About Paul Payne

Creating porcelain artwork with a rich artistic heritage

Paul Payne is an artist and porcelain sculptor. He creates decorative and functional pieces all of which utilise light to bring the design to the fore. 

Candle sleeves and tea light holders, lampshades and picture panels; the ways to bring a picture to life with this material is varied. 

Paul’s Story

The opportunity for Paul Payne at school to do pottery turned into a 30-year love affair with porcelain.

His unique patent-registered technique to combine glass fibre with porcelain is the result of decades of play and experimentation with porcelain.

He has worked with and inspired many local people and business, with his pieces displayed all over Frome.

Paul’s candle sleeves were the inspiration behind Kevin McCloud‘s “Gracie” range, although Kevin used a simpler and more pared down approach.

His current focus is trying to map the softness and complexity of a charcoal portrait drawing onto porcelain. 

Paul’s Heritage: Wyndham Payne

Paul Payne has been inspired by his grandfather, Wyndham Payne, an illustrator, printmaker, painter and model maker.

Wyndham’s illustrations of the first UK edition of Wind in the Willows set the benchmark for the way we visualise these classic characters – his depiction of the yellow gypsy caravan pervades to this day.

Paul has skillfully transferred his grandfather’s illustrations into intricate and beautiful picture panels. Their delightful secrets become most apparent when held up to the light.

wind in the willows illustration by wyndham payne

Paul has also written a retrospective of Wyndham Payne’s work – “Design – Wyndham Payne” – in celebration of his colourful and enduring illustrations.

wind in the willows porcelain panel

“As a ceramicist, I have taken inspiration directly from my grandfather’s work, shaping lampshades and lanterns that incorporate illustrations by Wyndham; creating three-dimensional forms from flat sheets of glass fibre hand-painted with porcelain slip, the layers laminated together like filo dough.

When lit, decorations painted between the layers or embossed on the surface are revealed.”

Commissions and Exhibitions

Paul Payne is currently working on a range of Wyndham-inspired pieces for the Spacecraft Gallery in Westbury, Wiltshire.

porcelain figures tea lights
paul holding porcelain light

In 2021 paul collaborated with Frome florist, Tony Bennett, to help him publish his memoirs. 

Tony knew the potter, ceramicist and teacher Charlie Bundle before his untimely death in 1982. 

Charlie was Paul’s pottery teacher and school and was hugely inspired by him to pursue a career in ceramics. 

In these videos, Tony reflects on his memories of Charlie and reads his obituary, written by Ian Read.