The products from Jonathan Northcott's pottery can truly be dubbed earthenware.

For although the clay comes mostly from the great clay-rich pottery districts of Staffordshire and Devon in England, it is fired with -- and transformed by -- the addition of Bermuda cedar, sea grasses and other Island plants.

His unique, hand-built flame-fired kiln was originally built in 1994 and takes pottery back to its roots.

Pottery may not be, according to Northcott, the oldest profession, but it does lay claim to being the oldest craft.

And his potter's wheel has gone full circle as he takes his clay-working back to what was probably the start of glazing -- a process discovered by the Chinese more than 1000 years ago.

The results are a spectacular mix of colours as the ash from the natural materials combines with the clay and melts into a glass-like glaze.

His efforts produce rich, organic work in coppers, greens and earth tones married to perfectly-proportioned shapes, some echoing the classicism of ancient Greece and Rome.

His work is currently on show at the Bermuda Arts Centre in Dockyard and has recurring themes drawn from the world of nature, like waves, and mythological birds.

Mr. Northcott's Earth Vase is large round piece, pregnant with suggestions, with earthy tones of green and brown scored into the body, drawing the eye upward towards the more delicate fluted neck.

And his Handled Platter again uses the colours of the earth on a simple shape, enhanced by the handles -- clay folded like a pie crust or thick linen and fired into permanence.

Where Are We Headed is unusual in that it is the only work on show which does not appear to have a purely practical application.

But his bone white fish on a sea-green bubbled surfaces which dances in the reflected light is a thing of beauty in itself.

And as the fish head in the direction of a crack in the oblong piece, it gives food for thought as well.

Blue and green glass rimmed pots present an iridescent variation on a theme, with the sombre bodies enlivened by the brightly-coloured rims.

But Mr. Northcott's first love as a craftsman was carpentry, only taking up pottery when he moved to London to to broaden his artistic horizons.

He took a part-time art course where he first discovered a love for clay-working.

And he followed his nose to a pottery in London, where the African owner could not offer him a full-time job, but gave him wheel and firing time to hone his skills.

But a co-worker who attended London's Harrow College suggested he apply for their ceramics degree and Mr. Northcott took his advice.

He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in ceramics at Harrow College, now the University of Westminster, and set up shop in Bermuda last year.

It was at Harrow that Mr. Northcott met British potter and teacher Svend Bayer, a leading wood firer whose work is sold in more than 30 outlets in the UK and elsewhere.

Mr. Northcott acknowledges his debt to Mr. Bayer, saying his shapes and forms are influenced by his creations.

And Mr. Northcott's own work -- a mix of organic materials combined to produce a stunning range of colours and shading in both classic and modern shapes -- is already proving firing the enthusiasm of visitors and residents alike.

His work is currently on show at the Bermuda Arts Centre in Dockyard -- and judging from the gaps in the for-sale exhibits, not for much longer.

And a permanent showcase for his products can be found at the Craft Market in Dockyard.