burnt.normal church pottery

Artist of the Day !!!

2009-12-18T04:56:00.000-08:00

I am so honoured to be featured on Carole Epp's fantastic blog as one of December's Artists of the Day! And I am in *amazing* company. I love this series for the diversity of work--from abstract sculptural pieces to figurative work, to delicate functional porcelain and more and more and more! Take a look at Carole's blog and you will probably be there for hours...She also posts calls for entry and other goodies, so it's a great place to visit often.

The image above is of a fellow Artist of the Day Laura Cooper's work, delicate, rough, introspective, beautiful.

Yolande

Come to our Presentation on Intuitive Woodfiring the Clark Way!

2009-12-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

Lee and Yolande Clark will be giving a presentation on Intuitive Woodfiring on Monday December 7th, at 7:30pm at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas Ontario. We will be discussing our method of firing our 27 foot long "Little River Anagama" without glaze, cones or pyrometers, as well as the evolution of our process, Lee's early experiences building the first incarnation of the hikarigama, the renovation of the anagama last spring, the influence of Shiho Kanzaki on our work, and the construction of our new "Bourrigama" which we completed in November 2009. We will be showing some photos, and a selection of our unglazed, natural-ash ceramics in the flesh! We will also be sharing some excerpts from Claude Gagnon's excellent documentary on Shiho Kanzaki (featuring Lee!).

Come and join us if you have the chance. We'd love to see you there. Refreshments will be served!

Carnegie Gallery

10 King Street

Dundas, Ontario

for more information, please call 1 506 392-7917.

Yo & Lee

Hannun Lyn: Porcelain Goddess...And other Goodies from One-of-a-Kind Toronto

2009-12-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

There are so many other wonderful artists at this show, its hard to know where to begin, but I'll give you the low-down on my favourite picks:

Hannun Lyn is last year's winner of the Gardiner Ceramic Museum Award. She makes stunningly spare, minimal and sublimely deconstructed porcelain ceramic art, sculptural and functional. Gas-fired, mostly, translucent magic. I am not a fan of teapots, generally. I *love* Hannun's teapots. She also does pristine large vase forms, and *gorgeous* installations that are thought-provoking and visually stunning.

Above: Hannun Lyn's beautiful hand-caned porcelain tea set.

Hoi-bo is the name of my friend Sarra's company. She makes intensely beautiful, meticulously crafted bags, clothing and accessories, from leather and hand-waxed canvas. She sells her work internationally as well as from her studio in the distillery district. Examine a mass-produced big-box bag, and then take a glance at a Hoi-bo purse. The difference is orders of magnitude. Sarra is the real deal, and her style Is. Right. On.

Sarra's sister Hoi-An is a visual artist who works under the name Me-Hoi. She makes paintings, drawings and graphics printed on buttons and other accessories. Her work is fabulous, funny, fresh and sweet.

Sarra and Hoi are pretty much the most hilarious, supportive, and friendly cool kids ever.

A few days ago a made an excellent trade consisting of two woodfired teabowls for a handcrafted-in-Quebec, cherry and walnut wood Tamboa--What, you ask? A Tamboa is a box-shaped musical instrument--similar in spirit to the marimba, and similarly played with rubber mallets. The sound is sweet, low, mellow and groovy. Don't tell Horus, but this low-tech, hand-made, slow-food tune machine will be his Christmas present. Little boy has mad rhythm. And I won't mind hearing him practicing on a tamboa all day long.

Oh dear. There are so many more artists and crafters I'm missing. I will post some more reviews soon!

Until then, happy shopping everyone, and don't forget to come and visit us if you're in town, we're booth E-22.

Shop Art, Shop Local, Shop Hand-made!

love,

Yikes

2009-12-02T08:05:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I almost edited out the little addendum of bitterness in my last post. But I leave it in, as evidence of my imperfections.

Please, let me emphasize that you (YOU!), and your support, kind friends in eastern provinces, family, fellow artists, et al. have been instrumental in giving us the courage and determination to keep working, firing, showing, trying. Who could ask for more? Challenges bring opportunity.

And *everyone* pays their dues one way or another.

I love the sense of community at this show, massive as it is. Among all the artisans, and our fellow ceramic artists especially, there is full acknowledgement of the diversity of our work, and a real sense of co-operation not competition.

I like this. I like seeing established artists who are willing to support the younger generation. I vow to strive to be more of an ambassador of goodwill and inclusiveness in the maritimes. Go independents, go risk-takers. Go Fredericton Crafters.

ok.

love,

One of a Kind Top Five

2009-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Firebox Tsubo: Fired for 9 days in the Little River Anagama, then another 4 days in our new Bourrigama.

We did it. We built the kiln, we fired the kiln, we fired the kiln again. I had a bit of a meltdown prior to leaving, but somehow we managed to unload, finish the natural-ash glazed vessels and figures, as well as the shino work. On razor's edge, we packed the truck and hit the road.

And now, we are here: back in fabulous shiny happy happening glittery art-abundant Toronto.

It is now day 6 of the One of a Kind show in Toronto, and I finally have a moment to post an update on what continues to be a pretty stellar experience. This is our first year at the show, and we really weren't sure what to expect. There are hundreds of artisans with work ranging from the sparkly to the sublime, and I have to admit, the whole scene was pretty daunting at first. We were awarded a "New Artist Scholarship" for 50% of the cost of a huge 10x20 foot booth. We set up with our usual 3" thick pine board shelves that make up our clean and minimal display, and went to town.

So far, the response to our work has been phenomenal. Lee's large pieces are stunning as usual, and one lovely couple walked away with one of the most beautiful firebox cover jars from the second firing of our Bourrigama. My buddhas have been selling like hotcakes, and Allison, our lovely dealer from Distill Gallery came to visit with the message that the buddhas and tokkuri we had left at Distill during our last visit to Toronto had sold out! Yesterday, I was approached by the Creative Director of a large design firm, with a possible project idea...I will keep you posted!

It was wonderful to be able to let the charming Frank Tucker (of Tucker's Pottery Supply) know in person how reliable, fabulous and beautiful, his Tucker's MCS porcelain really is, in the Anagama. He was totally blown away that MCS stands up to the kind of heat we create in the Little River Kiln. He left pleased, I think, and in possession of one of my sweet guinomi, (MCS, of course) and Lee's one and only (so far) local Carleton County clay tokkuri. Thanks Frank!

Yesterday, we found out that we were nominated among the top 5 booths at the entire Toronto show. Thank you One of a Kind Wizards! We are truly honoured.

And I just got word that one of my buddha sculptures will be featured tomorrow morning on Toronto's CityTV. Wowzer.

Horus is having a blast. His phrase of the month is "Oh Yeeaah". Oh yeah indeed baby-o.

PS: Dear New Brunswick, Dear New Brunswick Craft Council, Dear Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council: Thank you. If not for your consistent rejection, I might not be in Toronto, getting kudos, acknowledgement and respect. To the friends and fellow artists in NB and NS who have been behind us all the way: Eternal Love and Respect. You know who you are.

Kapala Skull Cup

2009-11-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

I have received an unusual and exciting commission. A Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and fellow artist has approached me to make a woodfired porcelain Kapala Skull Cup. The Kapala Skull, in the Tibetan and Hindu traditions, is a cup, made from a human skull, or a representation of a human skull made from metal, wood or other materials. The cup is often shown in Tibetan paintings, held or carried by a deity (in this case, Lady Yeshe Tsogyal) in the left hand, to represent sacrifice, creation, destruction and empowerment. The cup is used for sacred rituals, offerings and ceremony.

I am deeply honoured to take on this project. I can't think of a more appropriate medium for such an item, than woodfired porcelain. I will be using either "Frost" or "Southern Ice" porcelain, the purest of clays. This piece will be fired in the next few days, and I will be placing it close to the firebox. Over the course of the firing, the piece will be literally and metaphorically cleansed by the fire, and the flame and ash will wash over the piece, imbuing it with the energy of our intention. The ash from the burning wood will land on the piece, and the wood ash will melt, intermingling with the natural chemicals in the porcelain, to create an intrinsic, glaze, the depth and quality of which are appropriate for such a holy item.

Gentle Weather

2009-11-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

The kiln is firing again, already. I have been waking up at 5 am every morning for yoga, correspondence, and business. Church/studio is the only quiet place to work right now. Somehow, by the time I return, usually around 10 or 11, everyone has breakfasted, and Horus has been fed and dressed. I vacillate between feeling v. irritated with everyone (socks, dishes forgotten chores, computer use, argumentativeness), and feeling extremely grateful for their presence. Mostly it's the latter. When I dig a bit, I realize how lucky we are to have such an involved and caring extended family. Horus is constantly surrounded by active and strong role models, and its wonderful for him to be so adored, always. This is an experiment, not only in terms of firing kilns, but in living in community and we all constantly shift, adjust, and, hopefully, mellow.

Flow is not constant, but I felt it for a few moments, while packing the kiln with Lee yesterday. Sitting on the cold ground, surrounded by buddhas, while Horus slept in the wagon. Small, Large, Medium, Lee instructs. You stare faceless, all of you. Which figure speaks to me? You and you.

Are you building an army? Sophie asked a few evenings ago, confronted with fifty or so sitters, drying on the harvest table.

I suppose I am.

Peace Warriors.

The rains came, but Guillaume built a tarp shelter, so we stay dry. Guillaume is like a big brother to Horus, and I am constantly surprised by his genuine compassion and sweetness.

Jordan feeds the chickens, and brings us stories of their antics. He is steady. He makes us all feel comfortable.

Jannick, even when moody and itching to move, is always patient and lovely with Horus.

Erin has blessed us with her exquisite presence, and her energy is a balm. She has an almost magical ability to shape-shift in her role...my friend and confidante, Horus' goddess-mother, one of the boys, radical wood-piler, spiritual healer...

These last suicide firings before we take off to TO feel frantic, and a tiny bit portentous...we are sliding into a different stage. The One of a Kind show is a new scene for Lee and myself, and our whole crew will move on, in one way or another. Levels of engagement, ages, stages, all circling in our orbs of awareness, our lack thereof, in and out and up.

Thank you for the gentle weather, world.

First European Woodfire Conference

2009-11-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the proposal I just sent to the organizer of the First International European Woodfire Conference. I hope our application is accepted. I think this is a discussion that should be of interest to all woodfiring ceramic artists working today.

Proposal: Intuitive Fire

My husband Lee Horus Clark and I live with our 1 year old son Horus, in a strawbale, solar-powered cottage in Knowlesville, New Brunswick, Canada, population 300. Our lives revolve around firing our 27 foot long Little River Anagama, and our new bourri-gama, built in the fall of 2009, for natural ash glaze. We don't use cones, pyrometers, or applied glaze, save for shino, very occasionally. Instead, we fire our work as bare clay, for extended time periods (10+ day anagama firings) and we judge the progression of our firings by the nature and colour of the flame, the characteristics of the smoke, the smell of the kiln, and the sights and sounds around us, among other factors.

The reception of our approach by other potters has been interesting. In September 2006, immediately upon unloading a 6 day firing of our then-hikarigama, Lee and I drove to Arizona to attend the International Woodfire Conference, 20 + years of Tozan kilns. During the NAU pre-conference presentations, my now-husband Lee gave a talk on his "way". He was 29 years old at the time, and a frisson rippled through the crowd as he spoke about his ten years of woodfiring in extreme conditions, for extended durations, with no cones or pyrometers, and no applied glaze--and the stunning results of his natural ash work. However, during the subsequent formal conference presentations, there were comments made by some presenters, that essentially dismissed the practice of firing without technology as a fringe hippie renegade element that indicated a lack of seriousness and/or an overly romantic notion of what it is to be a woodfiring ceramic artist today. The implications were, that firing without a technologically produced numeric value somehow indicated a lack of professionalism, legitimacy, or the kind of intellectual rigour that industrial science (ostensibly) and the influence of Europe and America have brought to the genre.

Firing intuitively without glaze or technological devices is a very conscious decision on our part, and relates to every aspect of our lives as ceramic artists, partners, parents and stewards of the earth. This decision is also intrinsic to our understanding and experience of woodfiring as a spiritual practice, and profoundly informs the aesthetic of our work. Conferences and gatherings such as these are wonderful opportunities to meet other artists, to share ideas and to learn about others' methods. For the most part, however, we find that working outside the rubric of the institution gives us the freedom that we need to experiment, and to push the boundaries of the materials and process. Like many of our fellow workshop participants, our artistic lineage is drawn heavily from the Japanese tradition. The history of pottery, kiln-construction and woodfiring is built, quite literally, on the ideas of others. In the past few years, many colleagues have asked us what we feel are the benefits of firing intuitively. The main argument from potters who rely on devices for firing, seems to be, If the technology is there, why not use it? Questions have arisen such as, How can a potter maintain proper records without specifics? And, How do you know when you're at temperature? From a cultural, historical and interpretive standpoint, what does "progress" mean in the context of woodfiring? What does the work itself say about the processes under which it was created? How do formal elements of the work speak to Spirit? What is Spirit? What is lineage, and How do we respect tradition while pushing the envelope? It is thrilling to be a part of such a diverse and distinct community, and there are many "ways of doing it". Our version of Buddhism, and our approach as Canadian artists,living and working in a harsh, northern rural setting, further complicates this lineage, all of which plays a large part in our personal ceramics code of ethics.

Lee and I are interested in exploring the questions that surround the idea of firing intuitively, and to discuss some of our specific practices, as well as addressing some of the questions and concerns that other artists have shared on the subject.

MADE BY POTTERS - MADE FOR POTTERS

This international conference aimed at exploring current research and trends in wood firing will be held atBröllin from 2nd to 5th September 2010.

Bröllin Wood Fire will run over more than three days, and is expected to attract around two hundred delegates from Europe as well as overseas.

Well known keynote speakers will address a series of questions, follow-up forums will give an international overview and discuss technical and aesthetical issues. Exhibitions will be held to coincide with the conference – aimed at presenting a wide survey of wood fire practice. Forums will be held each day, as well as demonstrations, exhibition openings, kiln firings and social events.

There will also be Pre-Conference Workshops in the week leading up to the Conference. After the conference we offer excursions to places of interest for woodfirers, for example to La Borne, where a part of the pre-conference of theAIC general assembly will be held some days later.

We are very glad that we found Bröllin Castle as the ideal place for the conference: a huge manorial ensemble in the east of east-Germany and for that reason easy to reach, not yet fully restored and for that reason full of possibilities. To benefit from these possibilities we will need many helpers, indeed an event made by potters, but not only for potters!

Conference languages will be English, French and German with translations. Conference organised by kalkspatz e.V.

For questions or suggestions contact

Markus Böhm, Alt Gaarz 6, D-17248 Lärz

+49(0)39833-22219, markus@woodfire.net

Mama Buddha

2009-11-12T11:10:00.001-08:00

I am trying to stay calm, grateful, centered and clear.

I am like the wind.

Everything is nuts. We unloaded the kiln yesterday, and the results were...extreme. The shelves furthest to the chimney were raw, as I suspected. We didn't have time to make a shino glaze, and there are certain areas of this kiln that will require it. However, the firebox pieces are pretty breathtaking, with incredible natural ash results, and the kiln design is very sound. I have been sculpting at our huge kitchen table, which is somewhat awkward, considering that there are six people living in our tiny cottage...but we are setting up the kick-wheels in our new studio today, so we can work through the night, and make enough stuff to load the kiln again and fire it on Saturday.

We will also be making some changes to the Bourrigama, before firing again--which should improve our results. Another four feet added to the chimney will lengthen the flame and increase the power, making the hot zone longer--which may require us to open a bit more air during firing. We will also open the mouse hole (small airspace on the firebox floor that delivers air to the back of the coal bed) earlier, making the coal bed hotter and more active. I suggested adding hobs to the back chamber, but instead we will be building a flame diffusion wall at the back, to force the flame through the pots and upward...and ceramic blanket on the far wall of the kiln as well as another layer on top of the arches will provide better insulation.

Here are some Buddhas that sat near the firebox. I'm pretty thrilled.

Did I mention that Lee's tsubo is stunning? A bit difficult to discern completely in this photo, but I will post an official shot soon.

It's going to be ok.

Everything will be ok.

As always, Horus sails through it all, bright and magical, totally involved, Prana beaming from every pore (thanks Ang!)...

We will be taking an incredible selection of beautiful work to the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, which begins on the 27th of November. Come and visit us! Or alternately, check our website for all of your xmas pottery needs. We even have paypal! Yay.

On a somewhat different note, I have posted an adoring article I wrote about Lee onto our site. Go to the "Portfolio" section, the article is under "writing". I'd love to hear what you think.

Love,

Inaugural Firing

2009-11-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

The kiln is built. My birthday/xmas/hallowe'en/anniversary/wedding present (eeeeep!) was designed with the principles of the Anagama in mind, but with a Bourry-Box firebox--although instead of a box structure, Lee designed two elegant catenary arches, supported by a sprung arch seam.

A conventional bourry box is generally designed for applied glaze, and with the aim of avoiding ash buildup, which is entirely different than our objective--our focus is on the kind of natural ash deposits that the anagama is known for. In other words, this kiln isn't really a bourry box, strictly. We're still undecided on a name.

We will be firing this kiln throughout the winter, to produce new work, to experiment with natural ash and shino glazes, and to test new claybodies (specifically local clays) for the Anagama. Right now, however, we are under the gun to make enough pieces for the Toronto One of a Kind Show, which opens on the 27th of November. This first firing is buddhas, and the guinomi and tokkuri Lee made from our first dig of local clay mixed with fireclay.

We did a pre-heat of about 36 hours, which is longer than we normally will, as the kiln is green now. Then we slowly pushed the fire into the firebox, and began stoking two foot pieces of slabwood from the door, onto the hobs. At every stoke, we would also add a smaller quantity of more finely split wood into the middle of the chamber. The flame went wild in the chimney, especially after the second stoke, sometimes reaching eight or nine feet at the apex of the firing on the third day. All the work looked pretty drippy. We shall see tomorrow afternoon, when we unload. Then three days later, we will turn around and do it all over again, once-firing our new work (which we will be making tomorrow and the next day), and then again for the third time, right before we take off in the truck to TO.

We're dying to see the results tomorrow, and in particular whether or not there is any evidence of salt. The bricks used for this kiln used to make up the back chamber of what was the hikarigama (double tube chambered kiln), prior to last summer's renovations. There might not be much salt effect, seeing as the back chamber wasn't fired solely with salt in 3 years...we shall see.

To our friends and family, and our *incredible* interns Jannick, Jordan & Guillaume: for everything...thank you! Now back to work.

Love,

Everything Happens

2009-11-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Here we are. Our nearly completed kiln.
We are cozily ensconced in our new home--the strawbale cottage in Knowlesville, and the site of our gorgeous new kiln. Meanwhile, burnt.normal church pottery in Florenceville-Bristol has been transformed into a bright and spacious haven--well on its way to becoming a functioning gallery/studio/community art space. We have done a bang-up job of planning and executing this show in record outlaw time, and it has morphed into a bit of an informal retrospective of Lee's ceramics--we really do have an incredible selection of work from over the years. His pieces look wonderful in this space, and I continue to marvel at his stunning skill, style and range. My hundreds of greenware buddhas have been transported there and back and there again, with a high rate of beheadings, sadly, and thus many of them are being fired in the electric kiln, as yet unglazed, to be put on display for purchase prior to their being woodfired. I have had several more sculpture orders from Toronto which is pretty thrilling. Lee has been building from sunrise to sunset, working his genius magic, and although our new kiln (Clark-Bourri-gama?) is effectively finished, we will not be firing until after our...

Exhibition Opening

tomorrow

Thursday, November 5th

7pm @ ALMAG Florenceville-Bristol, NB

8pm @ burnt.normal church pottery

Harmony Fire: Woodfired Ceramics by Lee & Yolande Clark

In celebration of the collaborative configurations of partnership, family and community that make our life as woodfiring potters.

There will be music playing, wine flowing, and hand-made chocolate truffles to savor among other

delicious things.

And of course, there will be an abundance of gorgeous pottery for admiration and for sale, with prices ranging to suit every budget--Right in time for the gift-giving season. Local, authentic and one-of-a kind gifts are the best!

Gallery open hours will be held at ALMAG and at burnt.normal church from 12-5 on Saturdays, from the 5th to the 21st of November, and by appointment. Please email babycowlickedme@hotmail.com to set up a time for visiting at your convenience.

We are also offering a 2-day family pottery workshop on the 14th and the 21st of November from 2-4pm both days, at burnt.normal church. The class, including 2 days of instruction, materials and firing, is $10 per person, and would be suitable for kids or adults or both. This is a great opportunity to make Christmas ornaments, gifts, or just as a way to relax as the Holiday gears get under way.

In other news: I mentioned Toronto earlier, and I should announce, officially, that we will be at the Toronto One Of A Kind Show from November 26th to December 6th. We were approached at the Queen West Show by a representative who told us immediately that our work would be perfect at OOKS. Seeing as this event is one of the most high profile and high quality fine craft and design happenings, we are *very much* looking forward to it!

Keep checking here and on our website www.clarkwoodfire.com for more details.

And we hope to see you tomorrow evening.

Love,

Yo, Lee & Horus

New Kiln

2009-10-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Winter Building

2009-10-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

I demonstrate. Gloved hands and pickaxe? Each brick must be scraped clean of old mortar, moss, clay and dirt before it can be used for building. Angela looks over and says You're kidding. I'm not. But there is a meditative quality to it. Chain gang Zen.

The lost boys are back, sleeping in the loft. This house is wonderful. It chuffs along, warm and soft, all bright wood from the huge south window, and even feels ample with tons of guests. Horus is enjoying the dogs and the chickens and the being outside. Freedom. Meow.

Horus' party was a success. Thank you family and friends. This boy who at age one, has attended four Anagama firings, and transformed a hikarigama into an anagama, is now building a Bourry Box Clarkagama.

I have been waking up at 5 am to take some time to do pilates and yoga in the mornings and to keep up with correspondences. Horus is adjusting well to this relatively new routine--he and papa snuggle. Then we feed the chooks, feed the dogs, fetch water from the well, start a fire in the cookstove, make our omelet or dashi.

The Lost Boys are workers extraordinaire. The front porch is nearly a studio, and we just might be able to fire this kiln by the 30th of October, as planned. They will be making

I am looking forward to a workshop that I have organized, upcoming, with Chrysalis House in Fredericton, a centre for Youth in Transition. I will be doing an evening of introducing clay and making bowls at their centre in Fredericton, some discussion on the process and philosophy of woodfiring, and then on the 31st, the girls will come up to Knowlesville to visit, and to fire our new kiln with us--and their own work, of course.

I suppose its a bit of an understatement to say that the physicality of clay really lends itself to getting in The Zone, that place of productive meditation. I feel galvanized by the opportunity to potentially share this feeling with others.

I also crave solitude. I'm itching to set this studio up today, and get back to my practice of buddha-making. I have about 300 buddhas to fire now, and more are forthcoming. It is a happy obsession. I love them. The buddhas I made during the last firing sold immediately. A wonderful lady we met at the TO art crawl bought two at the show, and then called us the next day to come and pick out three more. We set up a mini-show in Phil & Paul's garden. She was sending them to friends. "As messengers" she said, "talismans, gifts that bring peace". It was nice to have my shit validated.

Lee lives, breathes and dreams the kiln design.

It rained, then snowed, now sun and slush.

New Places

2009-10-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

If you're free on Sunday the 18th of October, come to Horus' first birthday party in Knowlesville, next to Fallsbrook centre, at 2pm. It will be a kiln-building party; be here if you're interested in learning how to build a small, efficient, woodfiring kiln. Bring gloves, boots and grubby clothes.

Here is our new home--Tegan and Leland's strawbale solar-powered cottage in South Knowlesville.

Our new kiln-site.
Taking measurements.
Kiln plans.

Local Clay

2009-10-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

It looks like we might have struck gray. A local guy tipped us off to a clay deposit in a stream across the bridge that runs into the Saint John River...It was rainy yesterday, but we suited up, and headed out to dig. We will be experimenting with this clay in our electric kiln, as well as in our new woodfire box kiln. We will be moving bricks on the truck this week to our new home and site in Knowlesville. It looks promising. A bit sandy, but promising.

Check out a sneak preview of our new website here. Address will be different soon, work in progress.

We are refurbishing the church/studio, and moving tomorrow.

And we have just confirmed a show at the Andrew and Laura McCain Gallery in November. More information soon.

Now Available at the Canadian Guild of Craft Gallery, Montreal

2009-09-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Guild of Craft Gallery is a gorgeous space in downtown Montreal, featuring sculpture, paintings, jewellery, fiber arts and ceramic art by leading Canadian fine craft artisans.

Lee's sake cup

Lee's magical teabowl.

Yo's sake cup.

Now Available at Distill Gallery, Toronto

2009-09-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

Distill.

Lee's sake bottle.

Yo's buddha.
Yo's sake bottle.

Available at the Petroff Gallery, Toronto

2009-09-26T05:53:00.001-07:00

Lee's firebox vase.

Yolande's mizusashi--covered jar.

These two gorgeous pieces are now available through the Petroff Gallery, Toronto.

Toronto

2009-09-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

Lucy Rie's incredibly delicate bowl--at the Gardiner.

Hello everyone. We are here. The show was a success. We made heaps of connections, and said goodbye to many beloved pieces. And we love Toronto. We are staying with beloved friends in the Parkdale neighbourhood. The energy and vitality of this area is completely invigorating. The tone of the city is so different from Vancouver, and a world away from New Brunswick. I miss Carleton County, but I adore the abundance of eclecticism here, good espresso, ART, cheese shops, real food (fresh figs, sushi, serrano ham sandwiches, fusion everything), style, substance, quality, the Globe on every corner, and, to be honest, the comfort of not standing out on the streets in the least. Queen street is rife with galleries and studios, and I have several favourites already, including Thrush Holmes and Klint Roenisch, two young painters who show on Queen and work in large scale, big colour, major impact. I have a serious art crush on these guys.

Lee, Horus and I checked out the impressive Gardiner Museum in Toronto yesterday. We finally made it to the contemporary room after miles of painted porcelain which isn't really my thing. I have to admit being somewhat underwhelmed by Hans Coper's tiny tiny form. Yes, it's true that his ability to distort scale and expectation is amazing. I had seen this piece in so many publications, and had assumed that it was huge. Just as I was contemplating this, I turned around and found myself face to face with Peter Voulkos' large stoneware plate. I have had emotional reactions to artwork in the past, but no ceramic sculpture, except for [many and most of] Lee's, has hit me with such a smash. I staggered almost backwards, my heart slammed, and I started to cry. The intense physicality of the piece, it's movement, rhythm and joy were stunning. I love it. I had never seen a Voulkos in the flesh before, and I am ashamed to say that I have always suspected that the accolades he has received were somewhat overblown. Not so. The guy was a tornado, his art remains so.

Oh! And last but not least: Lee and I are thrilled to announce that our work is now being represented by the Petroff Gallery, at 1016 Eglinton Avenue West. The space is beautiful, the people are lovely, warm and professional, and their collection of paintings, glasswork, sculpture and ceramic art is gorgeous.

I have said goodbye to many buddhas. Joyful Heartbreak.

New Work Available

2009-09-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Lee's vase.

Yolande's jar.

Lee's lidded jar.

Lee's teabowl.

Yolande's vase.

We Are Pleased

2009-09-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

We woke up early. Highly emotional all week, strange. Dashi and vegetables for breakfast, with egg. Cool sunshine, glistening trees, green forest. Lee made me behave myself and remove the dried wadding and newspaper with decorum, each brick. We are dignified. Then he took the door down. Black. Kiln still warm.

The firebox was strange. Again, black. My two vases nearest to the door in that nether zone ash spot. They were ash-covered, and dry, which seems to be characteristic of pots in this area. In Japanese, a single word describes this state: Haikaburi. Heavy ash.

I almost recoiled. It had been a very long week. I want colour, range. Lee is just a little more quiet than usual. We have been hopeful. We are hopeful. The firing seemed to go very well. Only a dramatic show of post-secondary gases igniting from the intial flame (rocket magic) twice. The wood wasn't seasoned. Lee split it all in the weeks leading up to the firing. Was it hot enough? I am concerned that the temp fluctuated too much, that we weren't maintaining temperature, reduction. But the arc of the firing overall was fine, good. Everything looked wet. We saw drips, and black milk streamed from the chimney at every stoke--a roiling chuff, oily and opaque.

We have worked like mad over the past six months. In April, we began snowshoeing out to the kiln. We tore down the back chamber, we rebuilt the chimney, we split and piled 9 cords of pine. We made the work, we packed the kiln for a week. We fired, we unpacked, we finished, and then we did it all over again when the results of the first firing were not what we had hoped.

Now this:

Door down, finding the first pieces is a bit if a haze, hearts pounding, we pounce on each other's pottery, knocking trivets off feet and relishing the frenzy of immersion. The discovery.

Ebony. Ivory. Stars. Constellations. Milk and the Milky Way. Clusters of stars like insects. The colour of wings. Dendritic fractals like fern Fronds. Ink stains. Feathery oil drips.

The universe written by fire. Each piece a universe unto itself. Otherworldly.

Mystical and dark and light. Lee's exquisite tokkuri and sake sets.

You've got to see them.

More soon. We leave for Toronto tonight. Meet us at the Queen West Art Crawl this weekend.

Oh! And I have some new, strange paintings, also. Hm.

Nine Days of Stoking

2009-09-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

Hikidashi pot. Pulled from white-hot firebox. Colour-change before our eyes. Black and Blue.

Ok

2009-09-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

We brick up the door

and start the fire. Namu Amita Butsu. namu amita butsu.

And Loading

2009-09-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Daddy is happy.

The magic bus made it out of the woods. Some muscle from the truck was required.

Little boy.

Helping papa.
Careful.

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2009-09-03T11:12:00.000-07:00