Trained in Germany, Britta followed an old German craft tradition of travelling to various potteries for three years and a day to work and learn. She used this time to deepen her skills and learn about different cultural aspects of ceramics. Britta worked for potters in Germany, France, New Zealand and England, where she first worked for the Leach Pottery in 2010/2011. Britta was particularly influenced by her time with New Zealand potter, Petra Mayboden, learning about wood firing and various decoration techniques. 

In 2012, Britta returned to the Leach pottery to become a permanent member of the production team. She continues to produce a wide range of well crafted, wheel-thrown kitchen and table ware. Britta decorates the pots while the clay is still soft to add depth to the surface. For the decoration, she uses a number of techniques, such as stamping with various roulettes, impressing with pieces of wood, cutting, adding clay or otherwise deforming the pot.

The pieces are glazed in celadon, shino, blue and copper red, then fired to 1300°C in reduction. These glazes vary in colour from thick to thin, further enhancing the surface decoration of the pots. Influenced by her journey, Britta’s pots are luscious and playful but deeply rooted in the formal language of traditional European pottery.

Britta’s first experience with soda firing was whilst working with New Zealand potter Petra Meyboden, Coromandel, during 2009-10. Petra woodfires using a two chamber climbing kiln (similar to the one in the Leach museum). In Britta’s own words:

Petra was a great influence on me both in aesthetics and work ethics. She truly understands to live beauty in every days life down to the smallest detail and memories of the months spent with her weave in and out in my practice and life. This sodaware is a homage to Petra and the time I spent with her. 

Britta uses a variety of slips and glazes including: shino, two different ash glazes, copper, blue and amber glaze; orange, copper and titanium slips. Soda firing results in pots that show a lot of variation, even across one piece; a lively reflection of the direct impact of flames and fumes.

 Pots are fired at the Leach Pottery spraying a sodium bicarbonate solution at about 1250°C, which reacts with the surface of the slips and clays to form a glaze.