TOYOTA-JAPAN

I was very pleased that for the second year in a row, the mayor of Woodstock, and the city's Economic Development Officer decided to present as gifts, a number of my pieces to TOYOTA in Japan, and the various other companies that they are working with for the new TOYOTA automotive plant in Woodstock.
Thank you Woodstock for your continued support!

MARTIN PURYEAR AT MOMA

Martin Puryear's exhibition at the MOMA in New York is a must-see. His wooden sculptures (Some 3 stories high!) have an organic, mysterious feel that I just love.
It's on until January 14th if you are in New York
http://moma.org

INGO MAURER AT COOPER-HEWITT

While visiting New York this past Christmas, I managed to see quite a few Exhibitions. Ingo Maurer has an amazing lighting exhibition on until January 27th. I posted a few images of my favourites. I started thinking about how I could create some lighting for myself with translucent porcelain. Who knows, maybe something new will come out of it.
If you are in New York, be sure to visit the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
http://www.cooperhewitt.org for more information

INTERNATIONAL CHAWAN EXHIBITION - BELGIUM

I came across this website for an exhibition I participated in a couple of years ago. It was traveling exhibition in Belgium that was sponsored by the Japanese Embassy in Belgium and the Province of Antwerp.
8 people from Canada participated, a number of them friends of mine.

The focus of the exhibition was the Chawan (Oriental Teabowl). The website is very interesting, and has a lot of very good information about the tea ceremony and Chawans.
Check it out if it interests you http://www.jnt.info/

EMMA AND OLIVER!

I have 2 full-time studio assistants....although they seem to not do much, but they do keep me company. They are a joy to have around, and pretty cute ( well, at least I think so! )
The brown one is our old girl, Emma....she's very sweet.
The handsome white one is Oliver...he's a handful!

PAINTINGS!

Although most of you know me as a ceramic artist, you may be interested to find out that painting takes up a large amount of my time. Before ceramics, I had always wanted to be a painter. It was through ceramics that I found my own voice, and also my own style. Paintings came again later, and they seem to echo the same feel of my ceramics.

The above photograph is one of my favourite paintings. The long-necked vases are by Mary fox of British Columbia, and the Bronze Sculpture is by George Shadford, also form Ingersoll!

Below is a photograph of my painting Exhibition this past March, 2007. The Ceramics are by Mary Fox of British Columbia, and Laurie Rolland of British Columbia, as well as myself. It was a huge honour for me to show alongside these two very well-known Ceramic Artists. If you get a chance visit these web sites: http://www.laurierolland.com, http://www.wallacegalleries.com/artists.php?id=Fox

The second photograph is another painting of mine.The ceramic sculpture below it is by Keith Campbell, of North Bay.

I LOVE NEW YORK - INSPIRATIONS

I absolutely love visiting New York City, and I try to get there as often as I can. Creatively, I find it to be the most inspiring city. I love the architecture, and juxtaposition of the sleek modern elements with the worn, gritty surfaces. I try to capture that feeling in my paintings and ceramics. I am looking forward to returning this Christmas.
Below are a few images that caught my eye, and have inspired my work. You can see my preference for a subdued, neutral palette in these photos.

SOFA EXPO, CHICAGO - 2007

This past November, I flew to Chicago to visit the SOFA EXPO (International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition).
The SOFA EXPO is one of the best Sculptural Expositions in existence. I wanted to see it, to get inspired for my exhibition next September (More about that later)
I must admit that I was extremely impressed, and seeing this Exposition was exactly what I needed. My new work is heavily influenced by this show, and I am very excited about my new direction. As a result, I have taken a sabbatical for the next year to work on my new pieces and new direction. I will, however, have some new work at a few galleries throughout the year, and will be posting news and images on this site. I also hope to participate in the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition again in 2008.

I was very excited to see, and purchase a piece from one of my favourite sculptors, Mark Chatterley. Meeting Mark was amazing! His work has a dark, unearthed, organic feel to it...just what I love.
You can see some more of his work on this page: http://www.chasegallery.com/Artist_Profiles/Chatterley_extra/Chatterleypage1.html

Below are some of my favourite pieces from the SOFA EXPO. Please visit http://www.sofaexpo.com for further information, and artists names.

GARDINER MUSEUM - TORONTO

If you're in Toronto, be sure to visit the newly renovated Gardiner Museum.
They have incredible ceramic exhibitions and Jamie Kennedy's Restaurant at the Gardiner is wonderful.
My work is carried regularly in their shop, which is always a very popular destination.

I was fortunate to have my work included in their outdoor signage. You can see in the photographs, a shallow dish of mine in the lower portion of the sign.

Visit http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca for further information