Pat Armstrong has lived all her life in a small village close to Stamford in Lincolnshire. She is married with two grown up sons.  She worked for many years as a secretary before deciding to enrol on an Arts Foundation Course at Tresham College in Kettering. Whilst there she discovered an affinity with clay and the wheel. She then developed her skills at Sunderland Polytechnic School of Art and Design and passed a 3D Design BA(Hons) Course in Glass with Ceramics. In 1990 Pat won the Charlie Bray Award for the best overall performance in Glass and Ceramics.

Since graduating Pat has worked in her studio at home designing and making pots and finding success with her work through exhibitions, galleries and craft events. Originally Pat’s designs were influenced by Anglo Saxon pots, but from here her interests shifted to the Japanese art of Raku. Subsequently, her forms have become more classical with elegant long necks, flared rims, round jars and bottles. Rich blue, turquoise and green complemented by black crackles and copper reduction came first, followed by pink, yellow and creamy-white glazes.

Pat then extended her repertoire to include the highly volatile copper-fuming process. This involves the application of copper oxide into the glaze, resulting in wonderfully vibrant colours with the appearance of a luxurious velvet texture.

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