A Passion for Pottery

Claire Prenton is a ceramics artist living near Seattle in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Born and raised in the north of England, Claire moved to America in 2004 with her husband Justin and their two Siamese cats.

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Claire studied Design Crafts at the Cumbria College of Art and Design, where she specialized in textiles and embroidery. She gained a Certificate in Education from the University of Central Lancashire while teaching art at Nelson and Colne College. In 1994 Claire and Justin moved to Cheltenham in the southwest of England. Claire continued to develop her own work which she sold through the Montpellier Gallery. Claire also worked as an education leader for Gloucester City Council, providing educational classrooms and workshops within the city’s museums.

In January 2007 Claire became a work study volunteer at Kirkland Arts Center. Working in the ceramics studio assisting studio technician, potter and teacher Pat Colyar, this was the point where Claire found her passion for pottery.

Claire’s creative life had started in textiles, specializing in embroidery and surface design, but when she found pottery she fell in love, working in clay felt like a natural progression from working with fabrics. The same love of color, texture, pattern and form translated in to clay beautifully. Claire’s enthusiasm and fascination with this new material was instant. She’d found what she had been looking for!!!