Edinburgh-based ceramicist Ella Fletcher brings joy to the everyday with colourful, handmade ceramics
Ella Fletcher is celebrated for her colourful ceramics that bring the joy of the Scottish coast to people’s homes. She was voted Best Newcomer at Top Drawer AW24 and, in her own words, tells us about her life in ceramics.
I make an awful lot of mugs. I love that. A favourite mug is quite a personal and special thing to people, and knowing that I am helping bring a little bit of added happiness to a morning coffee makes it all worth while. I have been asked to make a lot of gifts for weddings with the couple’s initials and the date of their marriage stamped on the bottom. It’s such an honour that people trust me to make something that will be cherished for years to come.
My designs have a very strong tie to the Scottish landscape, inspired by dog walks in the Pentlands and taking my kids to the beach in East Lothian. My studio is in a beautiful old hay barn at Rosemains Steading near Pathhead in Midlothian, and the surrounding fields and countryside make it such a relaxing place to work.
I grew up in London but went to university in Edinburgh and fell in love with the city. I met my husband while studying and although we moved back to London after graduating, the pull of Edinburgh was always there and we eventually made the move back up in 2017. Scotland has always felt like home and I love the fact that we can be in the hills or by the beach so easily.
Before I had my kids, I ran a bespoke cake company in London. We had a lot of success making wedding cakes and supplying Harrods and Selfridges and it was hard work but a lot of fun. We closed the business after my daughter was born and I felt a little lost when I was ready to go back to work; I knew I wanted to do something creative but didn’t know what that would be.
I started an art foundation diploma and that is where I first found ceramics. It was completely love at first touch, and so when we moved to Edinburgh I got some lessons using the wheel. I’ve not looked back since. My grandmother was a fashion designer and loved to paint. I think I got my creative skills from her. I still use her old paintbrushes to glaze my pots today.
The business has grown in recent years and I now supply a lot of independent retailers across the Scotland. This has meant that I’ve had to increase my production hugely. When I started, I would sit at the wheel and make two or three pots at a time.
Now, if I have a day of throwing, I need to make sure I make at least 50 to keep on top of the orders. I have a small team who work with me and we will spend the day making pots, glazing pots and doing all the less glamorous admin and packing orders in between. I find listening to a good podcast or audiobook keeps me at the wheel and stops me wandering off to do something else.
My surrounding landscape is so important to keeping my creativity alive as well. My previous studio was in a windowless basement and it really started to affect my productivity. Being among nature and driving through the incredible landscapes in Mid and East Lothian to and from work every day really revives and inspires me.
I am obsessed with taking photos of the different patterns and textures you can find when you’re out and about in the world. A lot of that comes from nature – different types of moss or tree bark – but also a rusty door or rotting wooden fence really inspires me. It sounds weird but I think there is so much beauty in them.
Last year was all about growing my independent retailer suppliers, and this year the focus is on building my own website so I can sell directly to customers, as well as developing a range of larger interior pieces. I plan to design a collection of lamp bases and washbasins next year, and it would be a dream to have them installed in some boutique hotels or perhaps somewhere like Gleneagles Townhouse. That would be pretty special.
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