I told you in the last post that if I started to tell you about some of my favorite potters we’d be heading down a rabbit hole and might never get back — well, it is Easter time, so what the heck, eh? I’m going to start with a couple of people who have had an influence on my work (even though they probably are not aware of that).
The first is Iris Dorton (Blue Iris Pottery, in Guelph). Iris and I started in pottery about the same time, and we both belonged to the Kawartha Potters (back when it was smaller with no fixed address!). Iris is tenacious. She is very good at what she does, the pots are impeccable, and she’s also great at getting her work out and about. Besides that, she’s self-supporting through pottery — that is not easy! She has a fantastic sense of style — and even though her work keeps evolving, she has maintained a certain look that is uniquely her own. I have some of her work in my own collection, and she continues to inspire me.
The second (for today) is Don Zyver (Don Zyver Pottery). He might be a bit of a Canadian Icon. He established his pottery in 1972! I had a chat with him at the last Fusion Conference (there’s another coming soon!). He was talking about making pots — but also about creating a space that attracts customers, and boy, has he done that. He’s located in Troy, Ontario (where in heck is that, I hear you say …). It’s in the middle of nowhere (at least that’s what it seems like if you’re from a bustling metropolis), and he has created a destination. I’m going to find it myself soon. Here’s some of his unfished work (stolen from his FB page …). So, besides being a bustling entrepreneur, he’s a fantastic production potter and teacher … if I ever decide to grow up, I’d like to be like him!
And me? I’ve been sooooo busy this weekend with family and Easter celebrations that I screwed up a whole kiln load of stuff … soooo upset with myself! Fired the kiln to cone 6 instead of 06. I won’t say I’ve never done this before … but I can’t remember the last time I did it (this is just after saying to one of my students that this never happens!), and it’s going to be a real pain to glaze these pieces. Going to have to heat the buggers up before I dip them, or paint this with underglaze and just use a clear. Either way, no fun! Students are going to be in for a new experience … Luckily (or not) most of the pots in the kiln were mine, and I guess these berry bowls won’t care if they’re hand painted or not.
Now, I’m going to do my mileage for the tax man. There’s another rabbit hole for sure. If my operation was as big as Don Zyvers, maybe I could afford a bookkeeper — hmm, something to think about!
Hope you had a great Easter holiday, and that today is filled with stuff you like to do!
Susan McD
