23 September 2008

I have recently had some fun with a small series of wood-fired pyxides (singular pyxis, from Greek and Roman antiquity—“a box for storage of personal items, usually cylindrical in shape and having a lid with a knob in the center…”), all 80mm to 90mm tall. My boyfriend jokingly refers to them as “budgie urns,” a name that seems to have stuck with Cheryl, owner of the Fishfly Gallery here in Winnipeg Beach (where my pyxides are now demurely on display). 

14 September 2008

Over the past month I’ve created numerous pieces (in collaboration with my boyfriend) that combine thrown stoneware vessels with beach findings (coral and/or pebbles). A selection of works from this series—which we’ve called “Zenish” (approaching “zen,” but perhaps more “wabi-sabi”)—is now available at the Fishfly Gallery in Winnipeg Beach. These pieces were an exercise in contemplation—combining natural findings with man-made form… the tactile end-results were surprisingly rewarding to mind and spirit… 

Above: Zenish; generous thrown stoneware basins (200mm to 250mm Ø ) fused with merged beach findings; some low-fired to Cone 04 with burnished steel glaze, others wood-fired to Cone 12+ (unglazed, but flame-kissed with warm blushes and ash).