‘Pit Fired pottery is the oldest known method of firing clay and the ultimate source of all the modern firing variations used by potters. Each vessel is burnished twice, once when it is leather hard and then again when it is bone dry.  This picture shows the second burnishing.  Various shapes and sizes of agates, quartz stones etc. are used’. 

‘After the second burnishing, the pots are bisque fired in an electric kiln to cone 012.  If they are fired any higher it would cause the pots to loose their shine.

‘A 3” layer of shavings is put on the bottom of the pit and then the pots are nestled into the shavings’.  ‘Each piece is layered with combustibles such as dog food, pine needles, fine sawdust, coffee or anything else that is available’.

‘Paper and kindling is added on top and the fire is started.Usually I use alder and maple firewood, simply because that’s what is available’.  ‘More wood is added until I’m happy with the amount of hot embers’. At some point the metal lid is dropped and the fired is allowed to burn down for at least two days. 

‘Most of the combustibles will have burned away but there is usually enough ash to protect the pots’. ‘It’s so exciting to see the finished process’.  ‘The fire leaves flashes and patterns as does the combustibles; each pot wears the result of its experience during the firing’.

‘Many more hours are spent washing the pots and then they are left to dry.  When completely dry they are finished with a coat of paste wax and a good polishing to protect them’.

‘My pit fired pots have a high sheen and that is very important to me as the high shine seems to give the pieces some depth rather than the pattern from the fire just being on the surface’.

Maeva lives & works on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and you can see more of Maver’s fabulous work at www.sidestreetstudio.com

Honica writes; “To give you fair warning….you’re in the “Danger Zone’….power and passion are the attributes of the colour red, so prepare for adventure. Whether your design is extravagantly complex, or simply elegant it embodies the desire for the exotic and the extraordinary.

As I craft these designs in red, I pay assiduous attention to detail. To work the metal, I use hand and electric tools. I shape, tumble, punch, clean, cut, hammer, texture, antique, satin-brush and coat the brass forms. Then I am ready to complete the composition.

I have collected a huge variety of beads in the flame-hot hues of scarlet, crimson, ruby, cherry and wine reds. I pay particular attention to shape and texture so that transparent ‘jewels’ drop like ripe fruit and light dances on smooth polished surfaces”.

You can find more of Honica’s beautiful ‘Danger Zone’ jewellery at Side Street Studio, Victoria, BC.

http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?search_in_description=1&keywords=danger+zone&x=14&y=4

“As a self supporting professional potter and since graduating from art school in 1976, my partner Harriet and I moved to Cobble Hill and  established our studio; Cobble Hill Pottery in 1988.  We have enjoyed our life of carrying on a time honored traditional handcraft with a huge scope for personal creative experimentation and fun!”

            “During my career I have followed my passion through the clay world, working in earthenware, reduction stoneware, and raku and primitive firings. This current body of work consists of high fired, reduction stoneware, glazed in a palette of personally formulated glazes perfected during my years of experimentation. I enjoy utilizing brushes I construct consisting of various animal hair glued and wired to bamboo, to apply combinations of oxides and under glazes to enrich and enliven the glazed surfaces.”

     “My work is mainly thrown on the wheel, altered and trimmed while damp, then bisque fired once dry. Some of my regular production items are made by flattening clay with a slab roller and then formed over a plaster or Styrofoam hump mold; while damp they can be decorated with stamps I have carved from wood or plaster.  After the initial bisque firing the foot of each piece is coated in glaze-resistant emulsion and then dipped into the liquid glaze. At this point the oxide brush work, scraffito, glaze-on-glaze, wax- resist brushwork, or other decoration is done. The downdraft propane kiln is then carefully loaded, taking all of its idiosyncratic hot and cold spots (where only certain glaze combinations will reach temperature) into account”.

“An overnight warming is started  to lessen the occasion for pots cracking and then a 12 hour firing to reach maximum temperature of 2350 degrees F., the kiln is then quick cooled to 1800* to achieve the desired glaze effects. The kiln needs at least 24 hours to cool before it is opened, the pots removed, the bottoms sanded to ensure furniture friendly texture and carried to the showroom. From there each piece of pottery will set out into the world.”

“When time allows I also work in other mediums, painting, mixed media wall pieces, assemblages with wood and metal. These are a creative outlet as well as fun. The other passion in my creative life is as a jazz musician playing the string bass with different jazz bands in the Cowichan Valley and Victoria area”…

You can find more of John’s beautiful and functional work at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=80499

“I founded Wren Silverworks in 1997.

As a child, I was always drawing, deriving inspiration from the natural world around me. My ability to depict the world through the use of realistic lines led me into a career as an illustrator. I also co-owned an art gallery for a few years. In the early 90’s I apprenticed with silver worker Harold Alfred. This inspired me to produce a line of jewellery that marries my ability to draw realistic lines to silver.

This allowed me to create tangible pieces of art with a naturalist theme — jewellery through which the wearer can celebrate the beauty and strength of nature and our connection to it.

My Wren Silverworks jewellery is unusual in that it combines realistic line drawing with the medium of silver. 

How is the Jewellery Made?

Each brooch, earring, bracelet or pendant is individually engraved and finished to the highest of standards.

The variety of designs range from birds such as Ravens, Hummingbirds and the Great Blue Herons to the majesty of a Bald Eagle, or the graceful form of a Hummingbird.

All my jewellery is individually engraved, each line carved separately, and each open area cut out with little Jewellers saws. As each design is hand created each time, it will vary just slightly piece to piece, making each a unique work of art. On the back there is a sterling stamp, and my signature.

The first step in crafting the jewellery is to develop the designs. Inspired by Canadian flora and fauna, I create detailed line drawings. Then, the rough outline of the design is sawn out of a flat sheet of sterling silver. 22-gauge silver is used for earrings and brooches and 16 or 18-gauge silver is used for bracelets.

The silver is pre-polished, and the planned design is drawn onto it. Next, the silver is engraved along the design lines, each line individually carved with a variety of gravers. Using a tiny saw, the silver is cut out again, this time following the periphery of the design as well as cutting out any pieces from inside the design.

The edges are filed to a smooth finish. The piece is shaped: this involves using a leather hammer to bang the silver into a pre-carved shaping “holes”, giving the flat silver gentle curves. In the case of a brooch, a clasp is soldered onto the back, and then I polish the brooch with a tripoli (clay) compound. The silver is then washed in an ultrasonic washer, dried, polished with rouge finer clay) and washed again.

All hook earrings have sterling silver Sheppard hooks and stud earrings have sterling silver posts and closures. Brooch backs have a locking clasp. Brooches and earrings are made in 22 gauge silver, and bracelets in 16 gauge and 18 gauge. Sizes listed are approximate”.

 Stuart lives on twelve acres, surrounded by wildlife, on the outskirts of Victoria, B.C. His beautiful work can be found at Side Street Studio, Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, B.C. and on line at www.sidestreetstudio.com

APPLE DESIGN SMALL CASSEROLE

These individuals appreciate the importance of supporting local arts & crafts. Beyond the expensive forms of ‘wall art’ an abundance of fine crafts still exist (in some cases “only just”) within many local communities.

LARGE CASSEROLE

 1. Locally made pottery is unique. One or two individuals (often husbands & wives) work hard to create pieces that are unique. Every single piece is turned by hand and therefore one-of-a-kind.

COFFEE POT

2. Locally made pottery is beautiful and of outstanding quality. Each potter takes great pride in their work. Many local potters have their work in national galleries and major collections but you can still find them at your local craft studio.

COPPER RUBY VASE

3. Locally made pottery is affordable and prices often do not reflect the skills and time spent creating the work. Take a moment to check out prices at your local arts & crafts stores – you will be pleasantly surprised.  

LARGE GRAVY BOAT

 

4. Locally made pottery is Green! By using little transportation, packaging or advertising and by involving local skills greatly helps reduce the carbon footprint.   

COPPER RED & BLUE LARGE TWIG JAR

5. Locally made pottery helps your local community by supporting the hard learned skills of local crafts people and retaining your $ in the community.

Large Honey Coloured Baker

6. Locally made pottery adds unique style to a home and reflects your confidence, good taste and concern for the environment. 

 

LARGE NOODLE OR SOUP BOWL

 

 

 

COVERED CASSEROLE

GRAVY BOAT

 Side Street Studio represents over 320 local artists and has been supporting local arts & crafts for over 26 years. Our web site www.sidestreetstudio.com has over 2000 pages! of artists’ work and is the largest of its kind in Canada.

1.  Uniqueness – locally crafted work is unique. Unlike items made in a far off factory; local crafts people make work that is individual and one-of-a-kind. This does not just apply to a magnificent vase or a glass bowl. Even with a humble coffee mug, every one has a very slight difference. 

Humble Cat Mug - Very Rare!

 When just one person or a husband & wife team make an item the numbers are by the nature of the process – small. It’s great to have or give as a gift something that is genuinely unique.

WESTERN MAPLE SALAD BOWL

2.  Quality – artists always take a personal pride in their hand-made work. I have yet to meet an artist who was not passionate about their work. From potters to glass artists to textile makers – this is their life and they are justly proud of their work. If treated well much of this work can last a lifetime.  How many things can you say that about in our society today?

GIVERNY GLASS BOWL

3. Value for money – Contrary to what many people still believe, buying directly from the artist or their local retailer can most often cost less than buying some mass produced item from a department store. Reduced transportation costs, no middle men and low advertising helps to keep costs down.

4. Excellent after purchase service. The artists really do care about their work! Artists are available to repair, alter, clean or replace your purchase. They are interested to help if there is ever a problem. You never need to speak with some remote Customer Service line.

CARNIVAL PEARL NECKLACE, EARRINGS & BRACELET

5. Personal service – many artists will custom -make work to your specification. If you need a gift for a special occasion then very often, provided that you allow enough time, the artist will make to your requirements.

6.  Availability – Most ranges are always available so that you can add to your range or just collect individual pieces  over time.  Not just for pottery but jewellery or even glass.

COPPER RUBY VASE

7.  Help your local economy!  Shopping locally helps your local economy, by supporting local artists it keeps money in the community and  ensures that hard learned skills are alive for future generations.

BABY WOOL SLIPPERS

8.  Help the environment! Local arts & crafts produce a minimal carbon footprint – little transportation is involved. Conservation is important to all of us. Much of what local artists use is recycled – including what little packaging is ever used!

9. Fun and Learning. It really can be a fun shopping experience – you get to meet the artist and find out about their skills, how they make their work, the huge time and effort that goes into a single piece. 

CHARLES VAN SANDWYK ANIMAL WISDOM BOOK

10.  Support you local Community. A locally handmade gift reflects the community and region in which it was created. It has greater relevance for the person who purchased it or the person to whom the gift is given.

APPLE DESIGN CASSEROLE

 Side Street Studio has been supporting local artists for over 26 years. More than 300 local artists from pottery, jewellery, textiles, glass art, wood turnings, aromatherpy, cards, books, and lots more. Shipping is world wide with FedEx and Canada Post. www.sidestreetstudio.com

BRONZE JAPANESE STYLE NEOLITHIC JAR

A childhood desire to experience the Arctic was realized in 1991 when he moved to the eastern arctic for a year. There I lived with the Inuit and learned about their culture, art and their reverence for the land and its animals.

A carver there gave me a few carving supplies and I quickly showed a natural ability to coax the figure from the wild stone. Returning to Port Alberni, I further trained with Fred Iyak. 

My carvings have a distinctive fluid poured look, very sensual and quite abstract in style. I carve soapstone, alabaster and most recently, marble. My pieces have been collected worldwide.

Each one is original, hand made and sanded to a high polish with 6 grits of sandpaper.

I am a very prolific and hard working artist. “West Coast Spirit Trees” is my latest creations, a tribute to our beautiful forests.

My pieces are abstract and interpretive in nature. They reflect the ebb and flow of life on the west coast, featuring spirit trees, wildlife, and sea life”. You can find more of John’s superb work at www.sidestreetstudio.com

Margot Page was born in India in 1944 and spent her childhood in England. Her family moved to Montreal when she was eleven years old.

She started out as a freelance Fashion Illustrator in Montreal. Then in 1969, she was hired by Sheridan College of Applied Arts & Technology in Oakville, Ontario, to teach drawing to fashion design students. Three years later, she was teaching general drawing and searching for another medium for her own drawings, which had always been black and white. Another instructor introduced her to the art of Enamelling.  She has been producing enamels ever since.

In 1986, she and her partner sailed to Vancouver Island. Now, after ten years of sailing the world’s oceans, Margot’s enamelled works reflect her love of seabirds, flowers, and exotica, which she mounts on a variety of media.

Margot uses a pencil to draw the birds, sea life, flowers, and people directly onto the sheet steel. She then cuts out the shapes with a carbon blade using a table band-saw. When cut, the edges are de-burred on the grinder, and the steel is cleaned of any grease or impurities from the cold-rolling process.

The glazes are finely ground silicates. They are sifted into the cleaned steel using fine mesh shakers of various sizes. The piece is then placed onto a trivet and fired in a preheated kiln and timed. The high heat process fuses the powder into molten glass. The variety of colours can be manipulated to create a multitude of finishes. Margot takes her images and mounts them onto specifically chosen surfaces, glass vases and plates.

You can see more of Margot’s fine work at Side Street Studio, Victoria, B.C.

“I detoured from art school when I had my children but after getting a computer and logging into my very first internet-based arts community in 1994 I rediscovered my creative self and spent a few years immersed in self-directed explorations in papier mache, paper-making, book arts and gourd art”.

“One day I needed to find a a way to drill a hole through a pebble to add as an accent for a project I was working on”. “It came to mind to try to make a faux stone with polymer clay”. “Making the little Beachstones with polymer clay was an epiphany for me”. “I joined an online polymer clay group and was drawn into a innovative community of artists who are fascinated by this wonderfully adaptive medium that is making inroads in the art world”.

“Polymer Clay became the foundation medium for my approach and I was soon immersed in figurative sculpture and vessel-making”. said Gera. “I’ve been a full time polymer clay artist for over twelve years now and work has been displayed in numerous juried shows, used in motion picture set design and is in collections in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan”.

“In 2008 I was honoured to have my work selected as a finalist in the sculpture category in the International Polymer Clay Artists Association’s annual Progress and Possibilities Competition”. “I am a founding member of the Vancouver Island Polymer Clay Artists Guild and I offer a variety of polymer clay workshops through the year”.

“My focus for 2009 is to make a series of three large wall mounted Muses with Forest, Sea and Shore themes, to explore combining polymer clay and fiber with my new “Leggy Bowls” and to sculpt with polymer clay on stretched canvas”.                       

You can see more of Gera’s magnificent work at Side Street Studio and at her web site www.amusedgallery.com

Gera also runs a superb and informative blog which is very well worth a visit.