Jane Gibson Jane Gibson trained as a physiotherapist and now works part time in a nursing home. Her interest in pottery began in 1974 when she attended adult education classes. She continued with classes between having children and living abroad and in 1986 bought a small kiln and wheel. With decreasing family responsibility and membership of the Kent Potters Association her commitment to pottery increased. In 1992 Jane went to Pakistan for a year with her husband and taught pottery. She travelled widely in South Asia and became fascinated by the traditional potters who use the same techniques as their forebears three thousand years ago.

On her return to England Jane completed parts 1&2 of the ceramic City and Guilds examination gaining the silver medal. She researched the domestic ware of India and Pakistan and has published in Ceramic Review and the Kent Potters magazine. She has concentrated on making low fired burnished pots with firemarkings. She has evolved a technique of firing in a paper kiln with added wood in a brick surround. This produces similar effects to pitfiring.

Pots are wheel thrown or slab built in white stoneware clay. They are burnished while leather hard and fired to 940c in an electric kiln. The kiln is made by tightly rolling newspaper into circles and stacking to the height required. The kiln is placed on sawdust and filled with the pots which are wrapped in rags, straw, seaweed and packets of salt, copper and ferrous sulphate. Pieces of wood are put around and the whole structure set alight. Later it is covered and left to cool. Next day the pots are removed and polished with beeswax.

Jane has conducted workshops and exhibited in India and UK. She is a member of the Society of Women Artists with whom she exhibits in the Mall Gallery, London. She also exhibits with the Kent Potters at Art in Clay, Southern Ceramic show and Ceramic S.E. Her pots are available at the Kent Potters Gallery, Maidstone and several other galleries in the UK. Jane says of her glaze recipe, a Gumbo Base Glaze from Australia: "I have chosen this as I do not use glazes as I like the effect of bare clay and this looks just like cracked mud."