burnt.normal church pottery

Pottery Party and Sale at The Forge!

2011-12-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

What strange weather! It has been SO mild so far this winter, but apparently, the radio voice tells us that the cold is really coming soon...Therefore, to escape the chill, come and visit The Forge this weekend! That's right, The Forge. Did I mention before that our huge barn used to be a blacksmithing studio, and is still equipped with the old forge? We thought The Forge had a nice ring to it, and alluded to fiery bursts of creativity of all kinds...Anyway, this Saturday, the 10th, from 12 -9pm, and then Sunday the 11th from 12-5pm, we are having an open house, party, and pottery sale extravaganza! Stop in for some homemade honey shortbread, chocolate truffles, tipsy mulled wine and apple cider, and lots of other goodies. The pottery-sale portion of our event will involve some incredible sale prices, and we will be giving 15% of the proceeds from this two-day event to the New Brunswick Food Bank. Joyeux Noel! YO(oh! and PS: We still have some items available on etsy, and I will keep posting over the next couple of days! )

Woodfired Pottery Sale on Etsy!

2011-12-05T11:13:00.001-08:00

visit our etsy shop HERE.

Hello Everyone! Finally, Finally! I have managed to post some new work to our etsy shop, and I'm not going to stop. So stay tuned over the next few days, because this is our big, yearly, (so I decree) online SALE!!! Yippee! Now is the time to acquire that wonky teabowl, or the awesome amphora. We are actually gearing up to fire again, so we need to make room for our new work...so come on down! Here are a couple of the pieces I have posted so far. And if you have any requests for special items, let me know, because we are still in the process of organizing our inventory, and I keep discovering fabulous pieces that maybe were't finished immediately after a firing, or were tucked away in a corner. We are also offering gift certificates for custom work (as long as you have some timeline flexibility), so feel free to email (sasamat.clark@gmail.com) about that kind of thing, as well.I hope you are all not going to nutty, and that things are ok, and that you're finding some time tob r e a t h eeven amid the chaos.yo yo yo(and I have absolutely no idea why this program is now, out of the blue, no longer allowing me to make paragraph breaks. Ugh. I am both enamoured and disgusted with technology. I hate you! Don't leave me! yuck).

Snow

2011-11-27T02:26:00.001-08:00

Was it Tuesday that it snowed? No, Wednesday, because I stayed home from teaching piano in Saint John. Instead, the kids and I made cookies and sang Xmas carols while Lee and Duncan continued to work on the barn. The insulating is almost done, and we have floored in the entire upstairs, so as to create two studios: pottery down, and the gallery and piano/pilates studio up. Pilates, you ask? yes. For the past 10 years. imagine me even less serene than I am now. yikes

The top photograph incorporates the front edge of the long L-shaped barn. In the sideways photo, the back of the barn, jutting out, is the studio, two floors. The long, low front portion is our lumberyard right now...There is a stream that runs along this side of the barn and into the Wolastoq River across the road. It is very beautiful here, and we are lucky.

The snow has mostly melted now. David Eastwood's firing will happen on the 6th of December, and then we are hoping to do another one in his kiln again before Christmas.

We are going to go ahead and do a Do here, on the weekend of the 9th, Friday Saturday and Sunday. More later.

Here are some images of our studio renovation. The top floor is still storage to a whack of fantastic junk, antiques, furniture, old photographs. Duncan organized everything. I'm not sure what to do with most of it. But the best stuff I will continue to salvage. Ill add a photo on the bottom of my new counter. The ancient bar came from the barn, and I refurbished it (so to speak) and Lee heroically created a gorgeous pine countertop for it. The photograph is terrible...eep. sorry. And then we have the pottery studio downstairs. As I suspected, it doesn't look as though the kiln will be built this year. But that's ok. The bricks are here, the wood is here, and soon we will have a working studio, AND a home, and this is incredibly cool.

Wrecking Crew

2011-11-21T03:57:00.001-08:00

An intense several days. For the most part, the kids and I have been at the church in Florenceville, photographing and organizing pottery, and trying to keep up with the Christmas orders, although we did spend quite a day moving bricks, as well. The kiln no longer exists in Knowlesville. I was a bit emotional about it, but didn't have time to wallow for long, as we were on rented time--a 17 foot long cube van, which transported the kiln in two trips. We are still kind of debating whether or not we should try to have a party/open house/pottery sale in Queenstown. Duncan turns out to be highly motivated, and entirely comfortable with incredibly hard work. I am still doubtful as to whether or not we will be able to actually raise the kiln in Queenstown, this year, before the true cold comes. We are only just now becoming acquainted with the winter, and it is nearly impossible to negotiate with frozen mortar, a frozen foundation, etc etc etc.

And still, I have yet to update our etsy shop. Oh dear. *Almost* all the elements are in place, but I need to make sure I have the weights for all the pieces so I can set accurate shipping prices. A couple of times recently I have been dinged on account of not charing adequate shipping...and then the mail ends up costing more than I have charged for the piece...yikes. I am trying to re-train myself to be comfortable with actually making a living. Hmm. I also find that when I ask for time to...update etsy (or this blog), or work on other elements of the behind-the-scenes stuff, I am met with great resistance--moving heavy things is so much more important. Boo hoo. We need a manager, because I, clearly, am not The One.

Of course, it would be totally ideal to have the kiln built this year, and to be able to fire right away, or after Xmas. But even if this doesn't transpire, we have plenty of work ahead of us in other areas. Duncan waved his magic wand, and in a flash the barn was completely cleaned and organized, ready to be insulated and drywalled. And apparently, David Eastwood hasn't banned us from his kiln site, so we might be able to throw some work in, and participate in the firing he is doing in his Fastfire this coming weekend.

And we are still debating over the rebuilding. Should we change the dimensions of the kiln? Maybe a wider chimney. And what about softbrick? Does it make sense to build the arch with softbrick? Despite the great expense? These all seem like heavy questions at this point. Lots to think about.

And one more thing: I am using an app called "Blogsy" to post here, now. I think I have figured out how to allow readers to click on the photograph to see the big version--through picasa. But how the heck do I rotate the photograph? Add this to my list of "how to work the computer" queries. Yolande the manager AND webmaster. ha ha ha ha ha.

Lee's New Work & the Arrival of Duncan

2011-11-15T13:24:00.001-08:00

Yes! Here, finally, are some of Lee's fantastic new pieces. Exquisiteness beyond belief. I should really bring to your attention the fact that Lee *never* (hardly ever) makes teapots, pretty much only makes teapots when I insist upon it, hates* making teapots, has definitely weird ideas about teapots, and so...this teapot is extremely special! And also, it is blindingly beautiful, spine-tinglingly thin, just...exceptional. (And yes, both photographs below, are of the same teapot). The larger vases were thrown with an iron-bearing clay, with a crawling shino, and then woodfired in the bourrigama--the last bourrigama firing in Knowlesville.

And Duncan has arrived! To our great relief, he is funny, charming, easy-going, patient, and totally into pottery. Also, I made supper for everyone last night, and then Duncan did the dishes without being asked. Then he woke up and made breakfast for everybody. Then he went out and started cleaning up raccoon poo and broken glass (the barn--our soon-to-be-studio--was/is a total mess, complete with rodents, nests, faeces, and some *incredible* treasures, including tables, wardrobes, pottery, and an ancient bar which is now my kitchen counter, and which will soon be outfitted with a gorgeous pine top made by Lee...). So essentially, I already adore Duncan, and no only because he has a domestic conscience. But because he is all 'round rad, and has a gorgeous Scottish accent to boot.

Tomorrow, we really will be going up to Knowlesville to start tearing down the kiln, and to rebuild here in Queenstown. The building of the new incarnation of the bourrigama will, as usual, be a fluid affair, and the kiln will take shape organically, as we make design and functionality decisions as we build...Exciting!

And yes, or rather no. I have not yet posted any work on etsy! (I am writing to you now between piano lessons, so I really should go, but I will try to get to it after my lessons are over and before I have driven home, and, well, it will all work out).

Fast Fire & News...

2011-11-13T18:01:00.001-08:00

Here are some images from our last firing with David Eastwood, in his Hampstead, NB Fastfire. Did I fully impart to you all just how generous and amazing and dedicated Lee really is? (no) Well. If not for his midnight wood-splitting, mad-stoking, kid-wrangling, and help with absolutely every single aspect of the planning, production and implementation of the work and the firing...I would never have been able to pull of my little exhibition in Toronto. So, thanks Sweetie.

And for all of you dying to see some of Lee's work (finally), the wait is nearly over! We managed to spend some time last weekend photographing and organizing pottery, and we have lots of new beautiful cups and bowls and...coffee mugs! Check our etsy shop over the next couple of days. I will post photos here tomorrow, I promise.

When my dear old Dad was here, he pointed out with characteristic wit and elan, that Horus very much resembles Boris Johnson, the mayor of London (especially in the hair department). Uncanny, really. (Of course, Boris was my first choice for Horus' Hallowe'en costume, but I kept this to myself). So, yes. We're late, but Happy Hallowe'en! (I love it).

In other news, we are expecting a new helper tomorrow, and this is has finally been the excuse we need to...actually move into our house. You see, the main living space is...acceptable, but the rooms upstairs are filled with boxes and random bags of baby clothing, etc. Horrid confession: Lee and I have been sleeping on the sofa downstairs since moving in to our Queenstown house in August. sigh. And seeing as all four of us shared a tiny loft with mattresses on the floor in Knowlesville, I am *seriously* looking forward to having a grown-up room, finally. Soon. I really do have an unholy wardrobe...no, that's unruly, actually. I think it's quite divine. Thrift store scores from the past fifteen plus years. It's not useless nostalgia unless you don't wear it, right?

We keep pushing back our self-imposed deadlines in regards to finally tackling the bricks in knowlesville--moving the bourrigama down to Queenstown. But the winter will decide, sooner or later. Did anyone else listen to Adam Gopnik's Massey Lecture series on Winter? Gopnik's writing (and speaking) manages to be intellectually rich and engaging, yet also extremely soothing, simultaneously. Also, self-aware, yet poignant. Emotional, but not sentimental. And thus concludes my literary (sort of) review for the day!

Very very tired.

I know it's entirely excessive to post all of these Hallowe'en photos, but I really can't decide on which one I love the most. sorry! Merry happy almost xmas shopping mayhem meltdown time!

Pottery, Planes, Death and the Big City

2011-11-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Installation shot of my pots at Bookhou, Toronto.

Florenceville clay--above.

(The one yakishime pot that survived. This is, I think, the most beautiful piece, and I can't wait to do a firing of entirely unglazed work, because I am completely in love with this.)

What happened?

Well. We fired David Eastwood's kiln. This, of course, was my last chance to produce work for my show at the beautiful Bookhou Gallery. Despite David's protestations, Lee and I started the firing around midnight. A few hours into the firing we heard the boom of gunshot...and it hadn't come from the hills. Pottery, dying. And of course, despite this sad event, and again, despite David's warnings, I can honestly say that firing his little Olson was...extremely extremely relaxing. Twenty hours? After seven years of doing 10 and 5 day woodfirings (pregnant, with babies, with screaming babies, with no sleep, in the blazing sun, in the freezing cold...days and days and days) I can do ANYTHING for 20 hours. Seriously, anything. David woke up the next morning and helped considerably with stoking--perhaps thinking that we were exhausted, but I know I could have fired the thing on my own. I am still a little frustrated with myself for not explaining to David that I’m actually not really keen on raking--by choice, and not because I am lazy or inept, or dozy--which I fear is what he thought--but because I actually believe that dramatic raking tends to compact the coal bed and drop the temperature and prove [manly] prowess rather than really aiding in the terms of the firing or results (not that David is interested at all in manly prowess, but I think maybe the forceful raking thing has become somewhat normative in the woodfiring world--am I nuts?)...David, who is an absolutely, altogether *wonderful* person, and my friend, (and to whom I am majorly indebted for saving my life completely in this case) kept coming up to me after my stoke and, kind of, schooling me, I guess...and then raking my two fireboxes for me...And of course, I didn’t have the gumption to tell him not to worry...that I have done this a few times before....Oh dear. Nonetheless, David did mention a couple of times that the kiln seemed to be firing extremely evenly...Hm.

We unpacked the kiln the day after, and I have to say I was delighted, and relieved. The three figures I had made (as a commission, of course) blew to smithereens, but miraculously, there was little shrapnel, and the rest of the pots were mostly fine. The work was/is lovely: modest, serene in some cases, dramatic in others...

Of course, at that point, the pots were already late, and I was in a state of high-freakout potential. We drove like mad back to Carleton County, because of course, our studio is still set up there, and we finished the pots through the night, and I photographed them the next morning as soon as the sun came up, and then I called Purolator and they said YES! Yes we can deliver your pots in 24 hours to Toronto. It will cost you an arm and a leg, but Yes! We can do this! Then they called back and told me that I had to first drive them to the airport in Fredericton. So I did this. We arrived at 6pm. Then I met Alfred, the Air Canada guy, who told me in no uncertain terms, No. No, this is not going to happen. The cargo office is closed, so No. Forget it, sorry bye. But Alfred...So I called Purolator again. After another hour on the phone with them, I was just about to hop back into the truck and drive the work to the airport in Saint John...when I [thankfully] attempted to confirm that we are, yes, talking about New Brunswick here...and No! Purolator was not talking about New Brunswick! Purolator was giving me information that pertained to...Saint JohnS Newfoundland! (I mention Alfred, because when I arrived at the airport, I quickly decided that Alfred was a big jerk...but after hanging around for 3 hours consulting with Alfred, I realized that he actually is incredibly incredibly sweet and amazing, and I ended up--through tears, apologizing to him for my initial intolerant response...and now I have to remember to drop off a guinomi as a gift to him, because he kind of saved me--in more ways than just revealing my own stupidity to myself. Even longer story).

Did I forget to mention that the kids were staying with Lee’s parents overnight?

So, instead of wallowing in anxiety, Lee and I went out on a date. Our first real date in 4 years! Our good friend Lucas happened to be opening for “Yukon Blonde” in Freddy with his band “Dinosaur Bones”, and so Lee and I went to the club. Lots of fun.

Then he drove me to the airport at 5am, and I got on a plane, and I flew to Toronto to deliver a box of pottery. Totally ridiculous.

I cabbed it to Dundas West, and arrived, bedraggled, on the doorstep of Bookhou Gallery, and...everyone was a little bit surprised to see me!

When I walked out into the city after unwrapping the pots (to the delight of the Bookhou crew!), I felt unbelievably light, free and happy...And then, within minutes of successful pottery drop-off, Lee called to tell me that our puppy, Banjo, had just been run over by a car outside Lee’s parents’ home. He died.

Paul and Phil, our dear and fabulous friends who live in Toronto, took great care of me: they ran me a crystally bath (bathing with crystals--everyone should do it!), and then they took me out on the town (again!) to Guu, a totally rad Japanese eating establishment. I had forgotten that this was the Saturday before Hallowe’en. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and we took our shoes off and ate salmon sashimi whipped up with raw egg yolks, mackerel, perfectly rubbery (in a delicious way) udon, delicate tempura, and...two or three bottles of sake. It was a tipsy walk home. We had fun. Then I cried myself to sleep, missing my dog. Then I woke up at 4am, and cabbed it back to Pearson.

Now, I’m back, and trying to catch up with the real world...oh wait. What real world? We’re heading out again to Knowlesville in a couple of days to tear down the bourrigama, and move all the bricks to Queenstown. It continues.

Also, we will be posting new work in the next couple of days! Locally dug, fired by forest, super duper cups and bowls. Holiday gifts galore.

And of course, my camera seems to not be working quite properly, so photos of the above shenanigans...soon.

On Hallowe'e morning, we dug a grave and buried Banjo, and Horus gave him the plastic hammer he had been chewing so energetically, and the kids and I drew him a picture, and Lee found him a gorgeous piece of granite from the old quarry down the road as a headstone.

Off the High Horse

2011-10-25T18:59:00.001-07:00

Lee is still sleeping, even though I have been upstairs twice...the kids are out, and Lee is curled up with them, fully clothed (new carhartts) under the covers...It's nearly eleven pm, and I got back a few minutes ago from teaching piano in Saint John (which, for the record, I absolutely love).

We stopped in on our friend (and fellow potter) David Eastwood this morning, to assess the situation. I will be firing my local clay work in David's Fastfire kiln, because our last firing in the bourrigama didn't produce enough usable pots...

David is incredibly generous--with his space (the kiln), his time, and his tolerance...we had *meant* to start the firing several days ago, but as usual, life, car breakdowns, kids, etc., let us know, collectively, that things have to slow down. Not that things are slowing down.

David also speaks plainly, and he told me in no uncertain terms, that he thinks it's a bad idea for Lee and me to fire his little kiln on our own through the night...It's not like an anagama, it's full-out, it's hot, it's painful (hands & knees). I tried to be nice; smiling, nodding, saying Yes, I understand. David also said that, well, you know, if you really have to do it, I don't mind, but I have to warn you...Then he said, Well, you know, firing this kiln is at least a three person job, and as far as firing with two people, not to mention overnight...it's never been done before.

At this, of course, my determination was entirely solidified. (Hubris!). No no. Not really. My motivation really has mostly to do with the committment I have made to my gallery, to have the work in their hands by a certain date. Things have almost spun out of control...sort of. I have been up and working steadily day and night for the past week.

Lee and I processed natural clay for several weeks prior to coming back to Queenstown with a truck full of bags of clay, glaze materials, the electric wheel, etc. Then I threw pots on the verandah until two nights ago.

Some of the vessels I was able to bisque fire in David's electric kiln (thank you thank you thank you, David!). The rest, which hadn't dried adequately, I once-glazed. Do you once-glaze? Any experience with this practice? I am attached to once-glazing...the romance of it, the risk of it, the purity of it all.

Of course, the interior of a pot is always glazed first--then dried a little more, then the exterior can be tackled. I have enough experience to recognize that sweet point during the drying of a pot--leather-hard, mostly resilient, still slightly dark--which will indicate that it might tolerate the wet assault of glaze. My pots...were just a tiny little tiny bit too dry.

So honestly, I wasn't entirely surprised when, one by one, the majority of my pots began to slowly fall apart. Due to the differing sizes, and architecture of the pieces, they didn't fail in any kind of dramatic outburst. Just a slow, gradual, yet weirdly accellerated, death.

Only a few survived from a seriously marathon (and painful) throwing session. Then we drove down to David's place with the remaining pots, to claim the bisque-ware, and to glaze these, too, before loading the kiln.

Surprisingly, shockingly even, when the dogs (ours and David's two beasts), came careening around the corner, knocking over an entire board of my few remaining vessels, I didn't stomp or rage. Seriously, I quietly thanked the dogs and the pots, and this whole hydrofrackingly ridiculous process for maybe (maybe!) teaching me not to be such a jerk.

Dear Lee: I have changed my clothes. I am making coffee. I have collected the sleeping bags that we will be creating a nest with, in the back of the truck, so the children can (please please please) remain alsleep while we fire this thing. Let's pile everything, and ourselves, and our kids, into the pickup truck, drive down the road, light a big fire, and then scrabble around in the mud and filth for the next 14 hours, cooking these damned pots. Ok???

I'm heading up to wake you up for real.

xoxo
yo

Location:Queenstown, NB

Punk Potter

2011-10-22T07:36:00.001-07:00

This is a photograph of Lee that was taken in Japan about...13 years ago, during his residency in Tokoname through the IWCAT program.

I love this picture--his intensity and loveliness. I also love the ancient deco fram, and I always have it hung where we live (the kitchen). It is so strange still, to have this photograph around with Lee and Horus walking about in the flesh--the before and the after and then You, captured in time.

This house is filling up with pottery already. So pleasing.

Location:Queenstown, NB

Lee's Pot!

2011-10-22T07:13:00.001-07:00

I have had several comments from you, lovely readers, asking for...pots! So here is a teaser from our recent Angst Firing (3 days in the bourrigama). The Angst Firing produced some really incredible, and beautiful work...but we lost over 3/4 of the firing--not indefinitely, we will be re-firing quite a bit of it...Lee and I are happily blaming the puppy (and Yolande, but we're staying quiet about that) for the fact that the firing had to be cut short. But the weird length and temperature of the firing gave us some really unique stuff. This is Lee's vase. He continues to insist upon putting the most delicate and incredibly finely thrown porcelain in the firebox, which of course, tends to crack... this piece, however, not only survived, but came out covered in dark and light, claw-marked, and gorgeous. (Yes, and it wasn't actually IN the firebox, but rather at the back...shino-splashed).

I decided against dragging the wheel into the kitchen of the house in Queenstown, and instead I have continued to work on the verandah, as it's still not too cold out...Horus was helping me out yesterday; hiding my wire (constantly), and moving pots around (mostly when I ask him to). Last evening, he came up to me and said, Mum, you have already trimmed that bowl! Yes, Horus. Why are you trimming that bowl again? I said, Because we don't make heavy pots in this family. It was only when Lee burst out laughing at this, that I realized how ridiculous it is...That in my state of exhaustion I would revert to that old chesnut: We don't do [whatever] in this family. First of all, there's nothing wrong with heavy pots, of course, (although Lee would argue this), and I was never going to be the kind of mother who answered questions with blanket semi-moral irrationalities...What has become of me? It's ok. Horus and I have talked. And I suppose it's not terrible that he learn to throw (and triim) with lighteness and agility...early on.
Location:Queenstown, NB

Location:Queenstown, nb

On the Verandah

2011-10-21T06:49:00.001-07:00

Did it work? My attempt to upload this video. Wheel throwing (electric wheel--circumstances) on the verandah late at night...Trying to meet the deadline ends up being a really beautiful and entirely fulfilling session...

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=CA#/watch?v=kjLy_bmW8UI

YouTube Video

Location:Queenstown, NB

Dirt, Mud, Ashes, Dust...Here, There and Everywhere

2011-10-20T15:58:00.001-07:00

I have been working on a project for quite some time, the culmination of which is fast approaching: a little show at a gorgeous boutique called bookhou in Toronto. The project consists of creating a body of work from a variety of local clays I have collected from several different rural spots in New Brunswick, thrown into simple forms that, to me, reflect both this place, and my place, and my anxieties, and my influences...I suppose that under such lofty stipulations, this project has already kind of failed, but hopefully, beautifully. I am starting to realize that every firing is a kind of gorgeous failure, which is why we continue. So, that's ok.

Once again, as usual, as always, I am against the wire. We just pulled off a lovely Double Horus (Lee and Horus) birthday party, complete with the ugliest cake ever (delicious, no recipe, apples, right on). Treva is asleep upstairs, and Lee and Horus have taken off to see Tim Isaac at the Hampton Village Bistro. I am steeling myself to the task of dragging the wheel into the kitchen of our Queenstown home, to sit down and throw at least 15 more bowls before I catch up on my schoolwork for the past two weeks, which I have not touched, on account of my own stupid pottery anxieties that took over last week.

I have so many incredibly kind messages to respond to, and I haven't got to everyone, not even close...

I think ultimately, there is some value in these public flails...I truly enjoy getting everyone's opinion, cheers, words of encouragement, and even the bizarre and outrageous...Things are hard, but not that hard. We make choices, and I have made mine. I have chosen all of this. I have chosen Lee, and however strange this may seem, He has chosen me.

My work has to be in Toronto ON Monday. We're firing in a friend's kiln on Saturday. Today is still Thursday, so if i can get the bowls thrown tonight, then set them out next to the woodstove, I can trim them tomorrow, and load the kiln tomorrow afternoon. Can couriers send pottery in one day? Exciting!

Location:Queenstown, NB

We Opened the Kiln In the Afternoon

2011-10-18T08:44:00.001-07:00

Breaking and mending, leading and following, sleeping and waking, mud recipe-making, clay baking. Unpacking and assessing. Staying up too late. Forgiving each other.

We unpacked the kiln in Knowlesville two days ago.

Treva slept in the truck while Lee and Horus and I unbricked the door and took a look.

In the past few days, there has been a torrent of Help, Mercy, Understanding, Love. My mantras, in rotation:

This is how things are
Everything is ok
Be kind

(I'm not really sure what social networking or blogging, or online blah blah is really all about...I mean, what it really DOES to me, or to you...to know and not know each other through the words we send onscreen...To explain it simply in terms of narcissism is reductive, although I don't reject this entirely...more later. deep thoughts)

I have been joking with Lee lately that no one will ever want to have anything to do with my pottery ever again after reading this blog, as "Good Pots", are the result of a quiet mind, a reflection of inner light, spirit, generosity, steadfast calm.

I suppose my recent angst and bitterness posts are kind of like advertising that my handiwork contains...78% pure spite!!! Come on down to New Brunswick for Yolande's hand-thrown woodfired pots made from distilled Local spite! Get your anger pots right here!

*sigh* It was kind of funny at the time.

I just...I just have to tell you how I feel.

The brutal honest truth: It's all in there. Our hurt, our struggle, our past, our spite, our anxiety, pain and love. As well as the little moments of peacefulness, the recognition of our ultimate connection. This is the point, I guess.

Today is Horus' birthday, tomorrow is Lee's. I am so glad these guys were born.

yo

husband

2011-10-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Lee!

For You

a field of green/gold fronds

wind and power
wood
yellow/white
or black

swift current swept
river stones

cool earth flush with
death's damp bounty

leaves on fire

carapace to carbon

We are so many mouths, Jesse
[wheat from chaff]
sometimes somehow all
ways letting slide
twisting

perpetual unravel and reworking
warp and weft and broken threads

But in this story*

You and I are now immune
Pirates on the boat

after dangling our fragile selves over the edges

selvedge ripped

seduced

drunk piano music
life drawing

We left in time
drop out
walk on

Six years since I lost my
apples on Agricola street

We remind each other

Yesterday, alone at *Church
as you look at me from the water

[I am the cameraman] woman

tuned.

with perfect purpose
(casual; soft yet swift)
you slip the wet from your
naked sleeves
brown forearm to wrist

ripples on the surface

of my skin I know
who I am
and what I am to you

one and two

* * *

Dear Readers:

Send the kids to Gramy's.
Have a bath together.
Have fun.
yo

Lee's Version

2011-10-15T04:01:00.001-07:00

So this is how it went down... 30 hours into my second 30 hour shift I reached under my chair to give little Banjo (our new little puppy husband for Curly about 14 weeks old on his first firing) a scratch, who had been been sleeping there at night for the past 3 days and he was not there! I had been checking on him on a regular basis for the whole firing and it was irregular when he didn't show up within seconds waging his tail. I stoked the kiln a couple more times whilst calling for him, ran up and down the hill checking buildings between stokes calling and calling with no response, naturally I was getting very worried. Knowlesville is isolated, raccoons bears foxes and other predators are common and plentiful and I was fearful he wandered off and was quickly eaten. So at 2 am maybe 60 hours into the firing(I slept for only 6 hours in the middle when Yolande was stoking) I shut down the kiln and commenced the fullout search on a cloudy full moon night for our dog. For the next 3 1/2 hours I franticly searched. The woods,the wild tall grasses, the few neighbors, up and down the roads, the nature trails, everywhere I could think of calling for him till my voice went hoarse and my lips were numb for whistling. I returned to the kiln and collapsed. Despondent and knowing I could not return home without him I called out one final time and out in the darkness I heard a single wimper! Running I'm the direction calling more there was Banjo! He found his way back! Shivering wet and cold his tail wagging we were reunited with great joy! Relieved beyond belief he was safe we quickly went into the truck warmed up the cab dried him off his shivering abated we curled up into sleep but not before I considered starting up the kiln again! Food stocks were low, no help was coming, and the woodpiles was at a point where I may have been able to reach temperature again but if it didn't it would have been a disaster. Most of the kiln was oni shino ware and the natural ash glazed work was all drippy. It was stopped at a high point and I am pretty confident the work will turn out good. If I kept going and ran out of wood before temperature again it would ruin everything so sleep we did . Happy knowing the family would not mourn the loss of a beloved member of our family. Yolande and I have talked and everything is ok again, I am sorry for the hard time you had this firing, I love you dearly. Let's bring joy back to this arcane ritual! When we have our studio and kiln moved down to Queenstown this thing will be alot easier and not a road pounding epic adventure, it will be close to home and more manageable and less costly for our family and I hope full of joy for all of us.

(Yolande writes: Lee. Everything is ok.)

Location:Carleton County

Two Exhibitions: West & East

2011-10-15T03:23:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. You will be glad to know that I am getting over myself (oh dear, I'm sure it's only temporary)...Nonetheless, let's get back to the good stuff:

I wanted to post about two exhibitions that are happening right now...and to make a note about the fact that there is just so much wonderful pottery being made in the world, and that the internet has made it possible to SEE so much amazing work, and that I, personally, am continually inspired by all of this...So thank you, potters.

(teabowl by Robert Fornell: "Oribe Chawan II, Oxidation-fired stoneware, glazes)

I am familiar with Robert Fornell's work through Facebook (kind of embarassingly, but there we are). As far as I know, he fires in both a gas reduction kiln and electric, as well as Raku. The work he is currently exhibiting through thenevicaproject , clearly comes from the hand of an artist who has been practising for quite some time; his teabowls are so confident, beautiful, and easy, (and hard), and loose, and have such gorgeous movement. And indeed, the following, taken from his personal website ( Robert Fornell ) speaks to Fornell's dedication to his Art:

"My ceramic journey began some 25 years ago and it has taken me many places and brought me into contact with people whom, when it started, I never could have imagined meeting. Importantly an inward journey as well, ceramics teaches oneself about patience, perseverance, focus and the need to slow down in this hectic world we inhabit. The fire gives its lessons on humility, detachment and control as well with each unloading of the kiln. While the journey still continues on a daily basis with more work continually being created, I kindly invite you to spend a few moments in review of my past “travels” so to speak, to see where I have been."

In his artist statement, Robert Fornell speaks of the way in which his travels to Japan enriched his understanding of his approach to clay. He also alludes to being influenced by an abstract-impressionist approach to decoration, combined with a desire to give the raw materials he is working with, a strong voice. These works are very true, to me.

* * *

(above: Iga Tsubo by Fujioka Shuhei, at the Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Kyoto)

I can't really imagine that any of you are not familiar with Robert Yellin, or his dedication to Ceramic Art, or his immense support for potters, or the phenomenal wealth of education and erudition that he has brought to the appreciation of Ceramic Arts, both in Japan, and worldwide. His book, "Ode to Japanese Pottery" is essential reading.

Robert is a writer, gallerist and critic based in Japan, who maintains several websites dedicated to pottery, including his online gallery at Japanese Pottery , as well as a blog, and the inimitable e-yakimono.com website which would be anyone's first stop to becoming familiar with Japanese pottery forms, firing methods, and Artists.

Robert is also an incredibly generous and lovely person, and he has been an online friend to me over the past couple of years, with words of encouragement from afar, even when I have been at my most ridiculous and contemptible.

In the past few months, the Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery has relocated to Kyoto, and from the photographs I have seen, it is an absolutely gorgeous space.

The current exhibition that Robert is facilitating, consists of Iga pieces by Fujioka Shuhei. Rather shamefully, I'm sure, I don't know anything about this artist, but I will be googling away over the next couple of days. (Honestly, the fact that I clearly know nothing about Japanese ceramics is kind of exciting: ever-new! so much potential learning!). As a woodfiring potter with a specific interest in Iga-type works, firebox effects and natural ash glaze, I am especially drawn to these works. Maybe you too?

I hope everyone has a peaceful, joyful, excellent weekend.

Yolande

Woodfiring is Breaking My Heart

2011-10-14T01:21:00.001-07:00

We finally re-started the firing that we had had to abandon in August. Have you heard that the key to being a heroic/fabulous/successful potter involves Never Getting a Real Job? Inasmuch as teaching Piano could be described as a Real Job...I'm doing it. I know; I really really know that these things (especially in economically ok Canada) are so minor compared to the true hardships that so many live out every second of the day, in almost every other part of the world. At the risk of having to re-title this blog Yolande's Litany of Pottery Complaints, I have opted recently, instead, to say nothing. But here goes:

I have tried, in this virtual space, to show the beauty, but also the reality of our lives as potters...And the incredible amount of work that we put into our art is, or has been, made tolerable by seeing that perfectly sublime surface as it comes out of the kiln. And obviously, this isn't about money. But some things are about money. And I feel a fairly compelling responsibility (to say the least) to my children. So does Lee, of course. But I find myself getting increasingly angry as I stretch myself thin, working, and working outside our home and outside of our pottery for money, and cleaning up after everyone...to find that this is interpreted by many as evidence of my lack of committment to the Art, compared with the Amazingness of Lee's single-minded pursuit of pottery above all else.

I hate myself for being angry about this. What a very old and tiresome story. Is this a failure of feminism, hubris on my part, or just a personal failure? Part of my role, I have felt, is to make sure that along with taking care of business and the kids, making stuff, firing stuff, I also have to put on my happy face, and stay super positive about it all.

Two days ago, after staying up all night to finish paperwork, I taught piano in Saint John, and then drove to Knowlesville to fire the kiln. Lee had already been at it for many many hours. The kids were at Lee's parents'. I was truly beat when I arrived, but I took the gloves, and settled in, so Lee could drive back to his parents' place to get a proper sleep. It was a gorgeous night, and at first, I felt happy. I felt at home. But as the hours wore on, I just felt the joy seep from my body. I kept throwing wood on the kiln, getting angrier and angrier. My good self floated above the scene, so sad for what was clearly happening. The rage of my bad self seemed to be fueled with every stoke. Where is our crew? Why are we always so idiotic as to do this on our own? I'm too tired. I can't do it. I don't care. I hate pottery. I hate this. I hate myself, you and everyone. At this point, I had been awake and working hard for more than 40 hours. Even though I never missed a stoke, I was stumbling and falling; flailing and failing.

At around 4:30 am however, as I was moving another pile of wood, my thumb, which has been injured for some time, received some pressure from the wood I was carrying, and came out of its socket once again. The pain was radical; I dropped the wood, and screamed into the night like an animal. Then, tears streaming, I ran back to the kiln to make the stoke. At that poin, the door, which has been cracked for the past 4 firings, broke in half. Fire seeped. There was a piece of broken kiln shelf sitting against a nearby table, so I picked that up and placed it against the firebox mouth. With every subsequent stoke, I lifted the kiln shelf away from the fire with my gloved hands--pain from my thumb radiating up to my shoulder--and steeled myself against the reality of burning my fingers over and over and over and over and over again.

Lee finally arrived with the kids, to relieve me. When he saw that I had broken the door, he was angry: Why can't you be careful? How coud you let this happen? I threw the gloves at him, strapped the kids in the car, and drove all the way back to Queenstown, abandoning everything.

If I were a zen master, or a wise person, this story would be so different. But I really can't help but note that most of the zen potters, and even the wise potters, and even the not-so-angry potters tend to have someone doing the dishes, writing their pr, or at least giving them a hand with stoking the %$#* kiln. Often, they have wives.

I suppose the logical thing would be to quit. Lee is a better artist and potter than I am--clearly. So why don't you just scale back, Yolande? Take a break. I've heard this quite a few times.

But I will be damned if I work to the extent that I have, to end up playing maid and babysitter and facilitator, so that Lee can follow his dream. I am not some dillettante. I have put in the time. I have piled the wood, and carried the water; I've nearly obliterated myself for this. And despite what many have so rudely suggested, I am not riding my husband's coat-tails, or floating along on his successes.

Blah blah blah. Listen to Yolande screaming and wailing.

I'm not quitting. But I'm really really mad. And I'm terrified that my anger has eclipsed the joy of firing. I am really scared that there is so much bitterness involved in the proceess for me, that I'll never be able to enjoy it again.

help

Yolande Teaches Pottery!

2011-08-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

This is my class! I have been teaching a short workshop series at the Charlotte Street Art Centre, in Fredericton, and it has been proceeding fabulously. I love seeing adult students begin their clay play tentatively...and then *really* get into it. Most people, despite their protestations, have a very intuitive connection with clay, and everyone loves taking the wheel for a spin. I am even thinking of developing a pottery program that I can take to senior's residences--good idea, right?!

It has been wonderful working with the amazing staff at the Charlotte Street Art Centre. In fact, I have been invited to be a guest blogger for their new website. I'll let you all know when my article on "becoming a professional artist" (!!!) is live.

Location:Fredericton, NB

New Pots

2011-08-30T05:34:00.001-07:00

Lee's tsubo.

Yolande's little Firebox vase--with a hard-earned beauty mark.

Oh dear oh dear. Everything will be fine! We--Lee and Yolande--will be at the New Brunswick Craft Council show in Fredericton this coming weekend, on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of September. The show is at Officer's Square downtown, and Lee and I will be coiling & throwing a *huge* pot on our kick-wheel, as well as doing some other excellent demo stuff...so come on down!

Oh yah, and also, we will be firing the kiln that weekend...How, you say? Not sure yet. I think Jannick will be doing the pre-heat on his own...and then Lee and I might trade off, driving back to K-ville to stoke...ugh. Ridiculous.

But, we are entering the last stretches of our move, and it's all going to be ok.

Anyway. I just wanted to show off these pieces. They're from our last firing, and we're pretty thrilled with them.

Thank you, Irene, for going easy on us. And peace & help to all those who felt her wrath.

Yo

Location:Carleton County

Digging for Gold! (Clay)

2011-08-21T10:31:00.001-07:00

On Friday night, I went to the church in Florenceville to finish my work for this upcoming firing. I didn't manage to complete my pots, and I only fell into bed at about 3am...Lee arrived an hour later at 4 in the morning, with Jannick (our assistant extraordinaire--to say the least, really. More later on this guy) and Horus and Treva. The original plan

was that we were all going to head to the market together, but I was far too exhausted to be able to rouse myself or to allow myself to be roused...So Lee left the kids sprawled with me on the sofa in a pile, all of us sleeping like puppies. By the time Horus and Treva and I did arrive at the market in Fredericton, it was already nearly noon, but everyone was in fairly good spirits, because we didn't do badly, and Lee even sold two teapots. Have I posted the teapots yet? Not yet, I think. Another topic for later.

After the market, we hopped in the truck and took off to Queenstown, where we unloaded some more stuff, unpacked a bit, and had a bite to eat. Then we hopped in the truck again, and took off for our clay-quest adventure!

The drive through Queens county, across the Evandale ferry, and through the Kingston peninsula, is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous, and I think we really picked the right day; the warm high summer dusk threw incredible light over the already beautiful countryside.

When we arrived at the intersection and the covered bridge and the river, the light was starting to fade somewhat, but we grabbed our buckets and shovels, and proceeded to bushwack through shoulder-high grass, keeping our eyes peeled for signs of what might look like evidence of long-time-ago excavation...

We had received a tip-off a couple of months ago, about a spot that this individual thought was perhaps the same place that the Dykmans used to dig for clay...

After two large holes were dug, and after Yolande, in the name of research, jumped in the water (again), we finally struck...clay? Yes. Clay. A dark, sandy clay with quite a bit of organic matter...but we will test it out and it might do the trick.

On the way home, we stopped to put some gas in the truck, and who did we run into, but our friends from the Farmer's Market, who run a naturally raised, free-range wild boar business. (It's pretty neat, actually. Boar range freely on their sustainably managed 1000 acre woodlot...and then we get to eat them. Excellent sausages.) Anyway, our friend Martje told us that they have clay on our land, and he welcomed us to come and dig anytime.

This project is becoming more and more involved, the more I proceed. So, if you live in New Brunswick and you are aware of any sources of local clay, let me know. I would like to fill a bucket full of mud, and I would like to hear your story--how YOU are connected to your land...and more.

So, it's Sunday now, and we are back on the road, returning to Knowlesville to finally fire our bourrigama one last time.

(the boys--tired).

More later.
xo yo

Location:Fredericton, New Brunswick

Stellar Shino!

2011-08-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. We are delighted.

But this time, I am ecstatic that it was my blog post and not my kiln load.

Overall, the firing was phenomenal. I fared slightly better than Lee in terms of larger pieces and firebox gems. We (he) just learned the hard way that the porcelain 640 does NOT stand up to the kind of heat our kiln generates.

And our new shino recipe? (a heavily modified Cherry Blossom), is stellar. So, here are some photos, and I will be uploading the finished work, to see and to buy, very soon.

Yolande

Location:Knowlesville, NB

Two of Lee's Recent Works

2011-08-13T20:24:00.001-07:00

Hm...Strange that those first two photographs didn't upload properly. I try again:

The following (I hope), are Lee's beautiful firebox pieces from last firing (not yesterday's firing--three weeks ago). These are at Jonathon's in London, Ontario.

Let Go or Be Dragged

2011-08-13T18:18:00.001-07:00

(above: the two *exquisite* pieces that Lee made--sent to Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, London, Ontario. These were both in the firebox, and are kick-wheel thrown Frost porcelain, glass-thin).

Ok ok. Before I go into the details of the firing that just took place, let me recap: Our *last* firing (three weeks ago?) was an intense learning experience, and resulted in some gorgeous pots, two of which (beauties, Lee's), survived it all, including the journey from New Brunswick by mail, to London, Ontario in time for the national exhibition "A Matter of Clay III", at Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, an event which, by all accounts, was a great success. I had two larger figures in the fire that were included in the exhibit, but the vase that I sent broke in transit, and many of my pots from the firing did not turn out...But, the kiln, as we suspected, DID fire beautifully, and if only we had reduced a little more, and sustained for another 6 hours...Does this sound like the ravings of a mad-person? Yes! We are obsessed. Happily obsessed. Do you know that occasionally I experience the odd little wave of *whatamidoing???* but the last one subsided once the just-completed firing got under way; right on the heels of the last one. Get it? Ok.

(above, Lee's gorgeous teabowl, and my subtle little cup)

But we're close, folks! we're close! [what are you talking about, Yolande?! There is no *close*; there is no destination. Process is practice is the journey is the reality. Yes]. Anyway. We dream and dream, and do and do, and one of these days it's all going to jive. Ok. And wait! We learn. Boy oh boy, do we ever.

So we unpacked the kiln, took stock, finished the work, sent the work, cut the wood, split the wood, made more work, and here we are, four days ago, up at the kiln, keen as ever.

(above, our wonderful Friend P, of P & P, trying his hand at the wheel)

The firing, from packing to this very moment (as I sit on the porch in the evening light, at our house in Queenstown after a wonderful afternoon swim--hot day) is a party. Our beloved, adored, and thoroughly wonderful friends P & P are visiting from Toronto, and Emily stopped by for our loading BBQ as well, and Mark popped in, and even T. came out and sat next to the fire. Everyone talked and chilled until the wee hours of the morning, while Lee loaded the kiln, and I hosted and chased babies and gave Lee my professional opinion on placement. The usual.

(above: myself making, pots waiting, J. & Horus, cleaning the kiln out)

Our twenty-four hour pre-heat went smoothly except for the ominous and unmistakable sound, at one point, of exploding clay...Something had definitely busted up in there. We actually contemplated allowing the pre-heat to burn down and taking a look to assess potential damage...and then we decided that this would be mildly sacreligious and probably unnecessary...moving right along.

(above: sis kebab deliciousness, friends & silliness)

From my notes:

Now, the fire is cranking up. Flame throughout the kiln. We are not far from red heat. Everyone enjoying the languid, then fervent, now blazing flame. Lee stokes in the just-dark, but there is still flame on the floor of the kiln at the front. Oscar, our Holstein cat has not left the kiln-site since we began loading. He prowls and purrs, and prefers the company of whoever is stoking. Indeed, the firebox is crotch level, so Oscar is ensured of a warm lap--in three-minute intervals, anyway.

(above, Me and Tree, Lee fitting the trivet to the foot of my vase, T., and J. by the fire)

Sometimes I think that woodfiring is why our marriage survives. Other times I think woodfiring will be our downfall. Mostly, everything is fine. But when we'are actually firing the kiln, and focused on the firebox, on the flame-music, on the river of fire; tuned in...magic, guys. Pure magic. (ha!)

(above: figure waiting, pots waiting, Dad and baby)

Woodfiring and childbirth. Has anyone else experienced the parallells? Long preparation. Meditation. Bodies of work, growing expectantly. Expectations. The birth process and those swirling elemental energies. Grime and effort. Sweat, heat, pain. Passionate Love. The rhythm of the stoke like the expansive cycle of sensation that builds to bring forth life. Expansion, contraction; oxidation, reduction. My experiences giving birth at home have mirrored in many ways the woodfiring process.

(above: firebox configuration this time around, pots on their trivets, Yo)

The heat is so intense it seems to penetrate several layers of my body. Bright white is pouring into me. Liquid flame. The sheer simple hotness seeps almost wetly into what I perceive as being the centre of my body. Chakra blossom. Then I close the door and simply wear the weight of the sensation like a heavy garment. I stand there, panting.

(above: checking it out; campfire)

On the last day, some more friends arrived, and then left, and then Lee started feeling ill. Later, he and the kids napped in the truck while our incredible intern, Jannick, and I, stoked, building the temperature steadily to yellow/white.

(above: fire; P. looks philosophical, Lee juggles, P. stokes masterfully)

Lee and I are constantly re-assessing our methods of explaining our approach to stoking. Because our work is so labour-intensive, we are grateful for the presence of anyone who is willing to stoke for an hour or two or longer. But certain aspects of stoking seem to be confusing, and/or counter-intuitive to many. I think many people are missing an intuitive relationship with fire. Most beginners have a nearly unstoppable urge to stuff the firebox in order to raise the temperature, which of course, in the early stages of firing, will quickly achieve the opposite effect, choking the firebox and dramatically dropping the temperature. Observing the coal bed is so important. And FEELING is also very important. Sometimes it does help to let our crew know straight up, that if the heat isn't hurting, it isn't hot enough. The fire should bite.

We have fun with the "hardcore" and "badass" goofiness (facebook cheerleading is fun and silly! Yay!), and we do feel like process is a very important aspect to our work. I guess in a way we view woodfiring as in small part performance art. Not because we are "performing" in a self-conscious way during a firing--in fact, the opposite is true. I think I partly associate woodfiring with childbirth because they are both so real to me; so intense and genuine and beautiful for their ragged edges. But neither is woodfiring precious to us. The work is everything.

We do it all for the--hackneyed as it sounds--essential truth we somehow find in pots that have been anointed in this crazy way. So beautiful. Anyway.

Poor Lee spent the last several hours of the firing sleeping, which is, if you know Lee, totally unheard of. I was actually kind of worried, but he seems just fine now, so I think it must have been a combination of total mental and physical exhaustion (of course), as well as his complete faith in my abilities to fire this little kiln brilliantly (of course). Actually, Jannick and I did fire it brilliantly, with a pretty kicking light show after a final dramatic reduction, packing the firebox, and sitting back to watch the fireworks.

Now the four of us, J., T., and some other friends wait, paint the house in Queenstown, swim in the midday heat, and then head back to Carleton County on Monday to unpack the kiln, pack up our last belongings and furniture, do another bourrigama firing one last time in Knowlesville, then take the whole darn thing down, brick by brick, to be moved to Queenstown with everything else. Oh my.

Things really have been busy, guys. To all of the wonderful friends, family, acquaintances and others to whom my letters, emails and phone calls are late...I love you and I will be in touch very soon!

To all those of you who have been wondering when we will be stocking our etsy shop???

Here goes. These will be posted very soon.

Happy Summer everyone!

yo

Location:Knowlesville & Queenstown, New Brunswick

A Matter of Clay III

2011-07-31T19:57:00.001-07:00

So. Before I get started [belatedly] with the story of our last firing, I really have to talk about one of the biggest and most exciting events in Canadian ceramics. A Matter of Clay is an exhibition which is held every five years, that showcases never-before-exhibited works by over 100 Canada's leading ceramic artists. The instigator of this ambitious and exciting event is, of course, the amazing Jonathon Bancroft-Snell of Jonathon's Gallery in London, Ontario, and his wonderful right hand man, Brian.

The fact that Lee and I are featured among a list of such incredible artists including John Chalke (Alberta), Wayne Ngan (BC), Robert Archambeau (Manitoba), David Hayashida (Newfoundland), Jim Smith (Nova Scotia), Harlan House (Ontario), Leopold Foulem (Quebec), and Carole Epp (Saskatewan), among many others, is totally thrilling and humbling--and especially considering our company from New Brunswick. There are six artists (including Lee and me) from NB who will be exhibiting their work at "A Matter of Clay III". All are super fantastic artists, and all are lovely people: Judy Blake, Peter Powning, Darren Emenau, Peter Thomas.

The show opens on Thursday, August 4th, at 7pm, and in attendance will be artists from all over the country, collectors of all stripes, curious curators, and lots more.

Of course, as you know, Lee and I finished our last firing just in time to grind
the work the next day, then send it out, toute suite, fresh from the kiln. And of course, as you may know, we have another firing coming right up. But we just might decide between now and thursday morning, to hop in the little toyota, or go on a hitchiking expedition.

It would be a bit of a shame to miss all of that great clay...well, we shall see. If you don't have the opportunity to be in London for the show, don't despair, for there is lots of juicy online material, including a great blog, photos of all the work (or soon to be), and other goodies. Ok! Good luck guys! And yay us!

Kamataki! A 50 Hour Woodfiring

2011-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

The 60 hour firing that we just completed this afternoon, was, well, great. The modification of the kiln has been completely transformative. Lee and I are ecstatic. Heat was not an issue. During the hottest days of our New Brunswick year (30 degrees celsius/88 fahrenheit), we stood in front of the 1300-1400 degree (we think!) heat, stoking every 2 minutes, two sticks, with the occasional push of a reduction stoke. More precisely, Lee was up for the first 36 hours stoking, and I was up for the first 36 hours with the kids, then we switched, and I stoked over night with help from our friend Alex. The heat always drops in the early hours of the morning, but Alex and I talked all night, solved some world issues, the usual, I took a short nap on the ground, then we welcomed birdsong and that early morning shine that earth tends to acquire in the dewy waking hours...and the heat picked right back up again. Bliss.

We probably reduced the firebox 1/3rd, or maybe 30% or maybe 25% by lopping it's head off (see photos above?) but the difference in terms of firing was immediate, and impressive. Absolutely no blowback, just an easy rise in temperature, and then ferocious heat. After 38 hours, I watched a peak occur as the shino over the glazed vase on the top shelf gathered into beads; one, two, three stokes, then welled up; four, five six stokes, then dripped, then fell down the lip of one of Lee's exquisite pregnant porcelain vases in a white-hot sheet of molten glass. Only an hour or so later, the entire shoulder of the pot was smooth, glistening completely, not a prickle to be seen. You must understand, that the top shelf has consistently, up to this point, been a thankless, barren area, producing pots with chalky undeveloped surfaces, for the most part. We are dreaming of only using cone 10 shinos in this kiln from hereon in.

Guys, we think this is really going to be stunning. I can hardly bear it, but I will continue to practise my zen median.

If all of our pots and figures and vases--even those translucent crystal-thin frost vases that Lee conjured-- do turn out as well as we are tending, these days, to expect they did, we will be eagerly tearing this kiln down and moving it to Queenstown. Ideally, we would like to keep the kiln in Knowlesville, but we...need it with us! And we are enjoying the design so much as it is, and we can perfectly envision year-round woodfirings in Queenstown. And, finally, this new form *does* truly make it possible for Lee and me to fire together, if necessary, but also to facilitate workshops, community firings, and shared firings.

Well. Now I return to the rainshower, the mountainous pile of cardboard boxes against the side of the house, the tarp, the just-dry laundry. Etc. Tomorrow: Moving, take one. Then we hurry back on Wednesday for the revelation. What has the fire made of these pots?

Lee says: Being around the kiln and firing was like being at a sweat lodge while running a marathon.

Yeah. It was pretty trascendent, actually. Everything was yes. All barriers are imagined.

We shall see, we shall see.

And finally, I will share with you a poem by the incredible and inimitable Gary Snyder from his beautiful book Axe Handles, published in 1983. This is topical for me right now.

Arts Councils

by Gary Snyder

Because there is no art

There are artists

Because there are no artists

We need money

Because there is no money

We give

Because there is no we

There is art

***

Ok. Have a beautiful day, and stay tuned for images from the firing! eep.

Packing the Kiln; Another Bourrigama Firing in Knowlesville, NB

2011-07-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

The afternoon is persistently humid. The long grass in the old orchard waves lazily. I am up at the bourrigama, South Knowlesville, New Brunswick. The afternoon is waning, and I glaze my pots, relishing the solitude. Lee has taken the kids out to pick up welding gloves for the fire. The light turns dusky and suddenly the rain begins, complete with claps of thunder and lightening and everything. I scramble to cover the many green pieces that sit on every available surface, and the freshly shino-ed pots. I love the raw silk consistency of shino, and the way it bubbles purposefully during the quick dry. It is so important to once-glaze carefully. If the vessel is too dry, I have to watch it crumble and collapse before my eyes as the glaze is absorbed, and then rejected. Once-glazing is efficiency tempered by risk. But when it all works out, there is such satisfaction in not having had to bisque...Do we ever get through a firing without a torrential downpour? No siree. But thank goodness for it, really. France went through a terrible drought earlier this year. Does the drought continue? Embarrassingly, I don't know. We have been distracted from the goings on outside our little village-world, from our universe of clay and fire right here. Just one more strip of tin-roof would make all the difference though, at this point in time. Another item for the list, right after putting an end to shale gas exploration in my beloved province, right before getting the starter on the car replaced. Oh irony, oh ambivalence. For now, drip drip drip.

Everything has been so hilarious lately, that I have hardly had time to think, and I am afraid that my photo-documentation of our kiln renovation has been lacking. But see all those pots in the last photograph--the one that involves me, not dropping the piece, and... ta-da! Our bourrigama's firebox has been significantly altered. It is smaller and more streamlined, to allow for a more powerful, concentrated flame and heat, and we have eliminated a problematic dead-space zone, which allowed, in previous firings, for some significant blow-back and draw issues. We originally devised this renovation plan in France, and it's nice to have followed through.

Where have we been all this time, by the way? Working hard, and riding the wave. When we returned from France and made the big decision to establish our pottery and family in Queenstown (200 km south of Knowlesville, where we are moving from), we really threw ourselves head-long into a crazy adventure.

With lots of shows coming up including the brilliant and exciting "A Matter of Clay III", (about which I will go into some more detail very soon), a Featured Artist expo at Bookhou Gallery this fall, and lots in-between, we are once again feeling a bit of a crunch...But after a week of tantrums (Lee, me, the kids, everyone), I think we may have cleansed our system. For the time being, anyway.

So. If you're in the Knowlesville New Brunswick area over the next four days, please do come and drop in on our firing. As usual, all are welcome, and, especially considering that the crew who had planned to help us has had to cancel, we could totally use some keen stokers. Give me a call: 1 506 245-0741, or just come on down.

Pottery Lessons have begun in earnest. Keen student, patient (mostly) teacher.

Ready for their trivets.

Lee's goblets.

trivets

Plates by Lee and Yo.

thinking

catch

Peony Summer

2011-06-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

We begin firing the bourrigama on Thursday, the 7th. The wood has already been cut and split. There are friends arriving. Lee has been working at the church, and I am still in Knowlesville, despite the fact that simultaneously, somehow, we are moving to another house, in another town. The blackflies and horseflies and midges are intense, still. So are the flowers. Horus has been bringing me bouquets every day. Peonies are my current favourite. Ai. Everything is a bit blurry thanks to many sleepless nights. Nonetheless, it is like medicine to sink into the ritual of cool clay and the mesmerizing kick and spin, after the kids finally crash out and I am alone with my headlamp on these warm nights.

The bowl, above, is by BC potter Junichi Tanaka. His work is pretty impeccable. Check it out, here.

Fast Fire with David Eastwood

2011-06-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, right before we made the final decision to move to Queenstown, nb, we visited our good friend and fellow potter David Eastwood. Lee has known David for several years, and even spent a winter firing his Fastfire, before Lee built the Little River [Hikari]gama. When Lee and the kids and I dropped in recently, with the news that we might soon be his neighbour, David was thrilled. He has lived in Hampton--the community between Queenstown and Brown's Flats--for twenty-five years, after moving to rural nb from Toronto. David has been a production and studio potter since then, and his work is beautifully thrown, elegant, precise, and designed for use: home, food and function.

When David invited us to participate in the woodfiring that he had planned in collaboration with some students from the Craft School (NBCCD), we were delighted. We went away, collected some pots ( just Lee, as I only had greenware, and as the temperature rises in the FastFire so quickly--soft-brick-- no un-bisqued work allowed), and then we returned to stoke the kiln. A decent firing in David's kiln only takes about 8 hours, but the experience looked pretty intense and gruelling to me, anyway. There are 4 fireboxes on the floor of the kiln, so the firing crew has to be made up of at least 2 or three people--preferably four, obviously. Thank goodness the craft school crew were keen, because while the stoke is fairly frequent, the stoker is pretty much on hands and knees inside the 3-walled kiln hut, and it is very toasty in there.

I was very impressed with the results from David's kiln, especially the shinos. Not very much ash has a chance to develop during these short firings, so glaze is essentially a given. But the Malcolm Davis shino recipe that we sometimes use in the bourrigama came out beautifully here; creamy subtle crystals, and low-key flashing.

Another bonus to taking part in this lovely little firing was meeting some of the fantastic new potters graduating from the craft school right now--potters who are very interested in woodfiring in general...potters who have expressed serious interest in woodfiring with us! Yay! I love these connections. There are so many signs that our move to Queens county is a good one. Festival weekend coming up, and then we will begin our bourrigama firing on or around the 7th. And we have a crew of young, interested, talented potters...who have never done a multi-day woodfiring before... Lee and I are confident that we will convert them effortlessly.

Admittedly, our move has been taking up a massive amount of time, energy and effort. Back and forth with woodstoves, furniture, boxes of books. We keep moving imaginary and borrowed funds around on paper, trying to figure out how to cover the cost of building our new anagama, how to insulate the studio in time for winter, etc. It will all work. Somehow, it's all working: the wood has been split, the pots are drying. Long days, and longer nights.

Last weekend, we attended David Eastwood's gallery opening at Handworks in Saint John. The show was an homage of sorts to Hans Coper: forms that were clearly borrowed from Coper, but re-interpreted with David Eastwood's trademark restraint and subtle colours. Although we had seen many of the pieces at his studio beforehand, when we walked into the gallery and saw the works--primarily vases--filled with summer blooms from David's always-glorious garden, we were pretty stunned. "I wanted to show them with flowers" said David, "because they are vessels meant to be used in the home." Well, what better use than to showcase Peony, Iris, Daisy, and even Dill, fresh from the garden.

We are very happy to soon be David's neighbour.

David's functional pottery in porcelain and stoneware can be found at Handworks in Saint John, New Brunswick, year round.

David Eastwood's kiln house and Fastfire (the building on the left) and his old studio. In the past couple of years, David has renovated a larger barn to accommodate his studio space and greenhouse.

Kamataki.

David checks his cones.

Lee splits some wood while everyone else watches the chimney.

One of David's lovely eggshell vases, above.

David Eastwood's show room (beyond the barbecue and the luscious garden).

A few of David Eastwood's Coper-esque vases. The first two were electric-fired, and the last was woodfired and bears the subtle flashing marks characteristic of his FastFirings.

Firebox.

The results.

Lee & Treva check it out.

Some of the work by NBCCD students.

Amy and Leigh.

David Eastwood and Horus at the opening at Handworks.

Glorious.

Hummingbirds

2011-06-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Gramy Clark gave Horus a hummingbird feeder. It attaches to the exterior window next to our breakfast table. There is no paucity of hummingbirds on the Artful Acre here in South Knowlesville. But we love watching the hummingbirds battle while we dine. They are so delicate, so powerful, so beautiful. Then one morning, a visit from this guy (below) in the studio. Birds like that space in this cottage quite a bit, despite the fact that the studio is very messy right now. I make slow headway.

Lee and Horus took the top arch off the firebox of the bourrigama last week, and we have managed to split and pile a truckload of wood most mornings for the past week and a half or so. We will begin our first bourrigama firing of the season on the 26th of June. Before the 26th, we will be rebuilding the firebox of the bourrigama, making the work to be fired (there is a small number of work to be refired, and a few pieces that didn't make it into past firings, but for the most part, we will be making like crazy), and continuing to split and pile wood throughout. We are also preparing to move to Queenstown, NB, where we have found an amazing opportunity to set up a studio, a home, and to build the anagama of our dreams. We love Knowlesville, and everyone who lives there. But we are excited about the exciting upcoming events. Everything feels right.

Final Thanks

2011-05-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Association Alandier picnic in Puycelsi.

Our very interesting woodfiring discussion over dinner...

Hello everyone! We have made it home, and everything is different and exciting and green and old and new. I wrote the following on our last day in the South of France, and since I am behind on absolutely everything, here you go--a couple of weeks late. No no, no such thing as late. As my beloved Grandpa always says--who just turned 90 on the 17th of May--"everything will unfold as it should..."

It is our last full day in France, and after a rare rainshower, the sky is overcast. It is with admittedly heavy hearts that we are packing up our things, and trying to figure out the least risky method for transporting pottery; ours, and the precious pieces we have acquired from friends along our journey. Our firing in the LaGrane kiln, our exhibition at the stunning Studio LaGrane Gallery, and our meetings and discussions with the Southwestern Woodfiring Association of France have been a success. As promised, twenty-five percent of the money earned from the pottery sold during our exhibition was set aside to support the Mashiko Earthquake Kiln Fund, and will be sent to Japan shortly. Three nights ago, we organized a final Southwestern Woodfiring Association/Clark family dinner and round-table discussion. After a beautiful supper, we talked earth, fire and wood until late into the night, with champagne and cheers all around. Our experience here in France has shed light on several questions we had about firing techniques, and has inspired us to return to New Brunswick to make several changes to the way we fire, and to the design of our Bourrigama. We will be rebuilding the firebox of this kiln as a first step, in hopes that this will improve our firings from this point on, and we will be employing some long-wood pre-heat methods, as well as closing the damper during the initial stages of our firings in hopes that this might mitigate cracking in the larger firebox pieces. In all, our trip has been fantastic. We are especially impressed with the way in which the members of the Alandier Association (Firebox Association--the Southwestern Woodfirer’s official title) work together, helping each other fire, supporting each other’s work, and meeting to discuss technique, process and philosophy, while at the same time, working from varied influences, with different approaches, for different aims, and creating very distinct and unique bodies of work. And, of course, we are very grateful for the outstanding welcome we received from the members of L’Alandier: Quercy (of course), Eric Soule, Justin Dutel and Audrey Barbes, Gabrielle, Ingrid, Alban and the other lovely pottery folks we met. We also have to deeply and sincerely thank the following people: Clare & Alison McCain, Jean Golsse, Barbara Edelmann, Ralph Stacey, Tom Norris, Emily Shapiro, Mark Fleming, Shaun and Anne Clark, Cheryl Culberson and Kai Vido, Tegan Wong and Leland Daugherty.

And not least, thank you to the LOCAP gallery in Puycelsi and to Arts New Brunswick, whose generous support made this project possible.

Lee and I have both been inspired by the firing community we have been involved with in France, and we hope, in the future, to be able to include more potters in our own firings in New Brunswick--we are thinking especially of our fellow woodfiring potters who live and work in NB and the maritimes. Darren Emenau, a hugely talented and acclaimed artist living near Fredericton and Saint John has, I think, a [relatively?] new website, which showcases his work beautifully, so go check it out. Ghita Levin lives in the Sackville region, and makes gorgeous functional work, as well as voluptuous, sensual sculptural pieces which she often woodfires. David Eastwood is a long-time friend of Lee’s, (and I am glad to call him my friend too) and has been making his elegant and lovely functional ware for 20+ years in the Gagetown area. David fires an Olson kiln in a day or two for gorgeous glaze results. He has generously invited us to fire with him, and now we would like to go home to NB and do just that...

It is strange how a trip to a faraway land can inspire both growth and change. More excitement to follow.

The Work: Vernissage

2011-05-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

Preparations for the show.

Quercy Golsse

Quercy Golsse.

Quercy Golsse

Lee Horus Clark

Yolande Clark

Yolande CLark

Yolande Clark

Yolande CLark

Quercy Golsse

Yolande, Quercy, Lee

Lee & Yolande

Window.

Guests.

Quercy, Lee, Yo.

Unloading...

2011-04-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

The kiln-master made us wait until 4 oclock in the afternoon...

A public-party of an unloading...and it was lots of fun! Lots of local friends came out, as well as our French Fire comrade Eric Soule, and unexpected visitors Markus and Ute Bohm, acclaimed German potters who were in the area for a show on the Cote D'Azur, also made it for the cracking of the Studio LaGrane Kiln.

Champagne, friends, Xmas-like thrill...

The first look is always...strange.

And I have learned that the dark inside the kiln makes everything look quite a bit more brown than what will be revealed in sunlight, and after washing and finishing the pots...

There are too many pictures of this pot already, I just love it so much! Lee says I should call it "La Guerre", which I think is awful...but it did go through a lot. It has two fire-bullet holes, but no structural cracks...unfortunately, it doesn't hold water. A sculptural piece.

A great plate.

Some lovely porcelain.

Q.'s beautiful porcelain cups.

And Lee's exquisite porcelain bottles.

Horus climbed the wood pile while we opened the kiln-present.

My firebox vase.

Lee's firebox vase.

And again.

Q.'s gorgeous firebox figure/vase.

And another of Quercy's large, luscious pots.

A canister with gorgeous fire colour and coral.

Left to right: Quercy, Yo, Lee.

My tsubo again...

The atmosphere was jovial.

Everyone is very happy.

Confession/Elaboration

2011-04-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, I think I've kind of been a jerk about the cones and pyrometers thing in the past--or rather, overly passionate to the point that maybe some have been irritated. Well, Quercy has certainly pointed out how irritating Lee and I are when it comes to the issue of cones and pyrometers. And in an earlier post, I think I mentioned that cones were used during the firing we just did in the LaGrane kiln, and it wasn't so bad...

So I have to backtrack a little bit. It wasn't so bad, but the more I thought about it, the more I realize that I think I actually had a delayed reaction, tempered by an attempt to be...not diplomatic, but open-minded; open to the experience of firing in a different way. I like to believe that one of my strong points is my ability to embrace my mistakes, flaws, and to acknowledge a tendency to be...wrong, and/or, especially enthusiastic. The no-cones and pyrometers is philosophical, but also functional--and a creative difference. And to be *quite* honest, I really do prefer their absence. I mean, I really really prefer it. Which is not to say at all that we haven't learned HEAPS from being here in France, talking with our Alandier friends, and firing with them. In fact, we have derived massive benefit from being here, and I think we have touched on a dramatic solution to our bourrigama problem. And I don't begrudge anyone their cones, not at all. We are ultra curious about all ways of firing. But, in hindsight, and to contradict my previous post...the cones *were* somewhat --in a broad sense-- distracting. We weren't obsessing, but in general, our point of determination: cones. And incidentally, I didn't experience quite the euphoric connective merge...Lots of variables.

Quercy's main argument remains "consistency in my ability to explore with clay". He has stated that had we had no cones, we may have had less control over the firing, and may have had problems holding back risky temperatures in order to avoid refractory failures.

And Lee and I say: It was white. White is white. If we hadn't been using cones, we would have then been forced to check into the fire, to look and notice more. In any case, we agree to disagree, and all is amicable.

Also, I have to admit, that the melted cone pack as a symbol of achievement really rubs me the wrong way.

hmm.

Road Trip

2011-04-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Biker. Ready to go.

Eric's beautiful home in St. Martin.

Yesterday morning, we drove west to St. Martin, to throw some wood into Eric Soule's fire, and we were just in time. The International Virtual Woodfiring had been going very well, so much so, that Eric and his crew had been holding the heat at bay overnight. We are so glad we made it for the last few stokes. In fact, all 3 member kilns of the Association L'Alandier that have been lit over the past couple of weeks (Justin and Audrey, Quercy, and Eric) have been experiencing great firings and wicked hot temperatures. Eric's anagama is a sleek, low-slung, efficient firing machine. Eric's work is beautiful. Eric's crew was lovely and sympat, consisting of Gabrielle, Ingrid and Armelle, all potters, and members of L'Alandier.

The heat really was nearly overwhelming, especially as I forgot to slip up my robber bandanna...And although the kiln is gorgeous and all the work I have seen from it, sublime, I must say that I like the fact that our anagama is built high enough, and the door bricked at such a level, that we don't have to stoke on hands and knees with the flame at face-level...so hardcore!

There was a lovely last stoke by everyone present, and then a hustle to seal all air entry points, which Horus jumped on, slinging mud like the rest of us.

Afterwards we were all welcomed into Eric's gorgeous home, and, as I always do in any potter's lair, I snooped about, devouring all the vessels by photograph:

And one of the loveliest, happiest paintings I have seen in a while, above.

Then another gracious, effortless and delicious meal, wine, sausage, all of it.

Afterwards, Eric brought out some pieces from his permanent collection; Lee and Horus discussed one particular guinomi at length.

And then a studio visit. Lee and I both particularly loved this guinomi, above, by Eric.

One of Eric's firebox pieces.

And the piece above is by, I believe, David Whitehead, a potter living in the LaBorne region.

A vase by Justin Dutel, above.

And the two gorgeous guinomi, above, were gifted to us by Eric. Thank you. We are so grateful for your incredible support, Eric, and for the warmth and generosity of the French woodfiring community in general. We eagerly await the results of the International Virtual Firing!

Giroussens

2011-04-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

We woke up yesterday morning and drove South to the town of Giroussens. Giroussens has been a ceramic centre in France since 1538, and was then known for its lead-glazed earthenware. In the 16th century, Giroussens supported about 30 potters, and then at least 50 in the 17th and 18th centuries. Giroussens supports a gallery and education centre, many local potters, as well as an annual Europe-wide pottery sale, to which thousands are attracted every year. We were keen to go and check out everyone’s work, but we were entirely unprepared for what we found there. Firstly, the place, in the late afternoon of the second day of the 3 day show, was PACKED--cars were corralled in a field next to the entrance of the town, and the main street of the town itself, which served as the open-air gallery, with tables set up along the side of the walkway, was surging with bodies, so much so, that many of the tables, plinths and display shelves were obscured--and I apologize for the terrible photographs, but most were taken while jostling for an opportunity for a quick shot. I was also unable to get the names of many of the exhibitors whose work I photographed here, so if anyone would like to add an artist identity, please feel free to message me.

The variety, caliber, and quality of the work, overall, was hugely impressive. And the enthusiasm and population of the crowd indicates clearly that ceramics occupy a much more visible and significant rubric in French society, than it does in Canada. And there are more people here! Despite rumours of Giroussens’ political issues (problems reconciling local government and the priorities of artists?), it is clear that the vessel, in all its permutations, and equally, sculptural and conceptual works in clay, are, in France, a lively and fully experienced aspect of culture.

The day was somewhat dampened at the end by Horus’ attack on Coralie Seigneur’s delicate gallery display. Lucikly, Quercy dove in and threw his whole body against the plinths, stabilizing the shelf while the pots teetered...and then stabilized. Horus was escorted outside--the poor guy had had enough, and it was completely understandable. We hung out under a beautiful and fragrant tree, whose name I forget, but which still bears the most delicious delicately scented and sweet flowers that we ate together, pretending to be goats.

My favourites of the show included the delicate and gorgeous woodfired bowls by Claire Lepape, following. These porcelain vessels are woodfired, with a simple clear glaze for flux...Claire is using the MingPo porcelain and the Imperial, both from Solargil, the French clay company. We splurged and bought a little cup from her, but I wish, now, that I had bought one of her larger bowls as well. These photographs do NOT do her work justice...I will photograph my new cup later, but do check out her website, here.

I also really loved Maria Bosch's large pod/chrysalis-like vessels, and her ceramic paintings. They are both substantial and diaphanous, with abstract gestural engobe markings. Again, this is a really terrible photograph of lovely work.

Pretty pretty celadon.

Many of the following teabowls I quite like, especially the bowls on the far left on the top and second-from-the-top shelves...and the middle bowl on the top shelf...

Very strong minimal abstract pieces.

At the entrance to the ceramic centre: gallery, gift shop, education spaces.

A shelf of vessels:

Ceramic panel painting in the gallery.

Horus, Treva and me, looking terribly disheveled. Yes, we were.

I have more to write here, and details to add, and I have to tell you about some of our most exciting revelations, including the brilliant breakthrough in terms of our new kiln design, and how we are about to renovate our bourrigama, etc., but from what we have heard, Eric Soule's International Virtual Woodfiring which is blazing as I write, is going *very* well, and he might shut down earlier than expected...so we may have to get up really early tomorrow to make it there in time to get our stoking in, and to see how Eric fires his kiln, which we are especially keen on. We have been learning *so* much from our French firing friends, it's kind of unbelievable--just how much of what we have observed we are already translating into ways of approaching our own firings, ideas as to some improvements we might make to our kilns in New Brunswick, and various insights. And all of this visiting and talking is essential in order to keep our minds off cracking the LaGrane kiln. Lee popped down to the kiln site this afternoon, and there was still lots of heat going on...Soon!

Fire!

2011-04-23T07:51:00.001-07:00

I have so much to say about the experience of firing the Studio LaGrane kiln, including the marked and interesting differences between Quercy's firing methods and our own (pre-heat, choice of and strategies for wood, Q.'s use of cones, firing rhythm, heat, approaches to big reduction, etc). In all, this firing was pretty magnificent. Visitors from the area were continuous, and Quercy is a gracious and accomodating kiln-master, with a welcoming and adroit sense of showmanship and performance, but also an open willingness and ability to share his knowledge in an accessible way with all who stopped by--in French and English. The kiln itself is a rugged little warrior, and ultra-responsive. This, combined with a majorly civilized and sophisticated stoking rhythm that was constant, but very relaxed--two sticks every minute or so, very gently--just pushed into the firebox--makes for a kiln that is a joy to fire. Unfortunately, my large tsubo which was placed front and centre at the firebox, showed a coil/seam crack high on its shoulder during the first few hours...but over the next few hours, the crack appeared to have been covered with a veil of drippy natural ash glaze...I have my fingers crossed, but I feel very much at peace. The experience of creation was an early morning-after-all-night-up-making dream; the piece came easily, as though it had been whole, but dormant in my muscle memory--the product of repeated attempts, amalgamated, waiting. I'm happy about that. Our only real "problem" throughout was that we were able to achieve an intense level of heat very early on, (cone 12 went down by six o'clock pm on Friday--two days into the firing), so we actually had to scale back, pulling out the passive damper on the chimney and chilling things out a little bit. Quercy is convinced that the tighter stack heavily influenced our ability to rapidly achieve temperature. At around 9pm on Friday, we decided to do a series of super-reductions using a technique the French call "train-train". The "train-train" involves stuffing the firebox with a huge load of small pieces of wood, closing the door, and then running up to the chimney and capping it, as well as closing all the dampers. This, after the relative sedateness of stoking, was an *awesome* light show; the kiln breaks, sputters, and then starts to heave, cracks blowing out, and flames slithering from any available space. After cone 12 disappeared entirely, we were on the lookout for the any signs of porcelain or shelf movement. After 3 o'clock am, we noticed that the kiln shelves had begun to shift, and we all decided that this was the time to shut things down, in advance of any major disasters. This firing is the longest Quercy has ever fired at such a high temperature--and he believes also that this was probably his hottest firing to date.

While I have said lots about the advantages of NOT using cones and pyrometers, the experience of being here and firing with two sets of cones (top and bottom), has been interesting, and yes, very useful. Quercy himself has mentioned that he has attended firings here in France that involved four sets of 8 or 9 cones, and a constant assessment of what the cones were doing. Not so in this case; we checked primarily after we knew that we were hot...and then only a couple of times over many hours. Lee and I did agitate a little bit in an attempt to get Q. to agree to blaze through all the wood and to continue the firing over as many days as possible (me and Lee), Quercy, kiln-master prevailed, especially when we all noticed that the kiln shelves were listing dangerously. We ended at the perfect time. It was almost dusk by the time we sealed up the cracks. Then, while the kids slept on in their little blanket nest next to the wood pile, we sat by the door of the kiln and contentedly congratulated ourselves, telling stories of life in France, and of firing the Little River Anagama in the good old days...

Rain had been mentioned a couple of times but for the first two weeks of our visit--and throughout the firing--the weather had been impeccable. In the early hours of the morning, after walking the path and crossing the road, and walking along the ramparts into the village, almost at the moment that we crossed the threshold of the Bergerie where we are staying, the rain came, and gave the farmers their respite. Grow, vines; ripen, fruit.

Treva and I took the first night shift.

Horus, as always, gave his muscle piling wood with the best of them.

So much delicious food.

The first "train-train" reduction.

Quercy closing the cap on the chimney.

Flame fronds...

Horus on his high-wire.

The kids' sleeping arrangements.

The "train-train" involves a rake, then a huge firebox-stuffing stoke.

Then we run up and watch the chimney as it breathes fire.

See that kiln shelf...it was straight...

We unload on Wednesday!

Packing the Studio LaGrane Wood Kiln

2011-04-23T03:34:00.000-07:00

In wait.

Quercy Golsse--potter, kiln designer and builder, owner and creator of the studio LaGrane kiln.

Three firebox pieces. From left, Yolande's tsubo, Quercy's iron-clay canister, Lee's tall vase.

The LaGrane kiln is entirely horizontal except for a sharp vertical step at the back--a rear flame constricting area.

Many feet.

Buddha Golsse.

Horus adjusting his work on the ready-to-go-into-the-kiln table at the site.

We forgot to bring trivets for Quercy to take molds of...we used wadding only during this firing, but hopefully we'll have a chance to make Q. some trivets before we go.

Firebox pieces.

The beginnings of the first shelf.

A pensive moment for Lee and Horus.

Packing the kiln took two days. Horus and Treva scrabbled around in the dirt that surrounds the kiln, feeding ants and climbing rocks.

Lee and I debated staying up another full night to make work. The LaGrane kiln is a modest size, and we thought that maybe there wouldn't be enough work. But we ended up crashing out instead, which was good, because the number of pieces was perfect. One of my teabowls, one of Lee's and a couple of Quercy's smaller canisters didn't make it in; our initial collective eye had been bang on, and Quercy says that this was the tightest stack he has placed in the LaGrane kiln so far.

Left: Quercy's dress and breasts figure, Lee's standing man (lying down), my thrown plate.

Ca continue.

The packing was complete at 4:30 am on Thursday, the 21st of April.

After Q,'s simple ceremony, a very relaxed pre-heat was started at 5am, and then the firing began in earnest at around 9am.

French Firing Friends: Audrey Barbes and Justin Dutel

2011-04-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

After our drive to the St. Antonin market in the morning, we continued along a winding country backroad through the towns of Caylus, St. Etienne, Loze, and then to our destination of Varaire. Down a bright overgrown lane, we stopped next to a cactus garden, and the bright painted sign: Poterie.

The beautiful Anagama built and belonging to Audrey Barbes and Justin Dutel is located to one side of their large courtyard enclosed by their gorgeous stone house and spacious semi-attached studio, and the barn and storage space facing. Their gallery is closer to the road; a spare and lovely interior with exposed rock and Justin and Audrey's luscious, unaffected woodfired functional pots displayed on simple shelving.

Lee and I were both very enamoured with their kick-wheel; a beast, with a wide shelf at the front, and the requisite view into the garden beyond. Lovely.

When we arrived, Justin, Audrey, their 7 month old son Jasmin, and their excellent crew of friends, felllow-potters and helpers, were in the early stages of firing; a slow transition between the pre-heat campfire at the exterior, and the introduction of wood into the firebox.

The kiln, as I said, is beautiful to behold. It is, loosely, a Tokoname style kiln, with a completely horizontal body, and a perpendicular chimney. They adjust two dampers for control; one at the base of the chimney, and the other on the top.

They make and fire functional pieces almost exclusively. The large kiln size allows for the back third to be filled with flower pots, which do well with subtle colour from the cooler areas of the kiln. These are packed very tightly, and then as the loading moves to the front, the flame is given some more room to move around. Meticulous loading, as you can see.

The atmosphere at the kiln was very chill. We all hung out, Horus was welcomed, Treva and Jasmin played on the grass for a while, and someone broke out the Tonka trucks which occupied Horus for a considerable length of time.

Justin Dutel raking the firebox.

When we went in to gather props for the shared meal (simple yet delicious grilled fish and sausage, greens, beer and wine, and of course, cheese), I was stopped short by their superbly eclectic collection of pottery. I have been the most obnoxious tourist during this entire trip, constantly snapping photos, but I asked permission to share the following shots of pots from Audrey and Justin's home, so here you go (after lunch, I mean):

(After lunch, Audrey and some of the crew, along with Jasmin who was suited up in a skullandcrossbones t-shirt, took off for a Manifestation against hydro-fracking, a problem that France and New Brunswick share. I wanted to join them, but apparently our itinerary didn't allow for civil disobedience stops...Next time. No Fracking Way, France. Fist in the air.)

Many, but not all, of these were made by Justin and Audrey themselves. The following is a photograph of their gallery in Varaire. In all, it was an extremely enjoyable and interesting day, and I think we made new friends. As we left, we genuinely invited Justin, Audrey and Jasmin to come to Canada and fire with us sometime. I hope they do.

French Firing Friends: Eric Soule & the International Virtual Woodfiring!

2011-04-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Eric packing his anagama for the International Virtual Woodfiring

**the following has been edited; sorry Eric!

I mentioned Eric, his anagama and his work in an earlier post, but I didn't get a chance to fill you in properly...so here goes: Eric Soule is a talented French potter who lives in a beautiful contemporary home with his family in St. Martin, just off of Dufort & Capellete, in the Tarn & Garone region of France. Eric has been immersed in woodfiring pottery for five years. He learned to throw on a Japanese-style hand-wheel at Rizu Takahashi's studio in Villaudric. Eric describes choosing wood-firing as a technique, then building his kiln, before he learned to make pots. His beautiful, subtle and distinctive works are very much influenced by the Japanese traditions of Bizen and Nanban. His kiln is approximately 3 cubic metres, and he fires primarily unglazed functional ware. He is incredibly passionate, and also massively supportive of the woodfiring community in Southwestern France as well as worldwide. He has been very encouraging towards me and Lee--he bought a piece from us a while ago, and is also involved in the Association Alandier (Firebox association) of SouthWestern France, under whose auspices we are participating in our current residency. Also, and during our past week of creating work for our upcoming LaGrane firing, we have been using Eric’s pristine new electric wheel. Lee and I prefer to throw on a kick-wheel, but we do have an old Brent at home in New Brunswick which occasionally gets taken for a ride. While I’m still very much attached to the inimitable organic mechanism of the kick-wheel, I must admit that Eric’s sleek wheel (what brand is it? I will have to go look tomorrow) is...buttery...and silent (!)

The International Virtual Woodfiring is Eric’s conception. For a while now, Facebook has been an important tool for potters; we find each other, we talk, we organize firings, and then, hopefully, it all happens for real...Eric’s International virtual Woodfiring is an incredible example of this. Woodfiring potters were invited from all over the world, to send Eric pieces of work, which he is at this moment, firing in his anagama kiln in St. Martin, France. Lee and I are fortunate enough to actually be here (France), now, so we dropped off a few pieces with mutual friends and woodfirers Justin and Audrey, which they then passed on to Eric right before he bricked up. The firing has begun, and I believe it will be complete on Sunday (? I think?). Thankfully, Lee, Horus, Treva, Quercy and I will have a chance to visit Eric's kiln in full firing force. And of course, we are very much looking forward to seeing the works from the kiln. I am pretty sure that there are French, Canadian, German and American pieces in this firing...among others, I'm sure. In any case, this is such a fantastic concept. Please check out Eric’s excellent blog at www.ericsoule.blogspot.com for more in his work, kiln and firings.

Eric has also been maintaining a facebook page on the International Virtual Woodfiring; do a quick FB search, and you're sure to find it.

The two stunning pieces above are from one of Eric's recent firings; firebox works. I love these vessels.

Eat Think Breathe Clay

2011-04-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

It is such a thrill to be trying out some new and different clay bodies. On the left is the "Gris St. Amand", a stoneware from a quarry close to LaBorne, the famous French kiln site (where hopefully, we will be visiting before the end of our trip). This is a very favoured clay body in France, but the results under a reduction atmosphere in a wood kiln are significantly subdued. Wet, it is black, but fires (in wood) to a light brown colour with little flashing. The middle clay is a "Gris de Treigny", a high iron, very plastic stoneware that throws and shapes well. Good tooth. I love the Treigny, and it fires gorgeously in the wood kiln, from what I have seen. Rich, dark, but responds very well to flame and ash--runny gold and blue natural ash glazing. Treigny is north of LaBorne. France has many micro-geographical regions and therefore considerable variations in clays. The clay on the right is called "Colette". The pieces made from Colette that I have seen are mostly those that had been placed in the firebox, and the results are quite spectacular--blue/black ash and glaze. Colette is very smooth, but the bags that we are using are somewhat dried out, and hard to throw...And we brought some of the clay that we dug ourselves from the stream in Florenceville, New Brunswick. Enough for a cup and a bowl each...We are also fortunate to have access to a little bit of Ming Po porcelain, one of the most beautiful porcelain bodies I have used--and, unfortunately, blows Frost out of the water. It has a seemingly preternatural urge to the centre, and is crazy-plastic, bouncing back with a vigor that is almost alive. I love it. I know how silly it is to covet a clay that is imported from such a distance, but it really is kind of to die for. Heart-breakingly gorgeous colour in the anagama, too. And apparently it is sold exclusively through the clay dealers here in France...Of course, we won't know what any of these clays will do for us until we fire...Packing begins tomorrow, and we fire Thursday.

Above, some firebox pieces; mine, Lee's, Quercy's.

One of my tsubo. The collar is weak, in my opinion. Oh well.

We have been working until three and four in the morning, while the kids sleep. There are catfights every night in the road next to the ramparts. Every morning, the birds erupt in song at dawn.

Everyday Pottery in France

2011-04-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today was perfect. Sun, wind, cool, bright, warm. Above is a wayfarer's stop, for sheltering travellers on their mid-day journey...This is a relatively new structure...only a few hundred years old, built on the perimeter of the village, near the official stone entrance. The entire village of Puycelsi was, in the 1100s, owned by an Abbey...the Catholic religion underscores the aesthetic of everyday life, paradoxical to the fact that French politics are decidedly secular. It is an interesting juxtaposition.

We live in part of the ruins of the original castle of Puycelsi. Breakfast and lunch are taken here, or outside as a picnic as we explore. For the most part, Lee and I take turns in the studio, and hanging with the kids, but Horus is old enough now that his attention can be held for a run of pottery-making, and he gets right in there when it's time to pile wood, or re-arrage rocks at the kiln site. Often, we take our evening meals in another house nearby, owned by the same family who run Studio LaGrane. This house is situated in the town square, next to the magnificent medieval church and across from the pristine boulangerie (fresh levain baguette every morning, a scrumptious selection of local honeys, and biscuits laid out like jewels under glass--I have decided that Horus will taste pain au chocolat one time before we leave). Everything in the Golsse home is offhandedly beautiful and historic. The rooms are large enough to accommodate and to complement the massive dark wood furniture, and on every mantle and side table there are odds and ends that speak to the elegance of simple things, handmade.

Prior to electric refrigeration, ceramic pots were used as a medium to cool water down via the porosity of earthenware clay. The two-toned pot (above) is a traditional french jug that uses capillary action causes the water to transpire and thus to cool.

On the left, a French butter dish made from earthenware. Water is poured in the shallow trough between the pot lid and the butter, creating a seal and keeping the butter cool. The tall handled bottles are traditional French stoneware used for storing liquids; alcohol, perhaps (!) Some of these were woodfired, some salt-fired, a couple of them were fired with gas.

Last night, working in the incredible space that is Studio LaGrane--late into the night--a Death's Head Moth fluttered in front of my face, and came to land above the massive stone fireplace, across from the 16th century fresco that continues to crumble into dust...Our sleeping quarters are just below--a former goat barn (how fitting). I can hear Treva and Horus when they stir. The air is cool and humid at night. Pigeons coo and moan, flitting in and out of the exterior stone walls. Earlier, on our expedition, Horus saw a lizard leap out of a crack in the rock from a gravestone at the Cimetiere de Puycelsi...The constant casual daily interactions with History, the reminders that we are part of a continuum of human existence. I love it.

I am itching to tell you about the clays we are using, progress at the kiln site, and more about the experience of working in the studio. In the next couple of days we will be starting to pack the kiln, and also visiting some other potters in the area, mid-woodfiring.

France

2011-04-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Studio LaGrane kiln site, built by Quercy Golsse. The kiln is a hybrid cross-draft design, combining anagama and extended throat train kiln concepts.

Quercy Golsse sitting by the firebox.

Horus, Treva and Yolande.

Eric Soule discussing the loading of his Anagama, located in St. Martin, lieu Durfort, la Capalette, the town of Garonne.

Pots on their trivets.

Pots wrapped in salt and sode soaked straw for firecord effects.

The roof of Eric Soule's kiln.

We have made our arrival in France, and already we are hard at work. The weather is gorgeous, and the medieval walled village of Puycelsi is gorgeous. The children have just fallen asleep, and Lee and I are about to head up to the studio to finish making some preliminary small works--teabowls, guinomi, yunomi etc.--so I won't take too long here right now...suffice it to say that we are thrilled to be here, and that our itinerary is full full full with clay, fire, brick and the sweet sun of the Midi...We are making use of the kick-wheel here at Studio LaGrane, and earlier today Lee took a trip to visit the kiln of woodfiring potter and Association L'Alandier member Eric Soule, who is at this moment packing his anagama for his International Firing, which will include several pots from artists from all over the world who have sent work to be fired in his Feu. Lee and I brought some New Brunswick clay, and we are slaking it down overnight, drying it on a plaster bat, in order to make some works for Eric's International Fire. Oh Shoot. That's Treva, waking up again. Later. xo PS: Lee finally tried foie gras and pronounced it "not bad". xxo

Local Clay, Ceramics Monthly

2011-03-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Horus on our nature walk. The snow goes slowly.

(Guillermo Cuellar's lovely yunomi--is it ok for me to snatch these photos from the e-world? I hope so! If not, just let me know and I will take them down asap.)

Lee, Horus, Treva and I journeyed into Fredericton--our nearest city--today, and ended our day of chores by picking up the latest issue of Ceramics Monthly at our coffee-shop/magazine store. This is one of our once-in-a-while splurges...but sometimes we decline if we flip through it without seeing images or articles that really seem to pop out...We had heard that the magazine had done a re-design, and we were curious. Our feelings as to whether or not CM is our cup of tea has varied over the years...but we decided to go for it.

Pleasant surprise. Do you like it? We do. Lots of eye candy, technique stuff, and good writing. So nice to see Euan Craig's very very fine blog being discussed, and a beautiful "studio visit" with potter Guillermo Cuellar, an artist working in Minnesota via Venezuela who throws beautiful and handsome functional cone 10 stoneware.

And it is so exciting to see that the quest for local clay is getting so much press and interest. This is a fantastic trend. We have been clay sleuthing for a while in the Carleton County New Brunswick area, and my upcoming exhibition at Bookhou gallery in Toronto will be based on anagama/bourrigama woodfired functional ware using local clays from several different locations near our home. A few months ago, I placed an ad in our local buy & sell (our hillbilly bible), and I have received a steady trickle of phone calls, casual taps on the shoulder at the co-op, and interceptions at the corner store on the subject of where to fill our buckets. I have a list of 7 locations in particular, and I am itching for this snow to melt so we can get out there...

After our trip, the snow must have disappeared. Hear that, snow? May 14th.

It is so galvanizing to be brimming over with these sweet plans. Constant thrills!

Hope you loved the moon.

Studio LaGrane Woodfiring Residency in the village of Puy Celsi, France

2011-03-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

A view of the village of Puy Celsi.

The studio LaGrane exhibition space.

The studio LaGrane Anagama.

Clay studio. Works in progress!

We are so grateful to Arts New Brunswick, and to our unbelievably generous patrons for making possible our upcoming trip to France. It is official! Lee, Yolande, Horus and Treva will be leaving in early April for the mediaeval village of Puy Celsi, France, to do our artist residency at Studio LaGrane, home of a beautiful new Anagama kiln, which we will be firing. We will also be exhibiting our work in France. Studio LaGrane is run by our colleague Quercy Golsse, president of the SouthWestern Woodfiring Association of France (Association L'Alandier). While in France, we will also have the opportunity to consult and liaise with fellow-woodfiring potters, exchange ideas and techniques, and discuss the work. Our itinerary will be packed, but we will be sure to take a day or two to gallery hop. We are so thrilled! Thank you thank you, to all of our dear supporters and friends. Stay tuned...

Thankful for Spring, The Turning Wheel and Teabowls

2011-03-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

The snow melts, then falls, then melts, re-covering the patches of barren earth that had so valiantly appeared on the horizons, hills and dales. Home. Spring wavers; earnest and then retreating. Soft flakes fall all afternoon, and soon the landscape through our wide southern window is white again.

We are in full-out pottery mode. Wait...always. Lee has been living at the church (the former church that has been our in-town studio for the past 4 years) in Florenceville-Bristol full time. The kids and I show up every couple of days with food. We put the children to sleep on the big brown sofa upstairs, and then we both go down to the studio and work till two or three in the morning. The list gets checked off: mugs, cups, tumblers, cheese plates, butter dishes, and yes, even teapots. Lee is generous with his criticism, and I love it. I am learning to be pristine and precise; all clean lines and careful edges. This is all essential practice for making the best work we can for the woodfiring season that will begin...very soon. We throw, trim, wedge and wipe to the sound of the CBC, and updates on the tragedies in Japan. Dream-like. We stop, and ask each other: "Is this real?" Nightmare. Our friends, our artistic heritage. Constantly in our thoughts.

Back at home, the kids and I go about our routine. Goats, dishes, books. At night, after Horus and Treva have fallen asleep up in the loft, I have been working in our tiny porch studio by candlelight and headlamp. I am making teabowls, re-inspired by the recent Boston show. I am employing a new technique, exciting to me. Throwing in two parts, for delicate winter chawan with a slight floating foot. Lee disapproves--doesn't like the way, and isn't terribly excited about the outcome. Well, his sense of purity is very subjective and sometimes silly, I think. We will be bisquing some smaller works to take to France. We make and make. The still-winter weather is a challenge. The chimney to the woodstove in the studio is too short. The draw is poor, and getting the fire going is difficult. The other night, I abandoned the fire all together and put on my parka while sitting at the kickwheel. The next morning, my bowls had frozen again, cracked. I am grateful for the practice. I am grateful.

The days pass so quickly. There is so much to do. Plans unfold. I am so grateful.

Contribution to Japan

2011-03-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

Slight correction. Ayumi Horie has been totally swamped with donations, so I have posted to our etsy shop my favourite and only remaining (there were 2--our dear friends Paul and Phil have the other) sake set, the proceeds of which will go entirely to the Japan Relief effort.

The news of devastation, death, pain and nuclear danger are so gut-wrenching. I guess I am just really glad for the opportunity to not be completely useless.

Handmade for Japan

2011-03-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have been flailing around emotionally, teary over the plight of Japan, a country of such pride, dignity and beauty. I just found out about potter Ayumi Horie's project, "Handmade for Japan", an online auction in support of disaster relief for those who have suffered and continue to suffer from the earthquake, tsunami, and now, nuclear danger.

Lee and I will be contributing our pottery to this effort. Pieces will be posted very soon, as soon as I have details on how to join up!

Please check out the event. A very worthy cause.

Yolande

Beautiful Japan

2011-03-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Lee says, Japan, my heart is with you.

Yo says, To all of our friends, acquaintances, potters, pottery, to every person, and to the beautiful land: Heart.

Thank You Peter Callas

2011-03-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

I think the fact that I, and many others, feel so connected to the teabowl as a "thing", (as an abstraction--an idea--and an object, and also as an object with emotional and intellectual depth--not tethered necessarily to Japanese culture or Buddhism, but acknowledging these) is a testament to the teabowl’s plurality in terms of reference and significance. I have extremely limited experience the formal ceremonial elements of the chawan, and yet the teabowl has, since the beginning of my initiation into the world of ceramics, been a source of inspiration, adoration. The infinitude of gestures, tones, suggestions, attitudes, stances, seasons, contexts, processes that can be expressed within the basic structural tenets of the teabowl...I find it all utterly captivating and resonant. Such a sublime and intimate thing: small worlds of contemplation; the distillation of a whole, beautiful idea or experience. Yes--resonant is a good word. Object as metaphor for the ephemeral..within/without, empty/full. Open.

And yet so many painfully inept attempts at teabowl-making exist out there, pieces that misstep in one way or another; too striving in their evenness, or lacking that perfect imperfect sense of balance and proportion. Yes, the gorgeous paradox. Every good teabowl is in possession of essential balance. And yet again, within this rule, there is a universe of expression. Self/no self.

I do try to be open-hearted and yet honest about pottery. Sometimes I am a passionate jerk. But I allow myself to make these broad statements, because I have made some seriously lacking and hideous teabowls. Laughable, even. So, they are good for something. Well, I think, or rather hope, that my work has glimmerings of authenticity of spirit, at least. Enough about me.

It is an absolute joy and a necessity to allow myself to respond to a work entirely intuitively (yes! no!), and then to feel confident enough in my brute sense of the thing to be able to unravel my reasoning backwards from this emotional end point...I know what I need from a lump of clay. When I find it, it makes me cry.

Lee visited Peter Callas’ studio in the US, during or after the building of Joe Bruhin’s kiln in Arkansas. I don’t actually have all the details--Lee’s storytelling is sometimes amorphous. The next time we are lying in bed, awake, with two sleeping children, I will demand to know everything--What was he wearing? How did he talk? What was the rhythm of his gait like? Did you peer inside his studio?

The fact that I will not be attending the opening of the Lacoste Gallery’s exhibition “The Elusive Teabowl”, pains me greatly. I considered all manner of ridiculous travel methods, but it won’t happen...passports will arrive only a few days too late! Nor will I make it to the Japan Society of Boston’s events in association with this show. There is a slight chance we might make a family trip to see the show before taking off across the pond...but I fear even this is unlikely.

I am intoxicated by the bowl shown above. Statuesque ocean thing. I want to bring you to my cheek and feel your rough jeweled surface, then lift you to my ear and hear the fiery sea. I look, and the space between the idea and the material object eclipses, and I am transported--sitting in the cool shade on the banks of a cool dark blue pool. A pebble drops, and the ripple makes its motion, becomes a world unto itself, eternal, undulating return. Some kind of strange koan, maybe: how does clay remain still, yet move constantly like water? Only after the onslaught of fire. This bowl fills me with a sense of radical peace: rugged rich clay body in counterpoint to the essential simplicity of form, the soft flange of lip, and, insistent, through a scabrous landscape, emerald bleeds. Ai. I love you.

If YOU are going to be in Boston this weekend...please go and see. Then report back.

Yolande

Yanik Potvin

2011-03-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope no one noticed that I quickly dropped the brilliant idea of doing a regular “feature” of the work of other ceramic artists that I have been admiring...I could blame a number of reasons on my early defection, but I think mostly I am resistant to certain kinds of structure, and also I think because my appreciation for the pottery that I randomly come across on the interweb ebbs and flows quite a bit. Some weeks it rains and pours, and other weeks I hate it all. Obviously, I should not bother to create these scenarios for myself in the first place. Working on that. But, there is someone in particular that I have been meaning to post about for a little while:

Yanik Potvin is a young Canadian ceramist with a fluid approach, an innate sense of form, and a sense of humour and irony while making pottery that still manages to nod respectfully to the the various traditions that we all have our fingers into, while creating very much in his own voice. In the case of the two pieces posted above, the tokkuri I think is simply gorgeous, and innocently erotic in it’s milky full-breasted peachiness...burnished lip, rakish halfmoon scar...Gee, forgive me, I am still in the infant-mother-love zone...sigh*. I would like to feel it in-hand. Weight is so important. The hanging plate is dramatic, lovely, fun and striking. Can someone think up a philosophically pertinent description of a synthesis between young Canadian, rural archaeology, antlers and Peter Voulkos? Skewered, weighty, abstract/conceptual, decorative... Anyway, Yanik’s teabowls are also quite luscious, and he has developed some gorgeous crystalline surfaces on some of his work using a hikidashi technique. He is, I believe, firing mostly with wood and gas, but I’m not really sure under what circumstances, and gas is *definitely* not my thing--I know nothing. I have heard that Yanik will be building his own anagama soon...in a similar style to Peter Callas’ kiln: gradual slope, and a grate-less ground-level firebox...for lazy-flame yohen effects. All the better to see the spare beauty of fire markings on raw clay my dear...We are looking forward to seeing both his kiln, and the bounty that emerges from his firings. Also--hey Yanik! We are firing this summer. You are more than welcome to come, bring some work, bring your family...

Oh yes, and I don't think Yanik Potvin has a website, but he can be found on facebook.

February Dream Time

2011-02-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yes. February is dream-time, grant-writing time, parsing-pottery-on-the-internet time, nature-walk time and...cabin-fever time! Actually, we have been doing very well. There is so much going on, it is absolutely exciting in every way. Primarily though, we are all itching to get back to the business of cutting and splitting wood. Even Horus talks about the wood pile. Lee and I are looking forward to seeing Treva follow in her big brother's footsteps (literally) this summer--she too, will be learning to walk in the woods, naked (probably) at the kiln site...ah. Bush babies. We are still waiting to hear about whether or not we will have funding for our trip to France--either way, there is lots to do. The harsh winter and piles and piles of snow (still several feet on the ground here in Knowlesville, New Brunswick), has meant that our hopes to woodfire throughout this winter have been...dashed. However, working in the studio--even making electric work so that ends will meet--has meant a continuation of our experimentations with form, and both Lee and I have found that our energy and ambition are renewed in anticipation of the firing season. Distance from the Anagama really has made our hearts grow fonder--as always. Above is a photograph of our poor little bourrigama...buried under about 5 feet of snow...

The bottom illustration is an initial sketch of our new kiln, courtesy of Lee and Horus--to be built as soon as possible, on our land on Skedaddle Ridge, Knowlesville, on the bank of the beautiful Skedaddle Brook. This kiln is inspired by Shiho Kanzaki's kiln, as well as the kiln that Lee built for Arkansas artist Joe Bruhin--with a few key differences, including possibly a steeper grade for more Iga effects, a longer and higher chimney for reduced carbon emissions, and we are considering creating a slightly larger setuma (secret room behind the flame-diffusion wall at the end of the kiln) where we might want to place shino work...but we're not totally sure about this. The kiln we have in mind will be a combination of sorts between the Shigaraki and Iga-style kilns... Lush dripping natural ash glaze, yah.