A self described maker of silliness, Bea Bellingham first debuted at Finders Keepers back in 2016 and has had us swooning over her ceramic creations ever since. Oozing girl power and pure fun, her latest collection is not to be missed! Get to know Bea’s super-dooper wonderful work in person at the upcoming Sydney Finders Keepers May 3 – 5 and get to know Bea below! We know where our plant babies are living this winter!

We’ve been spying some fun new designs popping up via your IG lately! Tell us about your latest range and the inspiration behind it? 

At the beginning of the year I set aside some time to really focus on the forms of my pieces. There’s more curves, there’s happy little ears for handles and daft trophies. I’ve also adapted some of our ol’ fave illustrations – the Sheila boobies, and Miso cats to the brighter and bolder, and added two new patterns, Annette swimming ladies, and a Bright Matilda Matisse garden pattern. But I think my favourite are the trophies celebrating mediocrity.

We can’t all be winners, but everyone should get a trophy!

What do you love most about living in Sydney and where’s your go-to creative outlet? 

I feel so supported and surrounded by creativity. I run a 200sqm ceramic studio in Marrickville where we make all of our wares, but I also lease out to 15 other ceramicists. These folks inspire me daily – we all have our own styles and techniques. I also teach around 200 students a month, and getting to see ceramics through this many fresh eyes is surprisingly inspiring. 

We see you’re now running ceramic workshops! What’s your favourite piece to teach people how to make? 

I’m still a sucker for handbuilding anything – so little vessels, mugs and planters. It’s such an accessible method of working with clay, and people will start the class really struggling, and end with a piece they’re really proud of. Of course, the wine and cheese evenings do tend to produce the most ‘unique’ outcomes! 

As one of our star stallholders what would be your key piece of advice to first time sellers at The Finders Keepers? 

Firstly, be prepared to look after yourself. It’s a full-on weekend. Healthy snack packs and big bottles of water, a very good flatbed folding trolley, squishy mats to stand on, and good nights sleep. But also, make sure you think about the stories behind your pieces – the reason you’ve been chosen to be at Finders Keepers is because you’re a unique maker. You’re not just selling your wares to customers, your selling your story. Stand up behind your stand, with a big smile, ready to tell that story with pride. 

What has been your proudest moment to date during your Finders Keepers journey? 

I still remember after my debut stall years ago a customer emailing me to say how many compliments her new necklace received. This has happened many times since then, but the first time was still the proudest. I called my mum to tell her! 

beabellingham.com
instagram.com/beabellingham