Karen Wiltshire

Karen Wiltshire is a Dorset-based ceramic artist who describes herself, quite happily, as a bit of a clay muckee abouter.

Originally a hobby potter, Karen’s love of clay has gradually grown into a creative life of making handbuilt ceramics for the home and garden. Her work is often inspired by the natural world, with animals, birds, insects and the slightly odd creatures that appear in her imagination finding their way into clay.

Hares have become a particular favourite. There is something about their character, curiosity and slightly mysterious presence that keeps drawing Karen back to them. Some are moon-gazing, some are simply sitting quietly contemplating life, and others seem to have acquired personalities of their own before they have even left the workbench.

Karen’s pieces are predominantly handbuilt, with texture, shape and individuality playing a big part in each creation. She enjoys allowing the clay to retain a sense of its handmade nature rather than striving for perfect uniformity. No two pieces are quite the same, and sometimes the little quirks are the things she likes best.

Her collection for The Wild Things brings together some of the animals that have emerged from her imagination – from hares and birds to creatures inspired by the wildlife around her Dorset home.

For Karen, making is as much about the joy of the process as the finished piece. She likes to think that her ceramic animals have a little life of their own – and occasionally a mind of their own too.