Meet the  lovely  Kate  Thorburn:  a  Yorkshire-based  surface  pattern  designer  with  a  background  in  both   ceramic  and  card  design.  Kate  completed  her  MA  in  ceramic  design  at  Staffordshire  University  in  2007   and  successfully  launched  her  own  range  of  ceramics,  ‘What  Kate  Loves’,  at  Top  Drawer  in  2014.  All  her   ceramics  are  proudly  made  in  Stoke-on-Trent  at  The  Royal  Overhouse  Manufactory  for  Designers  at   Royal  S tafford.  Here  she  shares  more  about  her  life  and  loves…

Inspiration, design  process  and  manufacturing  a  range… A  lot  of  the  inspiration  for  my  work  comes  from  nature.  I’ve  always  been  drawn  to  organic  forms  like  the  patina  on  stone  walls,   the  texture  of  old  wood,  and  the  patterns  on  leaves  and  wild  flowers.  Travel  is  also  very  important  to  me.  In  this  high-pressured,   fast-moving  world  we  need  to  make  time  to  get  out  and  explore.  When  I  was  little  my  parents  would  take  me  to  the  wilds  of  the   British  countryside,  and  I  still  love  to  roam  free  in  places  like  the  Yorkshire  Dales  and  the  Scottish  Highlands.  I  feel  such  a  sense  of   peace  there.  Sometimes  I’ll  spend  hours  just  walking  through  a  field  and  taking  endless  photos  of  plants  and  butterflies  along  the   way.  There’s  so  much  undisturbed  beauty  in  nature. I  studied  in  Stoke-on-Trent,  where  I  discovered  amazing  potteries  such  as  Burleigh  Pottery  in  Middleport  (www.burleigh.co.uk),   which  I  find  so  inspiring.  Unfortunately  Stoke  has  been  hit  hard  by  the  decline  of  British  manufacturing,  which  has  led  to  the   closure  of  mines,  steelworks  and  factories.  Although  much  of  the  town  is  now  boarded  up  I  have  faith  that  one  day  it  will  return   to  its  former  glory.  The  history  of  the  industry  is  really  important  to  me,  so  I’d  always  recommend  visiting  places  like  the   Wedgwood  Museum  (www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk)  where  you  can  learn  more  about  ceramic  traditions  and  heritage.  You  can   also  pick  up  great  bargains  at  Royal  Doulton  (www.royaldoulton.co.uk),  Portmeirion  (www.portmeiriongroupfactoryshops.co.uk)  and   Emma  Bridgewater  (www.emmabridgewater.co.uk)  factory  shops.  

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