WORDS BY CAROL MARKSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID MARKSON

The art of selecting and placing statuary and sculpture in a garden can say as much about individual preference as can the landscaping or planting. Introducing an artistic ingredient into an outdoor space is a decision not to be taken lightly - will it be a focal point, or stand half hidden in a border, make a bold statement or blend in with the surroundings?

That element of choice has been a crucial factor in the success that Red Dust Ceramics now enjoys. Estabished by Dennis Kilgallon, an artist of Irish extraction, his range of pieces reflects both classical and abstract forms, drawn from images of his past. 'The Services posted my father to Cyprus, and so Greek architecture came to mean, to me, crumbling fluted columns or a fragment of a statue. Then, living near Stonehenge, the monumental sculpture had a powerful impact, as well as the pillars and porticos of nearby Stourhead'.

Included in the collection are pieces that hail back to their cultural origins. The head and neck profile of Athenian Horse with flaring nostrils and laid back ears is imposingly formal in an alabaster-like finish. Rather different is the solidity of Sailing Stone, inspired by the curvaceous billowing of a ship's spinnaker tacking under a stiff Mediterranean breeze.

The Red Dust studio is based in Kirkharle, Northumerland, and is part of a small nucleus of designer workshops. Kirkharle is the birthplace of Capability Brown - a fact appreciated by Dennis, who loves this brooding and dramatic Borders province. 'Sometimes I work without a preconceived idea, using the clay to dictate the shape, texture and form - a bit like Richard Dreyfuss in the film Close Encounters..., building a mountain in his living room!'

A career of 30 years in industrial production has equipped Dennis with the technical knowledge required to fire large scale and intricately sculpted ceramics. His gas fired trolley kiln takes two and a half days to reach 1,280°C and two days to cool down again, a process which vitrifies the clay to make it frostproof and requires patience on Dennis's part, when he is itching to see the fruits of his labours and get on with the glazing. 'The glaze is an abstract process,' he says, 'as I don't start with a set plan'. The surface texture can receive a variety of treatments, from combing, scratching and piercing to the application ofaraku glaze.

Dennis's creative talents haven't gone unnoticed. As a result of work exhibited in Holland, Ireland and Britain, he was commissioned to produce a special sculpture for the 2003 Chelsea Flower Show. The Korai, a wall mounted mask, was integral to the design of Irish designer Paul Wartin's Lazy Salad Days, in the Chic Garden category In addition to winning a Silver Medal, it also won the RHS/BBC's 'People's Award'.

Being part of a winning team is fitting recognition of a career, spanning three decades, designing 'sculptural pieces for ordinary people' as Dennis himself puts it.

Red Dust Ceramics, Kirkharle Courtyard, Kirkharle, Northumberland NE19 2PE. Tel: +44 (0)1830 540464
Studio open.: 1 Oct to 31 March, Tues-Fri, 10am-5pm (closed between Christinas and New Year); 1 April to 31 Sept, 10am-5pm, Tues-Sun.

Garden photographs taken at Garden Cottage, Bolam, Northumberland by kind permission of Mr and Mrs J A Russell. Open by appointment. Tel: +44 (0)1661 881660.