THERE is an exhibition of ceramics by Annette Cole and Carol Metcalfe in the Community Orchard at Hudson House, Reeth, from May 24 to June 7, of outdoor ceramic pieces such as bird baths, planters and decorative plaques.

Annette Cole lives on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. After many years attending part-time ceramics courses while working as a pharmacist, her fascination with clay led her to do a degree in Contemporary Ceramics at Newcastle College.

Annette's love of clay and gardening come together in the creation of bird baths, planters and sculptures for the garden and smaller pieces suitable for both indoors and out. The natural world around her provides inspiration for the forms and surfaces and they reflect her love of colour and texture.

Annette fires to a high stoneware temperature in order that the pieces can survive outside. To ensure that her practice has as low an environmental impact as possible, solar panels provide electricity for the kiln firings and she makes her own glazes, recycling as much of the glaze and clay as she can.

Carol Metcalfe works with two themes; the landscapes around her home in North Yorkshire; and texture created by leaves, weed seeds and found objects collected locally, which she incorporates into her clay. Thus, Carol’s ceramic pieces have a strong sense of place.

Carol studied Arts and Design at the University of Sunderland, specialising in ceramics. She then went on to do a PhD, researching New Ash Glazes from Arable Crop Waste. The resulting glazes are employed in all her ceramic work.

They contain waste plant material collected after harvest on the farm where Carol lives, near Richmond, and are fired to a low stoneware temperature of 1240C. A small wind turbine supplies much of the electricity used by the kiln, further minimising the environmental impact of production.

Most items will be for sale and the garden is open daily during daylight hours.