2019 – Page 3 – Kawartha Potters' Guild

Holiday Profile – Lillian Forester

November 7, 2019 by Karina Bates

Joining a neighbour at a pottery class has led Lillian to a lifetime love of clay. She works only with porcelain clay after taking a week-long workshop with renowned ceramic artist Harlan House. She enjoys the colours achieved by using a white clay. Adding a little texture or some carving picks up surface details when her work is glazed. It is always fun opening up the kiln.

Lillian also plays a vital role, as a volunteer and key founder of the guild. Last year she was recognized with a Lifetime Honorary Membership award.

Holiday Profile – Maureen Reed

November 7, 2019November 4, 2019 by Karina Bates

Maureen began working in pottery about fifteen years ago, after taking some courses offered at her local visual arts center. She enjoyed both the medium and the company of other potters. Over time, she realized that pottery was stress reducing and offered opportunities for creativity. Maureen now has her own small home-based studio where she prefers wheel work to create functional pots (bowls, plates and mugs). She has taken courses in pottery at the Haliburton School of the Arts and has taken advantage of the great workshops and courses offered by the Kawartha Potters’ Guild.

Holiday Profile – Ginny Clark

January 26, 2021November 4, 2019 by Karina Bates

Ginny’s Practical Pots

“I have been admiring and collecting pottery for over 45 years. Three years ago, I decided to try my hand at creating my own pottery. I quickly realized that it’s not as easy as it looks! I am following a journey of learning, creating and experimenting. I have gone from being completely surprised at how well something has turned out, to becoming more confident at designing and decorating my own pieces. I am having a great time crafting unique, functional items for everyday use.

I am looking forward to learning more decorating techniques, experimenting with new designs and skills, and incorporating them into my own creations.”

Artisanity Show and Sale

October 28, 2019 by Karina Bates

Our friends over at the Artisan’s Centre of Peterborough (based in Peterborough Square), are having their Artisanity Show and Sale this coming weekend, November 1 – 3 at the Knights of Columbus Hall (317 Hunter St. West, Peterborough). The show opens Friday from 4-8 and is open both Saturday and Sunday from 10-4. There are 28 different artisans in this show, and a number of them are from our guild. There will also be wood turned pieces, weaving, gourd work and other textiles. This is always a lovely show, not to be missed!

Holiday Profile – Dan Hill

January 26, 2021October 25, 2019 by Karina Bates

My current focus as an artist/craftsperson in the 21 st century is to act as a counterbalance to the sterile, poorly designed machine made products that surround us in our daily lives.

With my functional pottery I combine contemporary design and decoration within a historical context in an attempt to bring a sense of ceremony and humanity into the
user’s everyday life. My One-of-a-Kind vessels push the boundaries of form and function but as with the functional work retain the marks of the maker, the process and the fire.

Soda Firing highlights all of the handcraft processes and leaves a visual imprint of flame and soda vapour movement within the kiln. When all goes right in this potters
world the imprint of the fire animates the ceramic surfaces and breathes life into my
work.”

We love Dan’s soda fired pottery! You can find his works and those of other potters at our upcoming Holiday Pottery Show & Sale starting Nov 30th!

Rectangular tray with colourful glaze painting - Dan Hill

Canoe shaped boat in light green - Dan Hill

Holiday Sale Profile – Diane Hancock

October 23, 2019 by Karina Bates

Diane Hancock lives in a small rural community north of Bowmanville, and just south of the Oak Ridges Moraine border. This quiet, peaceful country setting is the perfect environment for exploring the never-ending possibilities of what can be made from a lump of clay. Working with clay offers a unique way to channel the need to be creative. With an attention to detail and form, Diane focuses on wheel thrown functional stoneware pottery, but also enjoys forming one of a kind hand-built vessels. Inspired by the beauty and timeless quality of handmade goods, Diane hopes you will enjoy using her pottery pieces as much as she has enjoyed creating them.

Wayne Cardinalli Workshop

October 25, 2019October 23, 2019 by Karina Bates

We had a really fantastic workshop with Wayne Cardinalli on October 20th. Wayne brought tools, tricks, tips and pots for us to discuss, and admire. He is a very effective speaker leaving many of us with much to think about with regards to where our pottery goes from here. There were experienced and fairly new potters in attendance and everyone enjoyed themselves and got something from the day. Wayne talked about wheel throwing, hand building, surface decoration, tools, the ergonomics of throwing and wedging and the passion needed to make great pots. You can see more of Wayne’s work here.

Wayne Cardinalli discussing calipers — Wayne Cardinalli discussing tools of the trade

Wayne Cardinalli demonstrating throwing — Wayne demonstrating throwing and decorating a bowl

Wayne Cardinalli demonstrating hand building — Wayne demonstrated several types of hand built plates

Wayne Cardinalli's thrown teapot — Wayne demonstrated throwing this teapot in 7 minutes!

Wayne Cardinalli discussing finished pots — Wayne took time to discuss the finished pieces he’d brought, including form and glazes.

Holiday Sale Profile – Karina Bates

October 23, 2019October 18, 2019 by Karina Bates

Karina (Horus Eye Pottery) has been an active potter for about 15 years and just recently took the plunge
into working full-time in her studio. Her work is strongly influenced by medieval, and especially middle eastern designs and ornamentation. She also very much enjoys making reproduction pottery for the re-enactment community.

In 2016, Karina participated in the Fusion Mentorship program under Michelle Mendlowitz, and in 2018, she travelled to Icheon, Korea with 5 other members of the Guild, to learn techniques from Korean pottery masters. Also in 2018, Karina was accepted into the KPG Juried show at the Peterborough Art Gallery and was honoured to win the Design Award from Angelo di Petta.

You can find Karina’s work in our Pottery Shop and she will also be participating in the 2019 Holiday Sale from Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. When she is not in her pottery studio, Karina is part of two musical groups; Hardwood Cat and Hurly Burly.

Slipped and carved large bowl - Karina Bates Teapot in bisque - Karina Bates Painted plate - Karina Bates

Holiday Sale Profile – Sara Purves

October 18, 2019October 13, 2019 by Karina Bates

Sara started taking pottery classes four years ago after retiring from her job as a teacher and administrator. Pottery has been a creative outlet for her, as well as providing lots of opportunities to keep learning. Sara finds it very inspiring to take something that you think is beautiful out of the kiln knowing that you created it! She enjoys hand-building and throwing; “both methods of working with clay are harder than they look but the possibilities are endless.”

It’s been so great to see Sara grow at our guild; we can’t wait to see what she brings to our sale this year!

October Meeting Notes – Emily Dore

October 11, 2019 by Karina Bates

For those who didn’t make it this past Monday, for the October meeting, you missed a great presenter. Emily Dore from the Ottawa Guild came by for a visit, a talk and a demo of her work. Born out of a need for relaxing and letting go, throwing became a passion for her over ten years ago. The mushrooms were part of her exercise for Fusion’s Creative Directions mentorship program in 2016 (which she participated in at KPG with our Cathy, June, Karina, Mary S. and Priya). Here are some snapshots of the evening.

After discussing her history and process, she gave us a fun demonstration of how she puts together her whimsical creations.