Hand made ceramics by Juliet Schlunke

Juliet Schlunke

Juliet was born on a farm in Australia and studied painting in Sydney. After exhibiting in various art galleries, she left for Europe at the age of 23. She settled in Spain, exhibiting her paintings in Madrid art galleries. After decorating a restaurant with her hand-painted fabrics, she was diverted into a designing and decorating career, starting in Geneva with decorator Gérard Bach, then designing furnishing textiles in Paris for Nobilis, Le Lièvre, Pierre Frey and many others. She also designed Limoges porcelain. She met her future husband in a Saint Germain restaurant (Paris) and they ended up in the Luberon (Provence) where he began a small building business. Juliet became friends with a neighbouring potter who taught her the basics of modelling, firing and glazing.

In 2016, a boutique became available in the beautiful village of Ansouis. She is now displaying her paintings and ceramics in this perfect exhibition space. The theme in her creations is always nature. Woodland inspiration: oak bark-textured plates decorated with acorns and leaves, vegetables: aubergines, artichokes, mushrooms, fennel bulbs, heads of garlic; fruits: overripe and bursting, pomegranates, grapes and vine leaves, all available in Provence. In addition to these decorative pieces, Juliet also makes beautiful salad bowls and smaller nests of bowls in forms of lettuce leaves and long, thin and stylish cheese platters.

Firstly, she models her work in fine red clay from Spain, then she fires them in her kiln for 8 hours at 1,020°C. When they cool, she plunges them into a tub of white glaze and back they go into the kiln for another 8 hours firing at 980°C. The glaze is diluted so one can glimpse the red clay underneath, so it is a warm white. Juliet finds that this finish is suitable for all styles of interiors, modern and traditional.