If anyone asks me what my star sign is my heart always slightly sinks because, whisper it, 'I'm a Virgo', and yes, I am a perfectionist. I'd be fibbing if I said I didn't like order and straight lines, and I can hang a picture right in the middle of a wall entirely by eye, so why then do I love irregularity when it comes to my own work? I enjoy the challenge of throwing on the wheel; centering the clay, adding speed and water and hoping for the appearance of a good-looking bowl, mug or dish, but what I end up with always seems to be broadly similar, and the possibility of unique shape, form and style has, so far, eluded me. For me there is a particular beauty in hand building porcelain. It really likes to do its own thing; a crooked edge, a dent, a bump, a twist here, a turn there, all imperfections really, but oh so energetic and so individual. It's my thing you see - every piece is perfectly imperfect - and that's a bit of an eye opener for a Virgo like me.