Veronica Dudley

Veronica grew up close to the moorlands, iron-red streams and deeply black soil of East Lancashire and finds great satisfaction in trying to recreate that sodden texture in her work. She is particularly drawn to the earthy tones and textures achieved with raku and smoke firing, and the combinations of materials such as wood and copper with clay. All Veronica’s work is hand-built rather than thrown as this gives her the freedom to develop bulbous organic shapes as she builds. She loves the sculptural aspect of hand building – it is her favourite part of the process where she can push limits to achieve an envisaged form.

Veronica is a research biologist who worked to understand the genetic basis of cancers and inherited disease from the 70s to her retirement in 2020. About twenty-five years ago she began evening classes at Sunningwell School of Art, at first with a life sculpture class and later with general ceramics. Since then, she has slowly been acquiring bits of kit so that she now has a studio at home with kilns for standard glazing and for raku work.