MarDan Arts is a collaboration between the divergent but complimentary skills of Martin Siderman and Dan Hopkins. They have been working together since January 2010, and share a common interest in various differing art forms, with a  particular passion for innovation and the use of surface decoration, to create objects of eye catching style and beauty. They have already explored and developed their considerable skills and abilities in the arts of painting and ceramics, but will soon be expanding their interest into the world of creative glass, and wood.

Martin Siderman is a relative newcomer to the wonderful world of ceramics, but has quickly mastered this new medium, bringing to it, his own inspired imagination and creative skills. Martin draws his inspiration from a variety of environmental factors, but is inevitably influenced by his background in both the African and Scandinavian cultures. He has been working in collaboration with his old friend Dan Hopkins since January 2010, and together they have developed their passion for ceramics, exploring the different elements and combining the art of throwing clay, with the added dimension of carving and sculpture, to create objects of both intricate and beautiful form, which in the main also have a practical use. Neither of them have any appetite for the monotony of mass production, and consequently each of their creations are ‘one-offs’ and therefore totally unique in every case.

Dan Hopkins is largely self taught, and over a lifetime has developed and honed his tremendous natural abilities in the area of painting and drawing, exploring a wide range of subject matter, such as, landscapes, historic and modern architecture, nautical scenes, animal life, and human portraits. His preferred medium is in oils because of its texture and versatility, but he has also explored other materials such as water colour and acrylics to beautiful effect. Dan, is a relative newcomer to ceramic art, and in collaboration with Martin has quickly developed his considerable abilities in the form of throwing, sculpting and carving, as well as exploring other forms of ceramics such as slip casting, where he originally used plasticine ( and later clay and wax) to create the models for his plaster moulds. He loves to explore the possibilities and variety provided by surface decoration, in terms of colour, texture and form.

Dan and Martin have also developed the exciting art of Raku firing, and will soon be experimenting with other equally attractive forms of firing such as smoke firing and salt glazing, to develop and produce many attractive, unique and highly desirable pieces.