That's me in the top lefthand corner on a walk in the valley of the Triesting which is close to my studio.
 
I grew up in England, where studio pottery is highly appreciated. At school I made a spaniel out of clay, which was glazed and fired and my family still has it.
 
I started making pottery again when I was living in a 2 room flat (watertap in the corridor) in Ottakring, a district of Vienna.
The homemade pottery wheel stood in a rather unsuitable place in the corner of the bedroom.
I made lots of useful little pots and painted them meticulously.
 
After that I took part in courses held by potters in England and Wales - like Janet and Frank Hamer and David Frith. I also attended a two year evening class in pottery at Glasgow School of Art.
 
Many experiments and years of practice later, I decided to try living off my work and in 1988 I became a professional artist potter.
 
Working with clay means having a lot of staying power. From start to finish, it's a lengthy process, and you never know until the very end how the pot will turn out.
 
To get started I cut off a suitable amount of clay, fill a bowl with warm water, find the necessary tools and my apron. Of course the room temperature has to be adequate.
 
Then I get going. My idea is transformed by my hands. I shape the clay until the right size and shape are attained.
 
Once I'm this far, I let the pot dry. The clay shrinks.
 
Glazing the pot after the raw firing I have to consider things like: do I want a mat or shiny surface, two colours, or more? The glaze firing is the final stage and makes or breaks the pot.
 
After many hours of cooling the kiln door is opened a little, and with a thick leather glove I take out one or two pieces. A glance is enough to know whether my work is good.