THE CLAY HUB COLLECTIVE
New Instructor: Julia Kreutz ( kids class instructor)
Julia Kreutz is a new addition to Cowichan Valley. She moved here with her husband and twin girls in spring of 2021. Julia holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree from emily Carr University where she majored in Ceramics. She also holds a Bachelors of Education Degree from Simon Frazer University. She has been teaching art to children in different capacities since 2006. Her last position before going on maternity leave was as an art, drama and photography teacher at Johnston Heights Secondary School in Surrey. Julia owned and co-curated an independent art gallery and art studio space called the Gam Gallery in Vancouver for 10yrs. seeing it through many creative evolutions. She taught art and ceramics classes at the children's art school, Arts umbrella in Vancouver and Surrey, and at the Richmond Arts Center, where she was also their ceramic studio technician. She also worked for the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale bringing creative projects into 8 classrooms around the lower mainland.Julia has also had a studio art practice and shown her artwork in a solo and group capacity in many Vancouver galleries.
Julia's passion is to bring the curiosity and creativity out of people. She loves seeing their faces light up when seeing, doing or understanding something new She is excited to get back into teaching in the Valley!
New Instructor
Laura Gosnell:Laura feels at home nestled amongst coastal forests, mountains, and the Pacific, each of which influence her work. Equally influential are the years she has spent traveling the globe touring clay studios and wandering through galleries and museums. Her current work is inspired by the major ecosystems on the west coast. The high fire white porcelain is a backdrop for sea, air, and earth line sketches, and the sea glass glaze is reminiscent of the Japanese floats she collected with her grandfather on the west coast while growing up.
Laura began working in clay in 1998, as a reward for completing her environmental biology degree. Little did she know it would start her on an entirely different path. Though most of this exploration has been self-led, she has formally added a Fine Arts Diploma to her studies. Not forgetting her science background, Laura is driven to work in a sustainable manner and is exploring studio practices that reduce energy consumption and promote the responsible use of material. She strives to make beautiful work that endures, in hopes to counter the current consumer trend towards the disposable.
New Instructor
Wilma Delongchamp is a long time health care educator and avid ceramic artist. She has explored sculpture of the human form, Raku firing, and functional pottery among many other approaches. In addition to completing many courses, Wilma has apprenticed under a well known Vancouver Island Artisan for Raku pottery. Currently Wilma has her own studio, uncommonclay, and volunteers at the Clay Hub as a monitor, glaze committee lead and board member.
New Instructor
Anna Scouten is an educator originally from Bowen Island who began her journey with clay 6 years ago under the instruction of Japanese potter HiDe Ebina. She is inspired by the natural environment and strives to create functional pieces that pay homage to the Earth. She is forever thankful for the lessons learned through playing with clay such as creativity and impermanence. She recently moved to the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Valley and has loved finding community in the Clay Hub Collective and is constantly motivated by other members to try new projects and learn new ways of interacting with clay.
Danica Worrall @danicaceramica Danica’s passion for ceramics hit hard during her first 4 week course through an art center in Kelowna BC/her home town. Jumping into a membership at the studio she knew she had only scratched the surface of her curiosity with clay. The following year she was accepted into the Ceramic Arts program at Kootenay Studio Arts school. Taught by Robin Dupont and Martin Tagseth before the program was halted by the pandemic. Danica pursued training in Victoria at Hands On Pottery as a production thrower in the meantime before returning to Nelson the following year to complete the program. “I’m excited to be invited into this vibrant community in Cowichan and to teach and play with others who find passion to express themselves through ceramics!” -Danic
New Instructor starting this Fall
Linda Helms ...........................Raku Instructor
Working as an art educator in the public school system in Winnipeg, Manitoba I developed a fascination with clay and began exploring a variety of wheel throwing techniques as well as firing processes. One of my favorite methods of firing came to be raku. Since moving to Vancouver Island I have the opportunity to be fully engaged in exploring this process.
Raku firing takes place outdoors in a portable kiln where one to two pieces are fired at a time so as to take the necessary care for each piece according to the glazing requirements. This method of firing and subsequent exposure of the clay to extreme temperature changes, a reduction atmosphere (reduced oxygen) and using different combustible materials evolve into a very intuitive process prone to desirable and undesirable effects. The immediacy of this process crates surprises in numerous ways resulting in unique and distinct pieces providing a great deal of satisfaction not only to the artist but hopefully to a connoisseur as well.
My work has regularly been show in the annual Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show and I have had the opportunity to feature my work in a show at Imagine That. I have also participated in a number of shows at Shibui Gallery on Genoa Bay Rd. Two of which focused mainly o my own work together with another artist's doing two dimensional work. The Shibui Shows were highlighted with raku demonstrations on site.
In early 2020 I had the opportunity to be an artist in residence in Nayarit Mexico working with other accomplished ceramic artists for two weeks which culminated in a major raku firing and demonstration for the participants and the public. Here is a synopsis of this event on a you tube video.
https://.youtu.be/B_d_DWWF5kk
There are various ways to approach raku and I am currently exploring a variation called Naked Raku. As this new method continues to intrigue me I will be continuing along this new path in my own new work. My recent work using this technique can be viewed at Excellent Frameworks Gallery in downtown Duncan.
Joseph Lyons....................................... Instagram: kbrpottery
Hi, my name is Joe and I’d like to invite you to my pottery class. I’ve been playing with clay since I was a kid, and I feel fortunate to have learned from some incredible artists in the course of my journey. I’ve been teaching for several years at various studios on Vancouver Island. My approach is casual, lets have fun and grow together with this wonderful medium. I find a rewarding combination in pottery; relaxation and connection with community. I also love a challenge, please bring your ceramic goals to class and we can make them happen. See you at The Hub.
Instructor, Nanaimo Ceramic Arts. 2018-present
Instructor/Studio Technician, Bowen Park Pottery Studio 2018-2020
Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree from Vancouver Island University. 2020
Apprentice for Dean McRaine, Lightwave Pottery, in Kauai, Hawaii. 2011-2016
Student/ Work Study Volunteer, Pottery Northwest, Seattle. 2008-2011
Patti Parkyn
Patti is a ceramic assemblage artist, owner of Passion Over Principles Clay Art. She volunteers and teaches at the Clay Hub studio, a member since 2017. Her unique eclectic creations are on display at Imagine That retail artisan co-op in Duncan, BC. “My grandmother and my mother root my curiosity. Our three spirits dance when I create. It is a magical time; somewhat addictive, I must confess. I am inspired by pattern, textures, and the mystery of seeing something for what it is not. There are no artistic rules in my studio. Things happen by chance, without intention or influence. I let my passion and distractibility guide me. I move clay and colour around, then add curiosity with bling and bits. Every piece is one-of-a-kind.”
Valerie McCubbin
A life long desire to learn pottery, it only started to come to life about 15 years ago. After classes from a number of instructors and several years of practice, the stars aligned and I am able to share my passion through The Clay Hub Collective. Teaching brand new aspiring potters the bare basics of creating a vessel is an honor and a great deal of fun. I look forward to my time spent in the company of creative, adventurous fellow mudslingers.
Cathi Jefferson
Cathi’s career as a studio-trained potter began under mentor Herman Venema in Matsqui, British Columbia, in 1974. She also completed fine arts courses at Kwantlen College and the Fraser Valley College. Two Canada Council Grants provided funding for a 4-month residency at The Archie Bray Foundation in Montana and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Experiences with fellow ceramic artists include residencies in Canada, the US, and internationally.
Her exhibition history has been extensive over the years, being invited to participate in three USA exhibitions at the National Clay Exhibition for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) and the ‘21st Century Ceramics’ in Ohio. She was juried into the Sydney Myers International Award, Australia. In 2010, Cathi was awarded the Carter Wosk BC Achievement Award for Applied Art and Design. Among the many publications that have featured her work are Robin Hopper’s ‘Functional Pottery’ and Phil Roger’s ‘Salt-Glaze Ceramics’.
Cathi’s passion for the preservation of nature is evident in all aspects of her work. Her studio and gallery on the beautiful Cowichan River near Duncan, BC, is surrounded by the west coast rain forest that inspires her. The unique salt-fired functional stoneware and sculptural forms she creates have designs from nature that she cares so passionately about. Her large sculptural pieces represent the forests that are so crucial to the health of the planet. Her concern for the fragility of nature led her on a three year creative journey that created her ‘Reflecting Nature: Reflecting Spirit’ installation.
Susan Faulkner Susan has been with the Clay Hub Collective since the first couple of years we have been open. She has been a class helper for the kids classes with Cathi and Tanis, she has been a volunteer monitor. Her love for hand building has lead her into a teaching position at the Clay Hub. She is always trying new ideas and is open to other’s ideas and creativity. Having fun with clay is what Susan loves to do and share with others.
Janet Magdanz ( past instructor)
Janet spends the majority of her time throwing but dapples in hand building. Working with clay brings Janet a sense of peace and fulfilment. As she centres her clay she becomes more grounded. Janet gains her expertise through experimentation and some short term classes. Courses through Red Deer College as well as mentoring with Cathi Jefferson and K.J. MacAllister have provided technical knowledge as well as inspiration.
Her studio "Shades of Green" is slowly becoming a reality. It will be surrounded by an old growth maple forest and her favourite gardening plants. Janet will be able to throw outside for most of the year. Glazing will include a mixture of dipping and spraying. Janet spent most of her professional career as an educator in Alberta. With her recent move to the Cowichan Valley she is now looking forward to the opportunity to move towards becoming a professional potter.
Shades of Green Farm and Pottery Studio (facebook)
Guest instructor who change the way we do our glazing steps in the studio. Amazing insight
Sue McLeod
Sue McLeod was first introduced to ceramics at Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC where she completed a 2 year clay diploma program. After she graduated in 2010, she moved back to her hometown of Victoria, BC where she continued to make pots from her home studio.
Sue explored ceramics through a mainly artistic lens for several years, but she always felt like there was a big hole in her understanding of the craft. There was a whole other technical side to clay and glazes that she was unfamiliar with. Challenges kept arising that showed her just how little she really knew about her materials.
After countless glaze catastrophes, Sue became determined to do whatever it would take to develop an understanding of how glazes work. In 2014, she enrolled in an online Glaze Calculation course, offered by Alfred University. This course taught her everything she hoped to learn about glazes and so much more that she hadn’t even considered.
Since taking that first class, Sue has gone on to take more ceramic chemistry courses through Alfred University, including an Advanced Glaze Chemistry course and a Clay Bodies course.
Sue has been employed full time as the ceramics studio technician at Cedar Hill Rec Centre since 2015 where she uses the knowledge she gained from these courses on a daily basis. She can now confidently fix runny glazes, eliminate crazing, increase durability and develop new glazes from scratch. Glaze research and testing is a regular part of her practice and she’s always learning new ways to create different effects, colours and surfaces.
Sue is compelled to share what she has learned and has been teaching glaze chemistry workshops since 2017. She gave a talk about Understanding Cone 6 Glazes at the NCECA conference in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Sue feels that understanding glazes is the missing piece from so many ceramic artists’ practice and hopes to inspire them to take the steps to further their knowledge.