FEATURE ARTIST (S)

The wheel-thrown vessel, as an open bowl, its inside space, and rich surface treatment have been at the heart of my work throughout my 45 years of potting.   For many years my interest in graphic surface decoration was met by the painterly use of coloured slips on earthenware clay.  Then I returned to the basics – the form itself.   Inevitability, I found myself going back to further explore the use of colour, pattern and texture on the pots’ surfaces. Fired at higher temperatures, making the work stronger, I also became curious about how pottery and technology balance.   “Image versus Object” interests me.  The experience of holding a mug is of the third dimension, whereas scrolling through images of mugs is two-dimensional.  Handling a handmade mug, connects the maker and the user.  That makes the work a communication as well as an expression.

Clay continues to be a fascinating journey for me. I have found the means to express myself in Clay. I have made great friends and met fabulous characters in the potting communities of Ontario, Saskatchewan and here in the Comox Valley.

I like to make pieces that are clearly more than just useful, while still fully functional. I am always excited about the prospect of spending time in the my studio, learning, having problems to solve, playing and progressing in my work.