Pete & Fran Evans

Pete and Fran’s collection of contemporary ceramic sculpture ranges from scenic landscape wall plaques to abstract groupings of rustic designs to delicate and detailed brooches. Neither artist aims to make their work functional, instead creating interpretations inspired from the world around them. Pete and Fran bisque fire their sculpted clay creations after they are slipped and burnished to create the beautifully smooth surface that the majority of their work offers. Sometimes pieces will then have a powdered glaze and grog added before smoke firing them using wood shavings and newspaper in an outside kiln. The final finish comes with cleaning and polishing.

Pete is a retired Headmaster who has always had an interest in art. From their home in Bothel, a village in the north of the Lake District, Pete now enjoys making pottery purely for fun. Fran too, after teaching for 35 years, now spends some time experimenting with clay in her retirement. She focuses on hand building and smoke firing techniques, particularly liking the unpredictability of the smoke and how it makes every pot unique.