John Jelfs
Ceramics & Sculpture
John Jelfs, who started out as a
marine engineer, first encountered hand-thrown potterey whilst going
ashore in India. There he saw an old man throwing lengths of drain
pipe. The sight of this incredible skill intrigued him, and the
seed was sown. He went to Cheltenham Art College, where his wife
Judy also trained, and they started the Cotswold Pottery in 1973.
The pottery quickly became established and John was elected a Fellow
of the Craft Potters' Association in1979, a distinction that puts
him among the leading 100 studio potters in the country. His work
is represented in several public collections, including that of
The Victoria and Albert Museum, and he and Judy regularly exhibit
in leading galleries in Britain and abroad. They are members of
the prestigious Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen.
