Katie, from the Cotswold market town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, has been a self-employed decorative painter and restorer since 1985. Her interest in pottery crops up regularly through her life, from studying Roman Severn Valley ware at school, through to having a workshop next door to the famous Winchcombe Pottery, one of the longest established craft potteries in the country. At that time, master potters Ray Finch, his son Mike Finch, and Eddie Hopkins were all working there.

In 2016 Katie started to create sgraffito slab dishes, in a very small way, just for friends and family. This involves scratching through a top layer of clay to reveal the underlying layer, creating patterns and designs. Eventually, she began collaborating with John Forster, who has been working from his own pottery in Horsley near Stroud since 1981, being influenced by studio potter Michael Cardew’s work and the long history of English Slipware. John, like Cardew before him, also worked at the Winchcombe Pottery between 2012 and 2020. John loves shape, design and the chemistry of glazes, while Katie loves decorating, so they work well as a team.

John and Katie create sgraffito decorated jugs, plates and mugs. John makes in earthenware, and dips the pottery into a white slip. While they are still damp, Katie draws on her designs. They are then biscuit fired, followed by a glaze firing. There are lots of risks, from Katie making a mistake, or denting the pottery, through to a glaze firing going wrong, which all leads to the pleasure of seeing a successful, finished pot! Each piece is both original and functional, with its own story to tell.