Claire Haithwaite
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Haithwaite ceramics is a small boutique pottery company started in 2019 by Claire Haithwaite. Jersey born Claire studied art at Kingston, London, followed by a BA in Graphics at Falmouth College of Art in Cornwall. She worked in London and Amsterdam for 20 years as a designer and interior designer. Whilst living in Amsterdam Claire renovated two canal houses in the city centre. It was during this time that her love of design flourished and her appreciation of form, function and the character of everyday objects developed into a passion that continues today in the form of pottery. Claire’s ceramics are made from Jersey clay, gathered from the beach at low tide. Her pieces have an earthy, tactile nature, contrasted with a clean smooth glaze. She is inspired by the Scandinavian aesthetic and Japanese simplicity along with the works of the Cornish ceramicist Bernard Leech. Claire works from her beautiful pottery ‘She shed’ in Grouville.
“It’s not about compromising your style, it’s about finding a way to make it easier for people to buy, excepting your taste is not for everyone and identifying and reaching the right consumer."
Tell us about your path to setting up your business and what motivated you?
A few years ago I was given a one day pottery course at Highlands Adult College for my birthday. I hadn’t really done any pottery before. One class and I was absolutely hooked and immediately enrolled in a weekly course. From there I invested in a wheel, a kiln and built my own pottery shed in my garden where I continued to learn my craft and challenge myself every day. Having given examples of my work to friends, I was asked to exhibit some of my work in an exhibition at the Harbour gallery where I ‘had to sell’ my work, and did. That’s when it all changed for me. It was a very exciting moment. I started to take my pottery more seriously and ceramics went from being a hobby into something much more. That was the beginning of Haithwaite Ceramics.
How do you work and what is a typical day like for you?
No two days are ever the same. One day I’ll be throwing pots, another I’ll be turning pots. Or I’ll be firing or glazing a batch of pots in the kiln while preparing raw materials for the next day. Pottery is a process of patience. A mixture of creativity and chemistry (alchemy), in which timing is everything. If you rush it or try to cut corners you’ll be punished when you open the kiln. So I like to separate the creative days from the chemistry days. Each process requires a different mindset and focus and by keeping them separate I find I am much more creative and productive.
What are the best parts about your business?
Ultimately it comes down to the end result of my labour. So when you open up that kiln after the final 24 hour firing, and peak inside to see all those special pots waiting there, looking all lovely and shiny and perfect. That just the best feeling, It’s like Christmas every time. Each and every one is my baby. A close second is when somebody decides to buy one of my pots. I am always very grateful and flattered that people value a particular piece. For me that makes it all worthwhile.
What has been your greatest struggle as a business owner so far?
Matching your product to the Consumer is essential. It comes down to tastes and we all have preferred flavours. Finding that balance between what you want to make and what people want to buy is difficult. It’s not about compromising your style, it’s about finding a way to make it easier for people to buy, excepting your taste is not for everyone and identifying and reaching the right consumer. Being in the right place at the right time for your customer. Hand made pottery is a luxury. You can buy a pretty mass made vase for £3 on any high street. Helping people to appreciate the difference and value of a handmade object is not easy. So learning how to tell that story has been challenging but also has helped me to understand and love what I’m doing even more.
What has been your biggest a-ha moment so far?
I think for any strong business, big or small. there has to be a strong story. A moment in time that ignites a passion, defines a philosophy, an idea that leads you somewhere new. For me that A-ha moment was whilst walking at low tide with a good friend who pointed out one of many deposits of Jersey clay visible on the surface when the tide goes out. Filled with excitement at the idea of making a pot out of Jersey clay, I grabbed a handful and returned to my studio to trial the clay. Encouraged by the early results I obtained permission from the States to take a small quantity of clay from the shore and over the following year tested and experimented with the clay, glazes and various firings to reach a finish which I was happy with. It took a lot of trial and error at every stage of the process to find a way to work with the clay. Learning how to process the clay, filter out the impurity’s, master its characteristics on the wheel, and idiosyncrasy’s in the kiln. What it likes and doesn’t like. The story of Jersey pots made from Jersey clay is at the heart of what I do. I learnt about it, and from it, mastered it and earned it through trail and error, persistence and belief, and that has given me a story that adds a unique dimension to my work and the things that I make.
Do you have any advice for other small business owners?
Never stop trying to perfect what you already make or do. A product is never finished, it’s continually developing and thats what makes it both challenging and exciting. Knowing you can always learn more and make something better means the time you spend on what you love is never wasted. So love what you do so it’s never a chore.
What currently inspires you?
Form and function have always been a strong signal on my radar. I’m like a magpie always looking for something thats new and shiny and fulfils an everyday need with minimal fuss. That will never change. What spurs me on now is to expand my craft, to challenge myself and learn more and more about what I can do with this messy, ancient, prehistoric, zero waste, malleable, time tested multi-faceted, mucky material I love called clay.
You can contact and find me here
