Who is Lorna Bailey

== Life and Work ==

Lorna Bailey was brought up in the Wolstanton area of Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, close to the Potteries area of Stoke-on-Trent.Bailey, Lorna. & Lee, Dave (2001). Lorna Bailey: The First Millennium. Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent: LJB Ceramics.

After school, Bailey attended Stoke-on-Trent College. She obtained a B.Tec National Diploma (Ceramics) and then joined her father's new business LJB Ceramics, at the Old Ellgreave Pottery, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, which produced Toby Jugs and other decorated pottery, where she initially worked as a paintress. At the same time, Bailey began designing a series of highly colourful cottage & trees and abstract patterns very closely based on the pottery of Clarice Cliff. These were produced by the Old Ellgreave Pottery in vivid underglaze colours (unlike the on-glaze or overglaze decoration typical of Clarice Cliff ware). In December 1995, when Bailey was just 17 years, her House and Path and Sunburst patterns became the first to be put into full production. These were painted by Bailey and a small team of painters onto a range of traditional and Art Deco shapes, including vases, jugs, teapots, sugar shakers, cruets, candlesticks, and wall pockets. They were then sold primarily to trade buyers. In addition to being marked with a factory stamp, from the outset Bailey has personally signed almost every one of her pieces underglaze with the "Lorna Bailey" signature.

Category: Image - :LBMark.jpg|right|thumb|Typical signature, factory stamp and painter's initials

In 1998, Bailey received a considerable boost in popularity following a commercial co-promotion in the July edition of Collect it! magazine,Donovan, Martin (1998). "Lorna Bailey". Collect it! No. 13, July 1998, pp. 19-21. which featured her Astro Rocket Sugar Sifter on the cover which the magazine had commissioned. This was produced in a limited edition of 250 available for purchase only through the magazine (it sold out within hours). Following the huge interest...