Helen Beard

Helen Beard is a potter and illustrator and a people watcher at heart. She works from her London studio where she makes, draws, designs and sometimes teaches. The local area and people inspire much of her work. There are all sorts of characters who crop up again and again in her sketchbooks and on her pots - from swimmers in the parks to traders at the local markets. By grouping her pots together, Helen likes to tell a story - creating whimsical scenes that capture the small yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.

Helen fell in love with clay whilst she was at the Edinburgh College of Art. It was the immediacy of the clay, its ability to move and react to your every touch. After college, Helen was fortunate enough to land an apprenticeship with the celebrated potter and writer Edmund de Waal in London. She learnt a huge amount including throwing at the wheel, glazing, kiln firing and all the skills you need to run a ceramic studio. Most importantly, Edmund showed Helen just how exciting a career in ceramics could be.