New Exhibition of Sculptural Vessels in 2011
Just got notice that my proposal to the Campbell River Art Gallery was accepted! I’ll be exhibiting a collection of work I’ve been thinking about for 10 years or so. It’s called “Portrait of an Ocean”, and will be shown in the main hall of the gallery – in a great big space with lots of room for these big pieces. The gallery has yet to settle dates, but I’ll post the times as soon as I know when the show will be on.
posted April 01, 2010 | Comments (0)
The New Studio In Action
The studio struggle is officially over. My first day at work in this gorgeous space took me from morning to evening, forgetting to eat or drink. Just as I had imagined, I was lost in work. I threw, I read, I wrote. It was a complete day.
My new wheel performed admirably! Funny thing was learning to throw without engine cues from my old wheel. Sound had become part of the throwing process – high pitch for centering, low whirl to shape, deep purr for the wind down. This wheel – a Shimpo – is almost sound free.
I’ve dedicated one corner of the space to a study area where I can read and write in silence and without disturbance by the phone or distraction by family members. My friend Martha came through with this wildly out of place table – that comes with 3 inserts and could comfortably seat 12! It was dining room table brown, and I black glossed it up. Its brass lions paw feet are the crowning glory. This table will see a lot of me, so I welcome it as a full stripe member of the studio. It’s been a long haul from the first chilly days in the trailer.
posted January 10, 2010 | Comments (1)
Joyous Winter Solstice
This winter I plan to dedicate a chunk of time reading about the craft world I have stepped outside of for too long. It’s one thing to be a working ceramist, it’s another to find your place in the bigger picture. This winter’s plan to devote lots of attention to how craft is appearing in the world, both inside and outside of academia.
Most of the books I have recently ordered have been published within the last 4 or 5 years. The first one I plan to tackle is Thinking Through Craft, by Glenn Adamson. Let’s see if my own ideas of the broad umbrella of visual/tactile art find voice in this book.
posted December 21, 2009 | Comments (0)
Bull Kelp Handle Teapots
This might be the ceramic equivalent of being caught with curlers in your hair… (what are curlers? I hear the children ask…). My bull kelphandle tea pots are gathered in front of the radiator trying to dry in this torrential rain. Might have to press the kiln into unusual service. I’d like these pots to be ready for the first Christmas show,Out of Hand, at Chrystal Gardens in Victoria. Here’s hoping!
I gathered the kelp this summer with the help of a few friends who wrestled a tangled mass from the water onto the rocks at Ford’s Cove.
posted November 17, 2009 | Comments (0)
Christmas Shows in 2009
This year I’ve opted not to do Circle Craft for one reason only: I celebrate my birthday in the middle of that fair every year, and this year – the birthday is a significant one. So I am taking the time to reflect, sketch and maybe even just daydream in my new studio on my birthday. But, I will be participating in the new and improved Out of Hand Christmas Fair in Victoria, BC on November 20 – 22. I will also be at the Denman Christmas Fair on Saturday and Sunday, December 6 & 7.
My last show of the year is on December 19 at the Community Hall here on Hornby. It opens at 11, closes at 4. I’ll have my “Hornby Only” specials, which are really really good seconds that I only sell here on the island. Hope to see you there! Merry Christmas and wish everyone wellness and contentedness in the New Year.
posted November 10, 2009 | Comments (0)
NICHE Award 2010 Finalist
Just got notice of my nomination as a finalist in the 2010 NICHE Awards this morning! I submitted my ‘bottle with two cups’ in the Thrown Ceramics category. Last year I was fortunate enough to have been nominated in the same category with a lidded jar, but studio building demands prevented me from being able to attend the ceremony at thePhiladelphia Buyers Market of American Craft. The NICHE Awards are held on the openning night of the Market, February 12, 2010 after the pieces have been exhibited in a showroom in the Convention Center.
Now that the studio is slated for completion near December – Doug and I can take that well-deserved break in the New Year! So I guess while all my fellow friends are enjoying (or not) the Olympics, I will be feasting on a Philly Cheesesteak! Then again… Philadelphia in February might not be the very best time to experience that part of the country… we’ll see.
posted October 20, 2009 | Comments (0)
Moving the Kiln
Doug rustled up a posse of fire fighters to transport my kiln (sedan style) to its new home. This model must weight 500lbs and these guys carried it 20 meters to its new home on the covered deck of the studio.
Alas, the kiln took a tumble and landed fully on its side. Relatively little damage; the elements all leaped out of their shelves and there’s a decent dent with a few cracked bricks. But heck, it’s under cover and a we’re all a step closer to saying goodbye to the trailer.