Meet the Maker: Jillie Harkness

meet the maker

an interview with jillie harkness

She's an illustrator and ceramicist but most importantly my mum.

This one is particularly close to home...

Meet Jillie, the ceramicist behind all of the wonderfully wonky, beautifully imperfect ceramics you'll find at Denim and Bone. She also happens to be my mum.

Every piece is made by hand in her studio, meaning no two are ever quite the same. From shaping and glazing to all those tiny details and finishing touches, her work has that slightly unexpected, one-of-a-kind quality that we love so much at D&B.

So, we thought it was about time we introduced you properly to the hands behind the clay...

A SHORT HISTORY OF JILLIE

Jillie was always a creative, drawing and doodling her way through life. No pad, piece of paper or napkin is safe from her pen.

Before Google Maps was even a thing, she worked as a map drawer, a job she loved and one that put her eye for detail to very good use. Then along came two daughters, myself being one of them, and she put her career on hold to bring us up.

She loved being a mum, but that need to create never really went away. Over the years she tried her hand at different artistic courses, partly to scratch that creative itch and partly to find the thing that really felt like her.

And eventually, she found it.

This is where her love or ceramics began.

fast forward

Her work has adapted and evolved over the years. In the beginning, she would throw everything on the wheel, but over time her love for hand-building took over. Today, every piece you see has been painstakingly shaped and created entirely by hand, giving each one its own little quirks and character.

One thing that has always been a constant, though, is her incredible hand-drawn and painted illustrations, along with the wonderfully imaginative ideas that seem to come so naturally to her. There is always something unexpected to discover in her work.

denim and bone ceramics

When it comes to the collections she creates for Denim and Bone, we usually give her a little bit of direction or a starting point, then leave her to run with it. And somehow, every single time, she takes that initial idea somewhere we never would have imagined and completely exceeds what we had in mind.

It’s one of my favourite parts of working together, never quite knowing what she is going to come back with next.

So, I thought it was about time we found out a little more about the woman behind the ceramics...

How did you first get into ceramics, and when did you realise it was something you really loved?

When I was 16, I did a pottery evening class and dabbled with ceramics, as I didn’t do much at school. When I had my children, I thought this was something I could see fitting in with my kids, and it gave me huge joy. That was when I was in my 30s, and now I’m 66 and I still find it incredibly fulfilling and joyful to create every day.

Where do you find inspiration for the pieces you create?

I find inspiration for my work in every aspect of nature. When out on my morning dog walks, I pick up little feathers, tiny bits of leaf or plant, or grasses. I also get a lot of inspiration from my garden and the birds who I feed and watch from my window while I work.

I love roadside shrines in European countries, and when people leave something like a shell or a wildflower in them. I also love the wonder of a little chapel, the smell of beeswax candles, the gold, and the warm feeling in them. I also love meaningful wording.

I could go on and on, but that’s enough for now!

How would you describe your style as a ceramicist?

My style as a ceramicist is very eclectic, I would say. I hand-build in stoneware clay, and I decorate and illustrate with slips and underglazes. My style is cowgirl, nature lover, birdwatcher, user of loving words and collector of tiny, precious things that you find in nature: little shells, tiny pebbles, feathers, little flowers that no one else notices, tiny bits of leaf or a twig.

I also love tattoos. I haven’t got any, but if I did have one, it would be across my chest, with swallows and banners with loving words on, and roses.

What do you hope people feel when they bring one of your pieces into their home?

When people bring a piece of my work into their home, I really genuinely hope that they feel the love and thought that I’ve put into the piece. I want them to feel the love, and I want them to use it. My pieces are not to be put in a cupboard and not used.

What's your favourite part of the making process? And your least favourite?

My favourite part of the making process is all of it. I love it all. I just love making. I like thinking about my next piece, and I can honestly say I really enjoy it all, except for glazing. My worst part is glazing because you can put so much effort into your work, and then if your glaze goes wrong, that piece can be messed up. Yes, messed up just like that!

Do you have a favourite piece you've ever made for Denim and Bone?

My favourite piece I’ve ever made for Denim and Bone was about two years ago. I made some little shrines, some little porcelain shrines, and I think they had hands in there with a heart and birds, and little bits of mother-of-pearl that I added later. It was just precious, and I put glass on it so it was a little sealed shrine. I loved it, and I didn’t want to give it away. I didn’t want to sell it! So yeah, I think that’s probably my favourite.

If you could make absolutely anything with no limitations, what would you create?

If I could make absolutely anything with no limitations, I think I would make exactly how I make now. My only limitation is time and not having enough hours in the day.

If you could steal one thing from Denim and Bone, what would it be? (And no choosing your own ceramics!)

If I could steal one thing from Denim and Bone, how can I choose? I’d probably steal the beautiful bandana bag, the gorgeous pony skin handbag, one of the gorgeous embroidered jackets that she makes, a kimono, the throws, and I would probably also steal a waistcoat, a little denim waistcoat.

Oh wait… that’s not one thing, is it!! 😉