About Ciaran Headley
My Story
My name is Ciaran Headley and I live in Ireland on the shores of Lough Neagh in County Antrim. I was a teacher for most of my working life.
I retired from teaching in 2013. The following year I attended a foundation course in Art and one of the key modules was Ceramics. This was the first time I had ever worked with clay and I found the experience of being able to make and create with my hands magical.
I began to attend evening classes and workshops and gained advice, guidance and support from a number of experienced local potters. However I learned most from working each day at the wheel.
Markets
Eventually I realised that my pottery making could grow into a small business. I began to develop this in 2017 largely through local Craft Fairs and placement in shops including Danann Crafts in Lurgan, Blackthorn and Willow in Glenarm and Midtown Makers in Ballymena.
More recently I have begun to sell through requests from Facebook and Instagram and this has led to the creation of this dedicated website.
My Work
I acquired my first wheel and kiln in the autumn of 2015. I concentrated on creating functional stoneware - bowls, cups, pitchers, mugs, plates - that reflected the colours, shapes and textures of my natural environment. Initially the objects I made were for my own pleasure and they were mostly gifted to friends and family but as others saw them, I began to receive orders for items they wanted to purchase.