by Carole Epp | Feb 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
*** Special Note: Shannon Merritt is the Featured Artist at the Gallery of BC Ceramics from February 15th to March 15th make sure you stop by to see her work in person!
(gallery information here: http://www.bcpotters.com/Gallery/index.html )
Artist Biography
Shannon Merritt grew up in southern Ontario, tidy and shy. She received a B.A. in Native Studies from Trent University and moved to Yellowknife, NT where she spent winter nights tickling the aurora borealis, and summer days portaging her canoe through the forests of biting flies.
Shannon is a graduate of the Kootenay School of Arts in Nelson, BC where she lives, waking each day to the view of Elephant Mountain. She considers herself a writer disguised as a potter.
Artist Statement
I’m a potter and I’ve a fondness for words. I spent the better part of two days taking apart a typewriter so that I could press the keys into the flesh of the clay, recording my thoughts and observations onto pots. I’ve collected a number of things that are used as stamps. These miscellaneous cast-offs are more valuable than trimming tools and include antique letterpress blocks, pieces of retired machinery, and a caribou tooth from my adventures in the North. Together, the words and symbols become a story of my rhythm of making. Lessons, kindnesses, tattletales and laughs are highlighted using coloured slip beneath a clear glaze.
I am making modern day folk pots to create an intimacy in the way we consume the foods of our time. These hand built or wheel thrown and altered pots speak of precious functionality: bowls that are meant to be sipped from, and mugs with inverted handles, so that the user can cradle the cup, warming the hands. The proof of alteration has been left to remind the user of the individual attention the pot received.
These techniques come from a millennium of making, and applying them to contemporary functional porcelain pots is an exciting way of story-telling. It’s incredibly personal this shared journaling. And what I’m finding is that the pots I write stir something in the people who use them. It’s almost as if we’ve witnessed something together, like we share a great secret.
The words are a reaching out; a minute’s worth of conversation between us.
by Carole Epp | Feb 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
I am studio potter and teacher living on Vancouver Island. After many years without a place to call my own, I opened my studio and gallery, Dirty Girl Clayworks in 2004. My pots offer a contemporary, playful perspective on creating artful pottery that one can use to celebrate the everyday moments as well as unique occasions.
My work is informed by historical slipware. I use bright, fun colours, images, and text which reflect my belief that playfulness is an integral part of life. I have a love of words, both oral and printed. I find that the slip wants to be written on and into, carved and layered.
Text and simple, silhouette style stencils are the basis of my surface decoration. With this simple base I use printmaking techniques and inspiration from graphic novels, photography, poetry, politics, graffiti, and children’s books to tell stories on clay.
www.etsy.com/shop/dirtygirlclayworks
by Carole Epp | Feb 9, 2011 | Uncategorized
Introduction to Pottery
From the dawn of mankind, clay has recorded our creativity. The earliest humans skillfully formed beautiful items from clay to satisfy their artistic souls. Come explore and learn both the ancient and modern clay skills of hand building and wheel throwing. Beginners and those with some clay experience can gain confidence by creating artistic and functional pottery pieces that are glazed and fired. Clay and tools may be purchased at the first class for a small additional fee. Enjoy the thrill of bringing clay to life with your own hands! Instructors for these courses are visiting artists who are participating in the Medalta International Artist in Residence Program in partnership with Friends of Medalta.
– Session A : $149, Monday Feb 7 to Apr 4, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
– Session B: $149, Tuesday Feb 8 to Apr 5, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
Intermediate Pottery
Have you taken one or two pottery classes before and feel that you are ready for something a little different? This class is for you. We will be learning some new techniques and improving on existing ones. Both handbuilding and the pottery wheel will be explored. You will have more time to work at your own pace and pursue your own projects in an encouraging and creative atmosphere.
– Session A: $149, Wed, Feb 9 to Apr 6, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Pots for the Garden
It is never too early to start thinking of spring. What if this year you actually made some of the accessories for your garden? Various projects will be pursued such as plant pots, sculpted gargoyles, plant markers, and decorative tiles. Using bright red earthen ware clay this class explores all the fundamentals of working with clay, but will also be of interest to students with some experience.
– Session A: $149, Thur, Feb 10 to Apr 7, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Sculpture
Have you always wanted to sculpt something out of clay? Now is your chance. This class will cover some basic aspects of clay sculpture. Various sculptural techniques will be explored in a fun and supportive atmosphere. The figure, still life and experimental sculpting styles will be introduced. You do not need any previous experience with clay to enroll in this class.
– Session A: $149, Sat Feb 12 to Apr 9, 10 am to 1 pm
via Alberta Craft Council
by Carole Epp | Feb 8, 2011 | Uncategorized
Kelly is a fourth year student in Vancouver at the Emily Carr University focusing in ceramics.
Here’s a bit about her work:
I strive to maintain balance between design, craft and art when creating. Working by hand, on the wheel and with molds, is a political choice I make which values strong craftsmanship in our modern world. I am drawn to the domestic interior space and create objects for use in daily life which connect with people over a long period of time.
Drawn to minimal form and subtle surface, I am interested in the way light, shadow, line and proportion interact. I am passionate about making contemporary work that relates to our culture today and it is my hope to continue building my knowledge of the ceramic medium through education, personal work and teaching.
by Carole Epp | Feb 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
@font-face { font-family: “Calibri”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Patty Bilbro is a studio potter living and working in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She fires to cone 10 in a gas reduction kiln. Using simple forms as a palette Patty combines brushwork illustrations with a layering of multiple shinos to create snapshot narratives. Loving everything hand-made she is continually humbled by the knowledge, creativity, humor and talent that surround her.www.pattybilbrofoxfirepottery.com
www.PattyBilbro.blogspot.com
