Clay Playdays

Creating with Clay

Have you ever wanted to reconnect with your inner mudpie-making child or perhaps play with clay for the first time? I approach clay in a fun & creative way and love to share my passion for pottery with others. Individualized instruction, designed to meet your schedule and desires, is offered to groups of up to four people at a time in my well-equipped pottery studio.

On Family Day, a family came and had a great time making LOTS of pots. Here's the dad, a luthier, with his clay guitar.
The daughter went on a pendant making frenzy; the black object ... saddlebags her dad made (for his mini motorcycle).

Whether you want to spend only a few hours exploring make a mask, or two days a week making a variety of pots using many methods, a program can be designed to suit you. Handbuilt projects could include decorative masks, shields or utilitarian objects such as smudge pots, rattles, mugs, plates and bowls. A basic familiarity with the techniques used in handbuilding – pinch, coil and slab –is easily acquired. Your creativity, coupled with these skills, will allow you to discover the joys of creating with clay and explore the endless possibilities that clay offers. Handbuilding provides a strong foundation for wheel throwing.

Instruction is also available on the potter’s wheel. Beginners will be taught how to centre the clay and make cylinders such as drinking vessels vases as well as bowls. Decoration can include texture, carving, incising, coloured slips and underglazes and so on. All glazes used are non-toxic and food safe. Those with experience will have the opportunity to refine their skills and learn a variety of intermediate and advanced techniques such as altering, throwing with additions, etc.

Ruddell is situated on rolling prairie/agricultural land about a one-hour drive from Saskatoon and twenty-five minutes from North Battleford. It is peaceful place. The studio is equipped potters wheels, slab roller and lots of tools and has a great view of the North Saskatchewan River valley.

Fees are reasonable, exchanges possible. Accommodations are available. For more information call Teresa at 306-389-2040 or email tgpots@yahoo.ca

Art Auctions

Coming up May 2nd is an Art Auction and dance in support of the Jack Millikin Centre. http://www.jackmillikincentre.com/ Set in the boreal forest, the Centre will feature a dance hall with a horse hair dance floor, a centre for forest research and learning and a large work area for artists to develop a year-round artisan learning centre.

The auction and dance will be a lot of fun. Kudos to all the volunteers who make these events happen. I'll have two pieces up for auction, including Sister Water Snake (above), which celebrates all the incredible women born in the year of the snake in 53/54; we are now 55/56.

Art Auctions can be a win-win situation. Artists are frequently asked to donate their work. In my experience, it is wise to choose which ones to participate in...ones that benefit a cause you support, give you the opportunity to benefit financially and promote you and your art practice. Given the choice of setting a reserve bid and a choice of how much you want to donate of the winning bid is respectful of the artist and gives us an opportunity to participate in a number of auctions.

CARFAC has a number of "best practices". Here's the link for the Art Auctions information: www.bestpracticestandards.ca/docs/1_standardsdrafts/Best_Practice_Standards-Artists_Work___Fundraising_REV_2008-12-17.pdf

What's Going On

The spring Saskatoon Potters Guild Sale and Exhibition is coming up May 2, 9 - 9 and 3, 9 - 5, at the Albert Community Centre, 11th Street and Clarence Avenue. Pottery demonstrations, door prizes and a variety of pots by SPG members.

Here's a picture of my chattered blue bowl that received the Best Functional Award last year. The theme of this years exhibition is "Multiples" and I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with.

Trying new things and having lots of fun. I'm excited about my recent work.