As long as I can remember my ambition in life had been to be either an artist or a vet.

Sara Mailis working with sgraffito technique

My love, fascination and admiration for animal-life remained constant over the years as I traveled, married, acquired two Fine Art degrees and maintained my lifelong practice in Fine Art painting.

My new and recent venture into pottery-making developed when it occurred to me to fuse my interest in ceramics with painting. I have always loved (been obsessed!) with ceramics, collecting pieces from all the countries I have visited to fill the cupboards, shelves and dinner table of my family home.

I married into a Greek family, and the Greeks do great pots, which fueled the obsession further!

The predominance of goats and sheep in my work came from an early lesson at my evening pottery class. We were being introduced to a technique called “wedging” which prepares the clay by removing all of the air bubbles. Part of “wedging” is rolling the clay into what looks like a ram’s horns. This was a’ fuel to the fire’ situation for me as I love goats; their naughtiness and sometime association with extreme naughtiness, their sheep like eyes! So began the ceramic goat-making.

As to the sheep, this is down to my New Zealand roots- loving sheep is in my blood!
The brand name “Land & Sea ceramics” was suggested by my very linguistically talented step-daughter, Sofia. ‘Land & Sea ceramics’ is very much a family business!

With gratitude and thanks also to my tutor Sally Bettridge, who got me started.