Jillian Riley

Drawing inspiration from her love of ravens, magpies, an interest in mythology and a passion for things that are a little on the dark side, Jillian has created a collection of bottles with a twist.

I take old poison, scientific bottles and apothecary bottles, make moulds and slip cast them in parian or porcelain clay. Some bottles may be decorated with oxides, waxes and my own illustrations of bugs and poisonous plants.

Some bottles may become more sculptural, using reclaimed woods I hand turn stoppers to support individually sculpted porcelain birds and animals.

I also have a love of the cheeky side of life, birds and animals are a wonderful inspiration for creating appealing ‘characters’ who just come to life with conversation

I hand-sculpt each bird or animal so whether it’s two dodos wondering why everyone thinks they are extinct or two hens making a poor cockerel feel ‘hen pecked’, they all have a tale to tell. As each story unfolds I then decide how they should be mounted, making each piece unique.

A Contemporary Art Gallery in Cornwall