The Grange

Commissioned in Spring 2026 for Heather’s home on the outskirts of Bath, Heather wanted a face made with clay from the earth in her field.

The field on Heather’s property, The Grange, is made of a dry grey clay. Grasses and occasional oak trees spring up, but mostly the earth is cracked and difficult to work with for anything more than hay. Recently Heather has been working with the clay for her own pottery and trying to find ways to engage with the material so that she can bring it into her home.

When we were discussing the face and the placement, it was agreed that the best thing was to work with the natural colour and texture of the clay and the bare stone wall in her kitchen was the best spot for the face.

It was the height of the June heatwave when we hung the face, the land was dry from lack of rain. While in Heather’s garden, I fell in love with the starkness. The plants were all bleached yellow in the sun, and the stones and pebbles added to the severity.

The shadows from the unopened poppies felt like the only touch of softness among the stones and heat and it was easy to imagine leaving the face right there to stare up at the sky.