Another of Britain's finest makers John Ward  returns this year.  John's output is limited now so it is wonderful to be able to show a group of his quiet handbuilt pieces that possess such a powerful presence.

         Yo Thom  makes a welcome return with her exquisite range of Ai-Indigo pots and dishes designed for the table and Duncan Ross is also back at Woodbury after a gap.  His unique ceramics use the ancient Greek techniques of terra-sigilata slips and smoke firing, combined with a contemporary use of image and pattern.

         Françoise Dufyard has developed a very personal interpretation of slip-ware.  The rich colours and surface qualities stem in part from her exploration of ceramics in the Far East and Asia.

         Nick Rees has for many years been a Master Potter at Mulchelney Pottery.  From the foundations of the Leach tradition, he has successfully established an individual, organic style, accentuated through carving, fluting and experimentation with slips and glazes.

         I'm pleased to welcome established maker Wendy Lawrence to Woodbury for the first time.  Her inspiration is derived from forms, textures and surfaces found in eroded rock, and the landscape of antiquity: architecture, culture and worship.

        Robert Cooper is another first-timer.  He has a fascination for vessels connected with drinking and storing tea.  The pieces have a sense of collage, recycling and fusing together different elements: silk screen imagery, discarded packaging, flotsam and jetsam from river and street along with waste glaze materials.

        I am delighted to welcome two acclaimed South African potters this year.  Hennie Meyer works predominantly in earthenware.  His joyous pieces balance strong form with highly detailed surfaces with a distinctive signature style.

       Clementina van der Walt is one of Cape Town's most well-known ceramicists.  Her vibrant linear work, irregular in shape, thickness and texture, is organic and soulful -  but it is also functional, celebrating the ancient African tradition of embellishing domestic utensils.

      Showing at Woodbury for the first time is James Oughtibridge.  His beautifully constructed stoneware forms often appear to float.  The powerful structures hold delicate and enticing surfaces, with many hours spent refining, scraping and sanding to create gentle flowing curves.   

      Fenella Elms was this year's winner of 'Best in Show' at the prestigious Ceramic Art London event and I am so pleased she is showing at the gallery for the first time.  The pieces involve assemblages of small pieces or stripes of porcelain.  The interaction that comes about through placing shifting components in formation builds into fascinating and intricate structures.

      Using three different firing temperatures and several types of clay and glaze - red, black, celadon - my Chinese experiences continue to fuel the development of new pieces.  The desire to create single coherent works from disparate elements is an ongoing challenge.  

- Tim Andrews