Background

Potters Thumb is a Brighton based pottery studio that is home to potter - Mark Ciavola and this is where our beautiful OMGTea matcha bowls are made by Mark as well.

I have been mesmerised with the art and craft of ceramics since an early age thanks to my mother Anna, starting in Malta and then in the UK where I have been ever since, mastering new techniques and skills under the guidance of potters such as Phil Rogers, Michael Casson, Terry and Beverly Bell - Hughes amongst others.  I then furthered my studies at Harrogate College and Cardiff Institute for Higher Education.

I have also been involved in various projects that have captured my creativity such as stop motion animation, illustration and mostly teaching arts and ceramics at various levels in Malta.

Based in Brighton and having set up Potters Thumb, I am spreading my love for ceramics and making my work available to all those who appreciate hand thrown ceramics mainly creating bespoke pottery for the catering industry, tea companies such as OMGTea, supplying locally in the UK and overseas .

The OMGTea 60 Second Interview

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being on the potters wheel making pots.

2. Do you live to work or work to live?

Pottery is such an integral part of my life that I live to work.

3. What one thing are you most passionate about?

I  have currently been working on a zero-waste project for the last two years and have been obsessed since I started working and researching with crushing wine bottles ( single use glass) to create a new sustainable material closing the loop on single use glass, sourcing wine bottles consumed at a particular zero waste restaurant and turning the “waste" glass into what we are now calling glass porcelain - a wonderful material that is 100 percent eternally recyclable with a lower carbon footprint required to produce.

4. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Becoming a potter, following my mothers footsteps who has always been so supportive from a very early age, sadly mum has been battling and steadily  losing to dementia.

5. Who's the person you would most like to share a cup of matcha with and why?

With out hesitation my mother, I haven’t heard her voice due to dementia for over 10 years. I miss those days in the kitchen with a cup of tea discussing pottery, glazes and just learning from such an amazing mum.

Miss her so much.

6. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone?

To follow your dreams and never give up.

7. If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

I would love to have the power of healing…. if only I could have that power it would be amazing

8. What is your motto?

Since being involved with zerowaste and the glass project I’ve adopted a motto taken from Doug Mcmaster - owner chef for Silo

“Waste equals zero imagination”