Hilary Shields

Hilary discovered ceramics through adult education, whilst following a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Starting a family offered her the opportunity to pursue this further and she went on to complete the City and Guilds Creative Studies Diploma in Ceramics, Parts I and II.

In the past she enjoyed mostly hand-building and has made non-functional sculptural pieces inspired by shells which were then burnished and smoke fired.

She likes pattern and texture, takes inspiration from nature and the sea and more recently has explored different methods of making decorative tiles. Having spent time in Scotland, her latest work has involved making tiles that incorporate ceramic fragments and glass found along the Fife coastline. Each fragment has been softened by the sea over time, has its own story to tell and has been given a new lease of life.

From using glass collected from the beach she has more recently begun to explore the process of glass fusing, which also lends itself to interesting textures and vibrant colours.