From Trauma Wards to Ceramics: Denise McAuley’s Creative Journey

Denise McAuley

Moneyvart Ceramics

From the trauma wards of the Royal to the shoreline of Cushendall, Denise balances nursing and artistry, creating small-batch ceramics that carry memory, resilience, and the rhythms of the sea.

“It’s good to have some time for throwing. It’s been a busy morning. I’ve taken the kids away to school and I’ve managed to catch up with everything at home after working three shifts over the weekend. It’s exhausting.”

Alongside her demanding role as a trauma coordinator at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Denise McAuley has nurtured a second vocation as a ceramicist under the name Moneyvart Ceramics. Balancing these worlds is no small task. “The work never stops. I find myself working all the hours in the day. But I love it.”

The rhythm of her week is fluid, divided between nursing shifts, family life, and time in the studio. Markets and fairs often fill her weekends. “I’m always trying to find the right balance between making the work that is in demand in the fairs and shops I supply and still find time to develop my ideas of new works that I want to design and create.”

Early Fascination, Later Spark

Her fascination with clay stretches back to childhood. “As a child, after being presented with a toy potter’s set for Christmas, I was intrigued by the ability to create forms from mud and clay. At museums, exhibitions and craft shops I was always drawn to pottery and ceramics whether as a functional tool or as a piece of art.”

The real spark came decades later. “In 2017 I accompanied a friend to a birthday party in South Belfast where I met a potter and we got chatting. I was completely intrigued. She suggested I apply for a part-time nightclass course under the tutelage of Derek Wilson that Autumn at the University of Ulster. I followed her advice and enrolled just a few weeks later.”

For the next three years, McAuley juggled four children, work, and evening classes. “Each Autumn, for the next three years I spent each Wednesday evening for 10 weeks at the York Street campus. I adored the feel of the clay… Although initially alien to me, I quickly felt at home amongst the wheels, pugmill, slab rollers and kilns. It was such a creative and inspirational space to be in and I felt like I belonged. That was the beginning of the adventure.”

Clay as Escape During Covid

In 2020, another encounter shaped her path. “I met ceramicist Tracey Johnston. We talked pottery, Covid and lockdown and it was Tracey who suggested I invest in my own wheel. It was Tracey who was instrumental in encouraging me to take that extra step. Over the worst of the pandemic the wheel served as my escape from the stresses of the hospital and it was during those lockdown evenings that I worked hard honing my craft. I invested in my first kiln later that year and the rest is history.”

Clay became both outlet and anchor. “Certainly it feels like I’m on an adventure. A ride of some sort.”

The Pull of Landscape

McAuley’s work is steeped in the natural world. “Everything comes from the landscape that I’m familiar with living on the coastline between Belfast Lough and Cushendall. My grandmother was from Ardboe in County Tyrone, and I spent a lot of my childhood on the shores of Lough Neagh. My family was part of the fishing community there. I find myself drawn to the shore, the countryside and open spaces; the natural environment.”

Textures, tides, and unpredictability mirror her processes. “In ceramics we often refer to the kiln gods. There’s an unpredictability in the process. We find ourselves trying to recreate the results of a happy accident… It’s exciting. It feels like you’re constantly chasing something.”

Photography helps her capture inspiration. “The process has awakened something in me. Where previously I saw pavement or stone, suddenly i’m seeing forms, shapes and patterns and thinking how I can use them in my work. I find myself looking to the sky, sunsets, sunrises, moonlit nights – everything. Everywhere I’m seeing shape, form and glaze. It’s changed how my brain interprets the world I see around me.”

Lighthouses and the Shipping Forecast

“I’ve always been drawn to the shoreline… I’m fascinated by its shifting tides, its textures and its sense of both safety and danger. I’m fascinated by lighthouses and the Shipping Forecast inspires me, not just for the weather it records, but for its poetic quality and the way it reflects mood and emotional state.”

She sees parallels between the nightly broadcast and the rhythm of clay. “It begins with the rhythmic melody of Sailing By and it’s like a lullaby and while you’re lying in bed listening, snug and warm you can’t help but think of the sailors who are out in those rough seas in Fastnet, Rockall, Malin or the Irish Sea.”

These themes find their way into the motifs in her work like her Shipping Forecast range or her Luna cups and other vessels. “I’m capturing the images and emotions in the form and the glaze. Like a moonlit night.”

Materia Medica

McAuley’s most ambitious project to date is Materia Medica, a series of four ceramic bottles inspired by antique pharmaceutical vessels, created for her HND in Product Design at Belfast Metropolitan College.

“These works are shaped not only by my personal journey but also by my experiences with patients and colleagues in the NHS trauma service. Feelings such as impostor syndrome, burnout, vulnerability, and estrangement are rarely individual; they are shared human experiences. Clay allows me to explore and express these states through a medium that, like us, embodies both strength and fragility, resilience and fracture.”

Each bottle is distorted to represent tension, labeled with the ailments of modern life, and contains a delicate porcelain scroll. “As vessels, these bottles embody the human form, fragile yet resilient. Speaking to the strength and vulnerability that coexist within us all.”

Accepted into the Royal Ulster Academy exhibition, the series is a milestone. “Having never studied art beyond third year, and without a GCSE or A-level in the subject, my 18-year-old self could never have imagined seeing her work accepted into such a prestigious exhibition. To say I’m thrilled to be chosen is an understatement.”

Small-Batch Philosophy

McAuley describes herself as a small-batch potter. “Being a ‘small-batch potter’ is about intention and care. I make each piece by hand, often in limited numbers. Doing so allows me to focus on detail, form, and surface. I recycle my clay and whenever possible, use solar energy to fire my kiln. It’s a small but meaningful way to work sustainably.”

“It’s a philosophy as much as a process, valuing quality over quantity; allowing the material to guide me. I aim to create work that endures, vessels to be treasured and passed down through generations”

Community and Collectives

Beyond her studio, McAuley is active in the County Antrim Open Studios network, where she serves as secretary alongside artists like Rosanne Cecil and has connected with fellow ceramicists such as Paul Birch. “It’s wonderful to see people working in different homes or creative spaces, producing so much within such a small area.”

She is also part of the Cré Collective, formed with fellow graduates. “We’ve reconnected recently and are preparing to apply for exhibitions again, creating new work with the aim of sharing it more widely.”

Moneyvart Ceramics

Her practice takes its name from a place deeply tied to family. “I’m often asked about the name Moneyvart. It’s a townland in Cushendall. It comes from the Irish Móin a Mhairt which loosely translates as Hill of the Miracle. My connection to Cushendall comes through my husband’s family, the McAuleys, and we’ve always felt a strong link to the Glens of Antrim, its landscape and folklore. It’s a magical place, a place apart.”

Looking Ahead

McAuley is clear-eyed about the challenges of balancing art, family, and work. “I have many ideas I want to explore; I just need the time in the studio to bring them to life. I’m currently planning a broader series of works inspired by the Shipping Forecast.”

Recognition is building, but the motivation remains deeply personal. “Clay has opened a voice within me I didn’t know existed. It’s a versatile, expressive material, and I have so many ideas and concepts I’m eager to keep exploring.”