Studio Frostwood: Sustainable Ceramics

After initially meeting through the Craft Scotland Compass programme, Hazel Frost and Natalie J Wood co-designed a bespoke studio environment in the historic environs of a former lemonade factory in Leith. Soon after expanding their combined practices to include classes and a membership programme, the duo found themselves overwhelmed by how much waste material they were generating.

“This was the stuff that would build up in our cleaning buckets and be washed off of tools. We were unwilling to throw this material into landfill, so we had to find a practical use for it. Running our own studio meant that we had the power to implement new practices in a way we hadn’t previously in university or in other shared studio spaces. Also as potters we have a natural urge to experiment by putting things in the kiln just to see what happens.”

While there was information already available on this topic, Frost and Wood found much of it was either too vague or not applicable to their specific studio. They saw an opportunity and became excited to experiment in a way that was practical, and where long term outcomes were possible. A research project was born, and after receiving funding from Creative Scotland, months of testing, experimenting and adjusting commenced. Now Studio Frostwood are primed to share their insights with their peers and encourage a wider shift within the ceramics community towards a more sustainable way of making.

“With climate change becoming an inescapable reality and with an increasing focus on improving all sectors, sustainability is incredibly important to us. Through running a studio, we should constantly be analysing what we are doing and improving on it, and sustainability is absolutely part of this.”

What to do with waste material had been a common question throughout their many years as practising ceramicists where often surplus clay would be thrown away or forgotten about on a studio shelf.

“This project allowed us space to explore and play in a way that is often not feasible when you are busy running all the aspects of a small business. From the beginning of just looking purely at waste in the studio, we expanded into looking at other aspects of sustainability, such as the carbon impact of our kiln firings and where our materials came from. Just by analysing these areas we have been able to make informed decisions, such as switching clay suppliers, that affect the overall carbon output of the studio.”

Studio Frostwood. Credit: Susan Castillo.

“For us ceramics is a lifelong pursuit, so while this project was a year-long endeavour, it really feels like the foundation for a longer exploration and optimisation of our studio practices. We also want to create community awareness around ways to process and use ceramic waste so that others can build upon our work.”

The designers have brought their own unique interests, histories and experiences to the research. Wood grew up in the industrial town of Kirkcaldy, Scotland. Her great-great-grandfather was a kiln man and worked for one of the many Kirkcaldy potteries. As a child she would run up and down the aisles of the tile store her mother worked at for over 20 years. In 2015 she graduated with a degree in Three Dimensional Design with a specialism in ceramics, before moving to Edinburgh to establish her own practice.

Frost is originally from Newcastle upon Tyne. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins with a degree in Ceramic Design, she then worked for other studio potters and artists, developing her skills before moving back north to start her own practice. Specialising in throwing and hand building, her work is deeply influenced by history, Japanese and Korean ceramics as well as the landscapes that surround her in Scotland.

“We recognise that fundamentally, through making and creating ceramics we are having an impact on the environment, but by analysing our studio we are able to minimise some of the harm that can come from this.”

Studio Frostwood will soon share their research and methodologies demonstrating their approaches and how they dealt with different aspects of waste in the studio. Their hope is that this practical and accessible document helps anyone who wants to make steps towards a more sustainable practice. An exhibition and talk at Whitespace Gallery is planned (1-3 Sep) where Frost and Wood will present their research during an informal talk chaired by yours truly.

“We have had a very positive response to the project and obviously there are lots of questions and we try to be as open and honest as possible while also letting people know that this is a journey for us and we are not experts and that you don’t need to be an expert to make a start!”

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The exhibition Sustainable Ceramics is open from 1-3 Sep. The talk is at 1pm on 2 Sep, both at Whitespace Gallery, 76 East Crosscauseway, Edinburgh, EH8 9HQ
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