I'm a potter based in Bristol, making functional ceramics for everyday use. I'm drawn to simple, considered forms, the character of handmade objects and the colours and surfaces that emerge through firing. Above all, I want to make pots that are a pleasure to use, and that I'd be happy to have in my own home.

I came to ceramics after spending many years working in music. It was quite a change of direction, but I felt an immediate connection with clay. I found the process of making enormously enjoyable, and was excited by the possibilities of working with such a versatile material. I'd long admired certain Japanese and Scandinavian pottery forms, so being able to explore these influences with my own hands was particularly satisfying. It still is.

Most of my work is thrown on the wheel. I pay close attention to shape, proportion and how a pot feels to use, but I also want the making process to remain visible. I'm not trying to produce something that looks engineered. The throwing lines and small variations between pieces are qualities I enjoy. Each of my pots carries my maker's mark, NDC - the initials of Nicholas Dover Ceramics. It's my maker's mark, identifying the pot as one made in my Bristol studio.

Glazing and firing are equally important to my work. My glazes draw on Japanese ceramic traditions that have influenced British studio pottery for generations. I use a gas kiln and reduction firing, working with a relatively small selection of glazes to explore the variety of colours and surfaces that can emerge.

Even pots with the same glaze can come out of the kiln looking quite different. I enjoy this element of unpredictability — the balance between making careful decisions about a piece and allowing the firing to contribute something of its own.

Ultimately, I enjoy making pots that people will live with and use. The thought of something I've made becoming part of someone's everyday life is a lovely one.