Anthony Shapiro, internationally acclaimed ceramicist from Cape Town's Art in the Forest ceramic centre, shares seven of his inspirations 1) TEXTILES I take pictures of textiles wherever I go. I will be in a hotel lobby and see a scatter cushion that I think can be tweaked into a new pattern.story_article_left12) MY ENVIRONMENTOur surroundings play a massive role in our work and what we can achieve. The studio at the Art in the Forest ceramic centre is on a huge property far away from neighbours, so we can employ organic firing methods such as raku fire and smoke fire. These methods will always be my soul food. I adore the way that smoke penetrates the clay of our vertical gardens and decorates them. These items are so linked to my integrity as a ceramicist, potter, designer.3) MY GUTI get inspired by listening and following my inner voice or "gut". I find it amazing how all creative people have a golden thread that runs through them.4) THE SEASONSAutumn in Joburg is the most inspiring season for me. I love the colours and the way the leaves turn beautiful reds before going grey. In Cape Town, I'm inspired by the colour of the sea on a stormy winter day. I'm very privileged to work in the forest and be surrounded by nature.full_story_image_hleft15) ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES These play a pivotal role in what inspires me. When we opened our store at The Watershed I quickly realised we needed small objects that were authentic, beautiful and proudly South African. We set out to find the best ceramic decorator in Cape Town and started making samples. Every other production was painting African patterns on pots; I knew we needed to carve, inlay, engrave into leather-hard clay. Sgraffito and slip inlays are old traditional methods, but they are also full of soul and integrity. Our carved Zulu pots continue to be best sellers.6) FASHIONI often stalk people I see wearing something I think would work on a bowl. When I travel I'm obsessed with seeing what Valentino ball gowns are looking like or what Prada is doing with shoes. Camper is doing black shoes with the coolest lime green rubber soles; there are Ndebele prints on Valentino dresses. I love Pucci prints and Missoni textiles. Louis Vuitton's windows inspire me. There is no need to step inside their store, the window tells me where they are at.full_story_image_vleft27) SKILLSBy this, I mean the people who work with me in the studio. I came to Cape Town in January 2012 and there was a brilliant sculptor in the studio at the time. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be making pots with animals on them, but he was so skilled at it that he inspired me to design our rhino jars and Nguni jugs, which have sold at The Conran Shop in the UK en masse for a few years. People adore them!..