Leela Pottery
A collection of handmade pottery created on Dartmoor
About Leela Pottery…
My work is a collection of handmade pottery created on Dartmoor, rooted in a love of storytelling, folk art, and the surrounding natural landscape.
I make primarily functional pieces such as mugs, plates, bowls, and teapots, designed to be used and enjoyed every day, bringing a sense of quiet magic into daily rituals. I’m drawn to the idea that these objects become part of people’s lives, used daily and slowly gathering their own stories over time.
Each piece is wheel-thrown, and sometimes slab-built,and often carefully decorated using hand-cut paper stencils and layers of clay slip. My designs draw inspiration from everyday life and the quiet details of nature, often interwoven with elements of imagination, creating small, story-like scenes across the clay surface.
Working from my studio on Dartmoor, the landscape plays a central role in both the aesthetic and atmosphere of my work. My palette is warm and grounded, with rich, earthy tones that reflect the moor’s shifting light, textures, and colours. There is a softness and sense of place that runs through the work, shaped by time spent immersed in the land.
My background as a marine biologist also informs my practice, with the coast and its wildlife quietly influencing the forms and imagery I explore. This includes the use of shell imprints gathered through beachcombing, alongside recurring fish shoal motifs.
I fire my work using a range of processes, including electric and gas kilns, as well as occasional anagama wood firings. Each method brings its own character and unpredictability, from the controlled consistency of electric firing to the rich surface variation and atmospheric effects created through flame and ash in wood firing.
Through these influences and processes, my work is both functional and narrative, designed to be used and loved while also carrying stories inspired by the land, the sea, and the quiet details of everyday life.
More about Leela Pottery…