​Simon Drew Gallery Ceramics

Janine Roper

Janine completed the Design Craft National Diploma at Bath City College in 2001 and continued her studies at Bath Spa University, gaining a first class honours degree in ceramics in 2008.  She joined the Gloucester Guild of Craftsmen as and Associate Member in 2009 and now works from a studio at her home in Bath.

She enjoys spending time in museums to look for more unusual pieces and those which are less sophisticated and often charming and amusing.  Her work is a personal response to these museum pieces; she does not attempt to imitate them, but rather take some formal details and basic shapes and translate them in to her own language.

Her work is screen printed using oxides, mainly traditional cobalt blue, and hand built.  After the first firing the pieces are glazed and re-fired.  Then the magic happens as the beautiful colours of the oxides shine through.  Most of the work is then finished with extravagant gold lustre.

Her original print design is based on "Sunday Best" tea sets but overprinted so that much of the detail is obliterated leaving only a hint of the original design.  Her latest design is based on Bath's Sydney Gardens.  The many decorative buildings and bridges, along with trees and plants inspired by the traditional willow pattern.