Hey! Tell us a little about yourself, what's your name? Have you always been a Midlands local?
Hi there! My name is Simon and i'm 29 years old! I'm originally from Québec City (I'm French Canadian) but moved to Leicester about 3 years ago now with my boyfriend (he's from the UK) We dated for a year and a half long-distance Canada-UK, then lived together for two years in Canada and here I am now, living in Leicester City!
Where did your love for pottery start, are you self-taught?
I would say that I am mostly self-taught! Upon moving to the UK the first six months were quite hard. I struggled to meet new people and make friends. I was recommended The Clay Room Leicester which is at Maker's Yard by a colleague, it was a six week class, two hours every Wednesday evening. The first class was just about just showing different hand building methods, giving you a feel of the materials, tools and clay. My first thought was: what have I done? I hate this! Somehow, I went back again the next week, this time we had a go at the potters wheel and that was love at first sight.
We had a little demo on how to centre the clay and how to make a rough bowl but that was about it. The rest i've picked up by watching youtube videos while doing some hand miming and air throwing in front of my computer and then by practicing a lot!
How did the name 'Faulty Stone' come about?
The name Faulty Stone came about from the frustration that came with starting pottery. Upon starting, my pieces weren't very good, it was frustrating me that my skill levels weren't matching my ideas and vision. All my pieces were different, slight wobble on some, different shapes for the same type of items etc. It took me a while to let go of my expectations of perfection and to embrace each pieces uniqueness and soul. Each of them has something that makes them unique but now i've stopped calling them faults.. it's more like personal features for each piece!
I'd love to know, how do you feel when you're working on a project? What does it do for you!?
I love taking my time and creating pieces just for my shop updates that I do every now and then. The feeling that comes with people buying my work and supporting me in this journey feels incredible. I have met so many creative minds through instagram and everyone has been so nice and supportive, it just feels amazing. I never would have thought that people would be eager and excited to purchase some of my pieces, I thought it was something for the famous online businesses - ahaha!
Could you talk to us about your creative space, wherever it may be and how it works for you?
I was a member of The Clay Room (which gave me access to the studio 24/7) until November 2020. With being furloughed, I had a lot more time to focus on Faulty Stone. After a few months of selling online, the amount of orders were picking up so I decided to move into my own little studio space over at StudionAme. I bought myself my own potter's wheel & kiln which i've named Betty & Velma. The studio isn't the biggest thing but it's big enough for my needs. One thing that was important for me was to make this little space my own, so I painted one section of the wall in a light sage green and brought a bunch of plants to make this neon white room a little more full of life, I think I succeeded.
When I get to the studio, I usually put the kettle on, grab a cup of coffee which still being half asleep (I'm an early bird thanks to my cat every morning!) have a pop tart and then just crack on with my day and whatever I need to do. I've recently started watching tv shows while i'm at the studio throwing pots, it helps me being productive and stops me procrastinating on my phone!
I always see you working on new additions to the Faulty Stone collection, who or what inspires you?
I like doing pottery, but I don't like feeling forced into making the same items over and over again just because I know that the item sells well. Making functional ware is pretty repetitive so I like to change things up by coming up with new designs and pieces. I'm inspired by my love of modern homeware and interior designs. Back when I was younger and living in Canada, I spent a lot of time working in homeware stores and went on to study interior design (albeit never finishing the course - oops!) I love things that are minimalist, modern, straight lines, mixed with neutral colours that make a piece timeless.
Is Faulty Stone your full time job? What do you get up to when you're not throwing?
Faulty Stone was originally a little side thing but with the last year and furlough, it really picked up momentum online and made me realise that I could do it full time one day. When I went back to work part time at Grays Coffee shop in April this year I quickly realised that I was no longer happy doing customer service and made the decision to go full time with Faulty Stone. I've been doing this full time since July and although it's a little nerve racking, I am so happy to have made that decision.
If there's anyone reading this who is thinking of starting their own business, what advice would you give them?
Do it! Don't wait for the right time before jumping in because I don't think there is ever a better time than right now.
You are absolutely killing it right now! Where would you like to see Faulty Stone go in the future?
Aww, thank you! Oh gosh, that's a good question! I think I would like to maybe expand into a bigger space at some point and have a few more wheels and give throwing lessons or maybe have a small shop somewhere in town where I can create and throw pots in the back and have a little cute store front to sell my work alongside other local potters.
We’re hoping to create a creative loop within the community, is there anyone locally that inspires you?
There are so many good creatives in Leicester! Here are my favourites:
What are your favourite independent businesses in Leicester?
I’m going to do a bit of a shameless plug since that’s where I used to work but Grays Coffee Shop & Kitchen does amazing food and have really good coffee & drinks options.
I also love Halcyon Kitchen on Queen’s road! Pizza is my favourite thing ever, they do such a good job with it!
I love everything that The Tiny Bakery does. Everything is just so delicious from the pastries, bread, or cakes. It’s a must.
I’m also really happy that there’s a new little bookstore called Fox Books in St-Martin Square. Definitely worth checking out !
Thanks for chatting with us Simon, it was so lovely to get to know more about your craft!
If you like what you see, you can find Simon in the following places;
His next website stock drop is October 15th: https://faultystone.com/
Keep up to date on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faulty.stone/?hl=en
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