I am a ceramicist who makes sculptural humorous ceramics and quirky functional pieces for the home inspired by animals. As a child, I became a keen social observer, trawling around car-boot sales with my Dad collecting curios, mid-century kitsch and seaside postcards. I was amused by seeing the closeness of people and their pets, so alighted on the idea of melding the two. Thus, Brian the budgie was born out of the idea of an Elvis lover and his budgerigar.