my time with clay was a great escape for a bit of 'me time' during those very busy years. I also spent a lot of time running art and clay classes for the home educated kids in the area.

In 2018, I set up Fancy Frog Pottery as a teaching studio from the beautiful old 1920's shop on the corner of Beechville Avenue and Dean Road.  At this time, I taught various pottery classes from the shop space as well as making pots as a hobby from the basement studio.  As time went on and more and more pots were made, I decided I wanted an outlet for my work. At this point the old shop was changed into a display area for my pottery and after extensive renovations and better storage solutions, the basement was made into a studio space that could be used as my main workshop but also accommodate students from time to time for occasional workshops and courses.

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I now focus mainly on my own making but the teacher in me still enjoys passing on pottery skills and so when time allows I occasionally offer courses and taster sessions to those who are keen to learn :) Please see the "Events" page for any pottery courses or taster sessions that may be running.

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I consider my pottery making to be a form of play and it is vital for me that it continues to feel like that.  I think everyone can benefit from taking the time to play and get back to the simple things in life and you can't get much more simple than a lump of clay. 

 

I usually only make in small batches so as not to get bored and many pieces may be one offs.  This makes for an interesting display of pottery as it is an ever evolving collection which I invite you to view on one of my 'Pottery Sale days'.

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People often ask why I call my business 'Fancy Frog Pottery', really it is just for a bit of fun.  Throughout history the English have called the French 'Frogs' as a mild insult,  but my grandad was half French and I happen to really like frogs :)

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