Busy with buisness

by | Sep 17, 2007 | Uncategorized

I realize that lately I’ve been falling a bit behind with postings, artist profiles and the like, but with good reason. I’ve been preparing for an upcoming gas firing, got some new forms I’m really excited about and looking forward to showing you (I’m trying to hold off until they’re done rather than showing you bisqued work), I’ve just lined up a new space in Victoria, BC that’s selling my work – the Gallery at Mattick’s Farm – plus it’s grant writing season, so whenever I’m on the computer I seem to be staring at budgets and project descriptions.

But I do have happy news to share so I figured I’d better post. If you’re a reader of Ceramics Art and Perception check out the latest issue as there’s a great article stacked with gorgeous images of the work of Feffakookan‘s Mel Robson as well as an article by Diana Hare about an exhibition of work I organized for this past years’ NCECA conference.

Speaking of NCECA check out their website for deadline details for their Regional Student Juried Exhibition – Deadline is October 1st and their Call for 2009 Concurrent, Independent Exhibition Proposals – deadline November 15th.

More to come in the next week as the dust settles in the studio and the grants get finished. Till then…

Contained and Containers

by | Sep 4, 2007 | Uncategorized


The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates CRAFT YEAR 2007 with the exhibition CONTAINED, which runs from September 8 – October 7, 2007

For CONTAINED Guest curator, Gloria Hickey, has invited 12 artists working with clay, fiber, metal, and wood to consider the halo of contemporary issues evoked by the concept CONTAINED. This touring exhibit showcases work that is unique to Newfoundland and Labrador but will have a resonance in communities elsewhere.

EXHIBITORS: BRIAN BANFIELD, ELLY COHEN, GORDON GOSSE, MICHAEL MASSIE, MIKE PATERSON, JANET PETER, GARMEL RICH, ISABELLA ST. JOHN, TRINE SCHIOLDAN, REED WEIR, RAY WILL, LINDA YATES & DAVID HAYASHIDA.

Also in the AnnexGALLERY

CONTAINERS: OBJECTS OF FUNCTION AND BEAUTY

A juried multi-media exhibition featuring a variety of functional containers. All works in this show are for sale. Exhibitors: Brian Banfield, Paula Cooley, Judy Cooper, Christine Gagnon, Leslie Delanty, Florence Donaway, Carole Epp, Bonnie Gilmour, Gordon Gosse, Susan Greenbank, Shannon Kennedy, Bonnie Johnstone, Urve Manuel, Erin McArthur, Sophie Meyer, Sarah Minty, Shawn O’Hagan, Belo Simo, Peter Sobol, Alexis Templeton

Also RELATED PROGRAMMING – CONTAINED: Protection or Prison? The Craft Council Gallery invites the public to an artist’s panel Sept. 17th, 7pm at the Craft Council, Devon House, 59 Duckworth St. Artists Janet Peter, Trine Schioldan, and Ray Will will discuss their work in the context of relationships and the contemporary need for sanctuary.

Back to teaching.

by | Sep 4, 2007 | Uncategorized

Well it’s my last week of purely self employment for the summer, as I go back to teaching casually this fall. But don’t get me wrong I love the teaching, and not because I don’t love being in the studio full time, but because it offers different opportunities for new directions and perspectives in my own work. I truly believe that one learns as much from their students as they impart themselves to the group. I have yet to walk away from any teaching post without a new perspective on something. The last time around I was teaching different techniques to break through size barriers and plateaus with wheel thrown work, either by centering larger amounts of clay in stages or attaching pieces that were thrown separately. And in teaching this i found I broke through my own, unrealized at the time, plateau in scale. It’s happened before, I just keep working and working and suddenly realize in the end that all my pieces are the same scale!

So I’ve been pretty excited in the studio lately throwing larger forms, bowls and vases mostly that are dwarfing my previous pieces. These ones which I made while teaching are approx 16 inches in height. (I know, still quite a ways to go, but for me these were huge!)


So if any one is in the Saskatoon area and interested in classes, the Saskatoon Potters Guild likely still has a few spots available for fall classes starting next week. They offer beginner, intermediate and advanced wheel throwing, handbuilding, and children’s handbuilding. To register either email: [email protected] or phone: 343-6566 and leave a message.

Conceptual Craft

by | Aug 30, 2007 | Uncategorized

So I ran across an interesting interview with the artists Clare Twomney and David Cushway in the latest issue of CRAFTS: The Magazine for Contemporary Craft.

Both were speaking about their practice and conceptual approaches to the medium. Most of the statements were interesting and thought provoking, although I did take a bit of offense to a comment made by Twomney which stated (and perhaps out of context) that she was “interested in big ideas, revolutionary ideas, and that comes from the world of drawing and painting, not using ceramics.” (pg.22, Crafts, July/Aug 07) I’m not sure where to begin at this point in the defense of ceramics as a revolutionary medium equivalent to painting or drawing. This discussion demands far more than a simplistic blog entry at this point, but I’d love to hear what others have to say about the comment, as I hope to return to this in greater detail at a later point.



Clare Twomney: Housewares and Shoal

I’ve long admired the works of both artists, how they interact with the rich history of ceramics and art to produce works that are not only conceptually strong, but technically proficient as well. For without technical proficiency the works would suffer visually. Both have worked with the medium in an ephemeral manner allowing for the the transformation of the material either physically, or it’s transformation while in exhibition, inform and guide the work and audience. An example would be Cushway’s Sublimation piece, in which the disintegration of the object, rather than the static permanence of the object is that which speaks volumes. And Twomney has allowed the audience the control of the work, through their engagement in theft of the work to give the piece meaning in Trophy (2006), wherein the gallery contained 4000 Wedgewood produced Bluebirds, which the public were encouraged to covet and take.


David Cushway: Sublimation

The conversation in the interview between both artists also discussed the importance of collaboration in their practices, between them and other artists, their audiences, industry, etc.

It’s a short few page piece and if you can get your hands on it, it’s interesting enough for the few minutes it takes to read it. I particularly like when Cushway speaks about seeing Antony Gormley on tv and how he refers to sculpture “as a stillness in a constantly changing world.” (pg 24, Crafts, July/Aug 07) I like the peacefulness of that statement.