Meet the Maker: Rose Nisbet

In this new series of Meet the Maker features, find out what makes creatives tick, what their inspirations are, as well as how they make the creations that you can find at our tenth Made in Bristol Gift Fair series at Colston Hall, Bristol.

One of the purposes of our Meet the Maker posts is to help put together names with faces, and today we'd like to introduce you to Rose Nisbet, whose mission is to bring laughter, character and brightness to homes (and who also likes to put together ceramics with faces - and feet!). Rose's delightful, functional homeware embraces the weird and wonderful with her organic shaped handmade planters and her colourful kitchenware.

Read on to find out about Rose’s journey so far, what inspires her, and where she’s headed…

Little and Large ceramic planters with their own hands and feet by Rose Nisbet

Hello Rose, please tell us a little bit about yourself, your practice and introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi, I'm Rose. I'm originally from Bristol and have pretty much lived here all my life, apart from dangerously veering out to London for three years to take my degree in Surface Design. I moved back afterwards and started making ceramics in my garage. My ceramics are made through a hand-building slab method, where I roll out the clay and piece it together, to make a 3D object.

Gold lustre on spotted glazed ceramic plate and bowl by Rose Nisbet

What do you love most about working in your chosen discipline?

I love how pottery is functional. You can make it look like a piece of art, but use it everyday as a functional item. 

What is currently your most popular creation?

My most popular product is probably my planters, with feet. They definitely sell more than anything else.

Cheeky little ceramic planter with eyes, arms and legs and rosy gold cheeks by Rose Nisbet

What are some of your biggest creative influences or inspirations?

Picasso has always been my biggest inspiration. His entire range of art is fantastic and I especially love his pottery collection. Second to Picasso would be Klimt. His use of patterns in his work is so dreamy.

Taking inspiration from Picasso, Rose's ceramics breathes life into mealtimes.

Describe your studio or workspace?

I was very lucky to acquire an entire large garage, which at the time had no other use apart from keeping a lot of old wood in it. I got rid of the wood, painted the place and with a bit of building work I managed to turn it into a studio. I met a retired potter who wanted to get rid of his kiln, wheel and slips and glazes for an absolute steal which really helped me kick start the whole thing. I've been in there for four years and have two other ceramicists renting the space. I have recently been holding pottery workshops in there too. I called it ‘Wood Studio’ because of its previous use as a wood store but also as its situated in Clifton Wood. The two other ceramicists who I share the studio with are Eska Wonders and Isobel Higley. I think all our work compliments each other and I absolutely love sharing my studio with them.

Rose at work in Wood Studio

Tell us what your creative process is like. How do you go about designing a new piece?

I do keep a little note pad with me where I doodle new shapes and patterns. I have to write and note everything down, otherwise I forget it. Normally I go for things which are functional, so I try to think about what people would use that I haven't made yet. 

What are some of the biggest challenges in your work?

The risk of ceramics cracking or smashing right at the end of the process. Each ceramic piece takes so long to make and it's soul destroying when you've put so much time and materials into making it and then it cracks after the 2 week process of making it. When it happens (which is often) you just have to breathe in, and start again. Ceramics has made me a very patient person!

Rose's ceramics revel in the handmade process

What handmade possession do you most cherish? (Bonus points for mentioning another Bristol maker!)

I collect a lot of prints, which are all hung in my bedroom. They all bring me so much happiness and I love looking at them and appreciate the talent that has gone into them. My favourites are a large Dan Hillier print, which looks very regal above my fireplace and two Lara Hawthorne prints which are hung together above my bed. They set my mood for the day.

It can take two weeks to make one piece through from start to finish. Fingers crossed nothing cracks!

What do you when you are stuck in a creative rut?

I go outside, and walk around creative parts of Bristol like Colston Street or Gloucester Road. Going into shops or finding new places is so inspiring for me to do. 

Where would you like to be in ten years?

Wow, well I would be 38 then and I'm sure a lot of things would have changed! I really aspire to be an Interior Designer, it would be great to do something I am so passionate about and have it as a career. I did a short course in it a couple of years ago and I enjoyed it so much, I'm just slowly trying to find my way into it. I hope I would still be making ceramics, and for it to run alongside being an interior designer.

Thank you Rose - we will see you on the 24 & 25 November and 8 December at our Made in Bristol Gift Fairs at Colston Hall. 

You can also see Rose's pieces featured in our first ever Made in Bristol Designer-Maker Gift Guide.

Photography thanks:
Products by Jo Hounsome Photography.
Rose's studio by Lauren Jayne Hall.