Irene Faulder | Ceramic Artist | Centigrade Kiln Fired Art


I can’t remember a time in my life when I did not paint or draw. My parents learned very early on that the best way to keep me out of mischief was to sit me at a table with an endless supply of paper, pencils and crayons. Art was one of my favourite subjects at school and I would have loved to have gone on to art college but in those days I was encouraged to “get a proper job” so I left school at 15 and got an office junior in an engineering company. In 1974 I got married to Malcolm and in 1980 I gave birth to David. I chose not to return to work but when David went to school at the age of 4, I looked around for some form of work that I could do from home. One day I saw a display in the window of our village Post Office, advertising adult education evening classes.There in the window was a display of the most beautiful hand painted plates and vases by a lady called Alison Marrs. I looked at them and thought they were wonderful but I could never do that.Next week the display consisted of small boxes and china mugs, I looked at them and thought I could do that.The rest as they say is history! I studied with Alison for about 2 years and then I bought my own kiln and went solo. It was frightening at first firing my own work, lifting the lid of the kiln in the morning – would it be china painting heaven or would it be hell. To be honest it was a mixture of both, but you learn by your mistakes! About 10 years ago my former teacher Alison asked me to take over her china painting class for a couple of weeks whilst she went away on business.I did so with trepidation. Me? Teach? - I can’t do that. To my great surprise I enjoyed it! When Alison returned she asked would I like to take over the classes because she wished to do other things.I said yes and so started another chapter in my life. I taught adult education classes for about 4 years and when the red tape and paper work became a chore I started to teach privately. For the past three years I have been teaching for a group called Prism Arts. This is a charitable group that does many projects throughout Cumbria including art for older members of the community. I love to work with lustres and modern techniques creating different textures in my painting.Whilst I have no formal qualifications for teaching I sometimes think that it doesn’t matter. If you love what you do and your students keep coming back for more then you must be doing something right. To contact Irene telephone 01228 710782

I can’t remember a time in my life when I did not paint or draw. My parents learned very early on that the best way to keep me out of mischief was to sit me at a table with an endless supply of paper, pencils and crayons.
Art was one of my favourite subjects at school and I would have loved to have gone on to art college but in those days I was encouraged to “get a proper job” so I left school at 15 and got an office junior in an engineering company.

In 1974 I got married to Malcolm and in 1980 I gave birth to David. I chose not to return to work but when David went to school at the age of 4, I looked around for some form of work that I could do from home. One day I saw a display in the window of our village Post Office, advertising adult education evening classes.There in the window was a display of the most beautiful hand painted plates and vases by a lady called Alison Marrs. I looked at them and thought they were wonderful but I could never do that.Next week the display consisted of small boxes and china mugs, I looked at them and thought I could do that.The rest as they say is history!

I studied with Alison for about 2 years and then I bought my own kiln and went solo. It was frightening at first firing my own work, lifting the lid of the kiln in the morning – would it be china painting heaven or would it be hell. To be honest it was a mixture of both, but you learn by your mistakes!

About 10 years ago my former teacher Alison asked me to take over her china painting class for a couple of weeks whilst she went away on business.I did so with trepidation. Me? Teach? - I can’t do that. To my great surprise I enjoyed it! When Alison returned she asked would I like to take over the classes because she wished to do other things.I said yes and so started another chapter in my life.

I taught adult education classes for about 4 years and when the red tape and paper work became a chore I started to teach privately. For the past three years I have been teaching for a group called Prism Arts. This is a charitable group that does many projects throughout Cumbria including art for older members of the community.

I love to work with lustres and modern techniques creating different textures in my painting.Whilst I have no formal qualifications for teaching I sometimes think that it doesn’t matter. If you love what you do and your students keep coming back for more then you must be doing something right.

To contact Irene telephone 01228 710782