Shore to Shore

Margaux of Margaux b. Pottery creates handmade, small batch ceramics from her studio in Sooke on Vancouver Island. She makes limited collections of FUNctional pieces to adorn your home!

She uses stoneware for all her pieces. This gives her a range of options for different clay finishes. She starts on the wheel and alters her pieces from there. She thinks about the functionality of each piece in your home and how you would use it day to day.

Margaux is opening up her studio in Sooke for the tour. 

Sharon began playing with clay in her Grandma’s studio at around 4 years of age, the seed had been planted although it took until she reached her 40s to sprout.

When unhappiness with her job led her to announce that she was going to be a potter, her husband’s reply was, well I guess you better find a place to take some lessons.

Sharon was fortunate that they lived in Tsawwassen, home to Delta Potters Association, a co-operative pottery studio. It has been over 20 years now since she began her relationship with clay.

Sharon’s studio and showroom are in Sooke.

Daniel has always been fascinated by clay.  He has been collecting ceramics since hiss early adulthood and love the form and possibility of objects made with clay. 

He moved to Vancouver Island in 2006. In 2009 he began formal instruction in clay with Muriel Sibley, Wintercreek Pottery, a local potter. He took to clay quite quickly and had his own studio within his first year of throwing. He has continued to explore clay with a variety of mediums, clay bodies, firing techniques and instructors.

His influences are based in Antique Asian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, Ceramics and Porcelain.  He is lucky to have experienced and collected the works of Judi Dyelle, Robin Hopper, Harlan House and Kayo O’Young.  Their beautiful work inspires him as he strives to create his own voice in clay. 

Daniel’s studio is in View Royal.

With her functional work, Esther strives to create interesting sturdy, solid everyday pottery. Mugs are one of her favourite types of pottery to make. Fitting handles to the varying forms and experimenting with new glazing combinations keeps each kiln unloading exciting.

She loves the physical nature of pottery, wedging clay, throwing large pieces and the three dimensional puzzle of packing the kiln.

The carved porcelain pieces are entirely different. They are a slow process of carving away at leather hard clay to reveal the imagery. Some are jars while others are purely sculptural. Unglazed, once fired they are then sanded for a smooth finish.

Esther’s studio and showroom are in Langford.

Hilliary produces pots that she hopes people will use every day. As a former pastry cook and baker, she spends a lot of time thinking about the relationship between the pots she makes and the food that may be served in them.

Although working alone can be difficult at times, she has a great group of potters around her who are always willing to talk about pots.

Whether it is a salad bowl, a mug, or a water dish for her dog, she strive to make pieces that are beautiful as well as functional.

This year, Hillary will be participating from Esther Drone’s studio in Langford. 

Irene Ives is a ceramic artist living in Colwood. She uses a variety of handbuilding techniques and firing processes to produce both decorative and functional ceramic pieces.

She is heavily influenced by the materiality of the clay and considers her work to be a collaborative dialogue between her creative instincts, and the properties and demands of the clay itself. It is the most archival of mediums and she finds inspiration in the interplay between humans, clay and fire across time.  Her work is about texture, patina, erosion, accretion… Her pieces are imperfect, and irregular, reflecting the ever-evolving surfaces and forms found in nature. Her process purposefully includes evidence of the maker’s hand and she strives to create pieces that beg to be touched and handled.

Irene’s tour stop is at her studio in Colwood. She will also have some work on display at Metchosin ArtPod.

Sydnie is an educator and ceramic artist living on the unceded territory of the T’Sou-ke and Scian’ew Nations in Sooke, B.C. She obtained a Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria with a focus on ceramics and geography, and a certificate of Fine Arts at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C. There, she discovered the beauty of plant cells under a microscope. She began to meld her passion for ceramics with science by carving the cellular structure of plants into clay. Carved and stamped with botanical and cellular imagery, her work is tactile and evokes a sensation of being unearthed.

Sydnie will be sharing her work from her studio in Sooke. 

Derek Kasper’s ceramic art is pigeon-holed clearly in his company name, No Two Alike Ceramic Arts. Coming to focus on clay relatively late in life he has a keen sense of father time looking over his shoulder. His curiosity and creativity lead him to try many concepts in ceramic art and he is constantly striving to push the limits of his abilities and the materials—before time runs out!

Derek’s work will be at the ArtPod tour stop in Metchosin. 

Gina is an ceramic artist based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. She has been an artist for as long as she can remember. Her Mother said she started to draw the moment she could hold a pencil. In 2007, she was looking for a new outlet to express myself and found pottery. She joined a local pottery studio, took a few classes, and has never looked backed.

She is currentlyworking on a line of jewelry and sculptures inspired by the ocean and wildflowers. 

Gina will be participating from Esther Drone’s studio in Langford. 

Rebecca is a contemporary ceramic artist living and working in Langford, BC, the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. 

A ceramic artist for over 30 years, Rebecca makes vessels with a modern vibe, utilizing classic forms, bold contrasts, and vibrant colours. She brings her love of design to both her functional and decorative pieces.

This year, Rebecca will be a guest at Esther Drone’s studio in Langford. 

Phyllis’s art is an attempt to transform texture, colour and form into a playful aesthetically engaging object. Working in photography, clay and drawing, she seeks to express whimsy, surprise and the opportunity for viewers to bring their own experience to her artwork. Her artist practice also provides her with the opportunity to not only use her art as a means to create imagery but also one that provokes viewers to look again and look for more.

In her ceramic practice, Phyllis explores glaze materials and effects in sculptural and functional forms. This work makes it possible for her to share the social history and ecology of BC ceramics, and the connection between earth materials, art and technology. 

Phyllis’s work will be on display at Metchosin ArtPod.

Diana primarily makes non-functional abstract art in clay and encaustic. Her aim is for the work to be accessible (in price and concept), thought-provoking and attractive. The subject matter and style is often inspired by the Japanese wabi sabi aesthetic and world view which honours the imperfect, incomplete, humble and the hand-made.

Diana’s work will be on display at Metchosin ArtPod.