Wendie Norris – portfolio

Contact the artist

wenorris[at]btopenworld.com

Exhibition information

My sculptural pieces are about shapes occupying the space around them and how this conveys the spirit without words. The theme throughout my work is experiment, texture, and the finish of the work…with the emphasis on experiment as you will see…trying new glazes, slips and oxides on my pieces pre-firing, or  paints, waxes and inks post-firing.

Recently I have been experimenting with a combination of blue underglazes and yellow oxide, applied to craft crank and fired to stoneware. This combination produces a unique colouring, no two pieces are alike and I have applied this both to figures and to pieces for the garden. My garden sculpture often incorporates recycled blue or green glass (eg Water Play, with its blue pools designed to hold water for passing bees to drink).

I’ve also begun to sketch directly into clay with a knife which I find very freeing and allows any unevenness or texture in the clay layer to add to the depth of the sketch when fired and coloured with underglazes. 

Most of my ceramic pieces are based on the human figure, abstracted, but I also enjoy working with animals and will be including some of those in Art Week. Depending on space, I may also include some collagraphic prints.

 

Artist information

A scientist by trade and an artist by inclination, art has been the constant throughout multiple careers in biochemistry research and academic publishing. I originally come from Somerset, spent most of my working life in Oxfordshire, and am now retired to Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire.

I first found sculpture through my Art & Design foundation diploma at Bucks New University but it really took off, when I joined The Phoenix Studio, Towersey just after it opened.

I have now been sculpting for over twenty years. The opportunity to create with live models has led me to a love of abstracting the human and animal form, and embodying their essence. My favourite media is clay, though I also work in resin, wire, and print.

I belong to Oxford Sculptor Group and the Iron Down Sculptor Studio, exhibiting most recently with Freya Jones Ltd, Buckingham in August-December 2025 and with Bucks Art Week in June 2025 at Art@Our Lady of Light, Long Crendon.