In the Studio with Vicki Fanning, Frolic Ceramics

There's a particular kind of morning that calls for something handmade — a mug with weight to it, water poured from a jug shaped by hands rather than a machine. Vicki Fanning of Frolic Ceramics has been part of the Tea & Tonic story since the very beginning: a treasured local ceramicist and glass artist whose pieces are functional while still holding an organic, unrepeatable form. No two are ever quite the same.

We sat down with Vicki — between mould pours, kiln openings, and life with an 18-year-old son — to talk childhood farms, the seduction of glass, and building a creative life that can be picked up and put down.

Where did you grow up, and what's one of your favourite childhood memories?
I grew up in the Rodney area — Kaipara Flats, then Warkworth, then Scott's Landing. In recent years I moved back into the area, settling in Matakana. One of my favourite memories from childhood is walking around the farm doing chores — collecting eggs, feeding out hay to the goats.

What did you love doing with your free time as a child?
Riding my horse.

Frolic Headquarters. Welcome in.

You studied ceramics before training in glass. What took you from one medium into the other?
Glass is a very seductive medium. My original study was in Craft Design — textiles, ceramics, glass and jewellery. I later studied glass in Whanganui, learning glassblowing, casting and architectural glass. Once I'd finished, I taught myself flameworking.

Your glasswork is known for exploring the "inherent qualities" of glass. What does that mean to you, and how does it feel different from working with clay?
I love how contradictory glass is — there's a lot within that narrative to work with. Where clay is forgiving and grounded, glass holds tension and surprise in the same breath.

Where do you find inspiration when you're creating?
In that same push and pull — the contradictions within the material itself, and what it can hold, reveal or resist.

Can you walk us through your process, from raw material to finished piece, and what's the part you love most?
Frolic pieces are either slip cast or press moulded. I start by making the master moulds out of plaster, then either pour or press the clay into them from there.

You and Mike have restored a beautiful 1860s cottage as the studio for Frolic. What does a typical day in the studio look like?
Always varied, but it usually starts with a pour of moulds for Frolicware.

Ceramics and glass can both be unpredictable, with kiln surprises and pieces that don't survive. How do you make peace with that?
Ha — that varies! I always say opening the kiln can be like Christmas morning, either wonderful or a little disappointing. Sometimes there are a few long sighs, and the weeding in the garden gets missed for a day.

Is there a particular piece or collection, in either medium, that feels most "you"?
The Large Jug is a favourite of mine — it's good for watering both humans and flowers.

What's been the most rewarding part of building Frolic, and what's been the hardest?
I've really enjoyed building up the Frolicware range — drawing not just on my artist background to create versatile, functional pieces, but also on my past catering ventures on film sets. I feel proud that I created Frolic when my son Sam was a baby; it was something I could pick up and put down more easily, with a much quicker turnaround than my very labour-intensive glass pieces. Now he's 18, and I've been slowly increasing my contemporary glass practice again. The biggest challenge for Frolic now is the physical toll on the body — but I'm evolving to cater for an ageing me!

You'll find Vicki's jugs filled with blooms on our back bench, alongside soap dishes and mugs crafted for comfort and quiet moments of solace. Every piece is a small ritual in itself.

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