Shore to Shore

I have always been fascinated by clay.  I have been collecting ceramics since my early adulthood and love the form and possibility of objects made with clay. 

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

My influences are based in Antique Asian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, Ceramics and Porcelain.  I am lucky to have experienced and collected the works of Judi Dyelle, Robin Hopper, Harlan House and Kayo O’Young.  Their beautiful work inspire me as I strive to create my own voice in clay. 

(View Royal)

Esther is a potter and ceramic artist based in Langford on Vancouver Island. Her functional & decorative work is in constant development as she expands her business. As well as selling at shows, her work can be found at My Chosen Cafe’s Sugar Shack and Soulful Sister’s Aromatherapy.

Judi Dyelle has been a potter for 54 years and is an honours graduate of the Ontario College of Art. She received the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Excellence and a Canada Council Grant allowed her to spend a year and a half studying and researching in Japan.

Her work is wheel thrown, sometimes altered, using porcelain clay. It is in many private and public collections throughout North America, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Denmark, Iceland, Germany and England.

(Chosin Pottery – Metchosin)

Hillary Grant’s lovely studio in East Sooke is where she creates her functional and decorative pottery.

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.

Belle Leon, a clay artist originally from Zimbabwe then later, South Africa, learned to work with clay while pursuing a career in zoology, and developmental education. 

Living in Canada allowed her to further her ceramic education in Haliburton, Ontario. Now living in Victoria, her clay work includes refined functional, decorative and sculptural pieces, both wheel thrown and hand-built. They have technically diverse decoration that is inspired predominantly by the natural elements of her surroundings.

Belle will be a guest artist at Esther Drone’s studio in Langford.

Rebecca is a contemporary ceramic artist living in Langford, BC, the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. Although she holds degrees in the fields of psychology and education, she has taken numerous art and ceramics courses through both post-secondary institutions and community arts programs .

Rebecca makes vessels with a modern vibe, utilizing classic forms, stark contrasts, and vibrant colours. She brings her love of design to both her functional and decorative pieces.

(Langford)

Heather Vale is a studio potter and painter who lives on Vancouver Island with her two adorable canine companions, Fergus and Fraser. We’re excited that she will be a guest artist at Daniel Casey’s tour stop!

(View Royal)