Bespoke stoneware · Made to order
The dog you know by heart,in clay forever.
Clay Pups sculpts portrait heads of much-loved dogs — the crooked ear, the greying muzzle, the look they give you at the door. Modelled by hand, never cast from a mould.
Recent commissions
Every piece begins with a face somebody knows better than their own.
Betsy, American Bulldog - Mounted portrait using professional cream and bronze glazes.
Using a mix of thrown and hand-building techniques in specialist stoneware clay your pup sculpture is dried slowly over two weeks, then fired twice. Roughly 18 - 24 cm in diameter depending on the dog
Betsy - Right side
Using a mix of thrown and hand-building techniques in specialist stoneware clay your pup sculpture is dried slowly over two weeks, then fired twice. Roughly 18 - 24 cm in diameter depending on the dog
Bramble, golden retriever — matte oatmeal glaze
Using a mix of thrown and hand-building techniques in specialist stoneware clay your pup sculpture is dried slowly over two weeks, then fired twice. Roughly 18 - 24 cm in diameter depending on the dog
How a commission works
01 — Reserve your place
A £30 deposit books you into the studio diary. It comes straight off your final invoice, and it tells me a dog is on the way.
02 — Send your dog
Right after payment you get a link and an email prompt to upload photos and videos. Big files are welcome — the more angles and quiet moments, the better the likeness.
03 — Modelling and firing
I confirm the brief, then build the head by hand in specialist stoneware. Slow drying, bisque firing, glazing, then a second firing to 1260°C.
04 — Photos, invoice, delivery
You see photographs of the finished piece before you pay the balance. Then it is boxed, padded and sent insured to your door.
The studio
A small bench, good clay, and a lot of looking.
Clay Pups started with a sculpture I made of my beloved Poppy, who had just died. I didn't want just an ornament— it was the twinkle and love in her eyes I saw every day for those precious years that I wanted to capture. Sadly, her sculpture exploded in the kiln. So I set about creating a unique technique using wheel thrown and hand building techniques to ensure there is no cracking or explosions. I still keep the unglazed version of Poppy and the desire to show that twinkle has helped me develop a unique way of glazing the eyes for a deep shine in all of my dog sculptures. Thank you Poppy XX
Everything is built by hand from specialist stoneware clay, chosen because it holds fine coat texture without cracking through a high firing. Glazes are mixed in the studio and layered to match colouring, from wiry brindle to a soft silver muzzle.
Two firings, the second to 1260°C, make the finished piece vitrified and permanent — something that will still be on a shelf long after the paw prints have faded.
- Lead time
- 6–8 wks
- Fired to
- 1260°C
- Moulds used
- None
Start here
Reserve your commission with a £30 deposit
The deposit holds your place in the diary and is deducted from the final invoice. As soon as it clears you'll be taken to a short brief where you tell me about your dog and send over photos and videos.
£30
Commission deposit · refundable within 7 days if I can't take the piece on
- · Place held in the studio diary
- · Upload link for photos and videos
- · Written confirmation before sculpting starts
- · Final invoice only after you see the finished piece
A gift for a dog lover
Give a Clay Pups gift card
Perfect for the person who has everything except a portrait of their dog. The card goes towards a hand-modelled commission and is valid for six months from the date of purchase, so they have plenty of time to choose the right moment — and the right dog.
- · Delivered by email, ready to print or forward
- · Redeemable against any commission deposit or balance
- · Choose an amount below and check out in seconds
The ultimate bespoke gift for devoted pet lovers · the full value goes towards a commission.