Get to know the artists
Peter & Julie Collis are the ultimate artisans.
Together, as Collis Studios, they lead and live the true Bohemian lifestyle, working with their hands and creating an artistically rich and fulfilling life. Creativity oozes out of them, makes their brains tick and their juices flow.
“I make round things”
That he does, and very well – creating pure, balanced, evenly proportioned objects that add enrichment to our environments. The forms, either voluptuous or sleek in shape, are in striking colours that can be either soft and subtle, or strong and vibrant. At times the vessels & objects are so large, it is difficult to make even his peers believe they are hand-thrown. In typical modest style Peter shrugs, smiles and says:" sure they are, I make large round things!"
Peter has worked with clay nearly all of his life. The main focus to his work has been the handling of shape and surface. He creates pure form vessels, which he then treats in a wide range of methods. Crackle glazes, textured engobes, rich colour all enrich surfaces and complement form.
Julie’s sense of style marries classic forms of function (ish) with quirkiness and charm. It connects the old with the new and tackles topics that bring little smiles to our hearts.
“Vibrant, quirky, petite.”
Julie was trained in Jewellery and Textile Design, and you find reference to this in the form of surface design she applies to a lot of her work, such as the collection “Memories of a Grandmother”. Of late she has worked in media such as metal and glass, and has also started to use form as decoration, minimizing the surface design.
