Meet David Preston
About David
David Preston is a photographer and ceramicist who lives in the local area, and whom Jackie has known for many years, as he was one of the first clients to attend drawing classes, when the business started in 2014. David joined the team officially in 2022, and is such a huge part of Globe Arts! Besides being an incredible ceramicist, David is also passionate about photography, and has been interested in the art since he was a teenager. Inspired by the movement and atmosphere of the coasts, David has created various ceramic pieces that perfectly compliment his stunning imagery of British beaches, which he has exhibited at Globe Gallery.
Besides his fantastic creative work, David is a qualified Environmental Scientist, and has recently just retired from the Environment Agency after working for 35 years specialising in water quality.
David’s art influences!
It was at Globe Arts Studio where David first experimented with other art forms, such as Fused Glass and Drawing & Painting - and over 8 years ago tried working with clay at the studio, and it has all grown from there! An aspect of David’s work is characterised from his perfectionism and scientific background - “It’s in my personality to need to know how something works and if it doesn’t work then I have to know why - I’m sure this has helped me to understand clay as a medium and particularly how to throw on the wheel.”
With a desire to create perfect angles and curves for his bowls, David even uses rulers to make his pots - but is slowly wanting to embrace a more carefree approach by letting go of his “desire for precision” to see where this takes him! David finds that he has been inspired by sources from everywhere - whether it be contemporary YouTube makers or traditional Japanese potters, but still stays true to “own voice and style” when creating his amazing ceramic pieces.
David is planning on incorporating his background in science and passion for the environment with his artwork - we can’t wait to see what it looks like!
Where will you find David at Globe Arts Studio?
You can find David at his fantastic ceramics course which runs throughout the year, with clients of all abilities focusing on their own projects each term. David’s Wednesday evening Ceramics class is the perfect way to unwind after work, and a great place to chat with other like-minded creatives looking to build their pottery skills! David’s evening Ceramics class initially started as an course exclusively for beginners, but as clients have continued to return and develop their fantastic skills, it is now a class open for EVERYBODY! Whether you are an absolute beginner, or looking to continue your preexisting skills through new projects, David’s Ceramics class is a calm and chatty space, and the perfect way to brighten up your week!
“Without exception, I think everyone that attends the classes finds that working with clay is a really great way to wind down, relax and forget about everyday stresses for a couple of hours each week - as well as producing some beautiful ceramics!”
With our expansion, David’s class will be moving to our new site over at Holme Mills - this means more room to be creative, new tools, and the perfect excuse to pop into Zapato for a quick pint or ‘cuppa’ at Darkwoods Coffee!
“Fun facts” about David!
David only first dabbled with clay when he was in his 50s! - “I had never worked with clay until I was in my early 50s - not even at school and yet it has become a hugely important part of my life. For anyone interested in any form of art, I’d say just give it a go, try different things; some you might not like and some you could just fall in love with! It is never too late.
Despite finding his passion for ceramics, you can still find David coming along to other classes at Globe Arts Studio, such as Life Drawing and Printmaking - “Globe Arts is such an amazing creative space, with so much going on all the time and there is always something else I want to have a go at.”
