15 – Diane Gale

GreyBird Barn (Shane Miller)
11 Carroll Avenue, PT 98368
360-316-9627
reddirt20@msn.com
www.clayfires.com

Demonstration:

I will be demonstrating making pottery on the pottery wheel.

Directions:

Off Sims Way/Highway 20 – take Frederick Street east to Otto Street N, turn left. Follow the road to the bottom of the hill. Turn left into the driveway, where a friendly crocodile sculpture welcomes you to our studio.

Artist Statement:

I want my art to create joy for the people who see my pieces. I hope people want to pick them up to explore the shape, design, texture and colors. Some make the distinction between art and craft. Some distinguish between functional and nonfunctional pieces. I hope my pottery bridges these words.

For me, a piece begins with function – even ornamental pieces are functional. They “function” as something to be admired sitting on a table, in a wall nook, hanging on a wall. The piece’s shape and desired surface effects determine which type of clay I will use. I make my own clay, from porcelain to stoneware and vary the ratio of the constituent elements depending on the shape of the pot and how it will be fired. For example, I will use different types of kaolin depending on whether the piece will fired in a wood, gas or electric kiln. All of my ornamental pieces are functional from the standpoint that the bottles and flasks can hold water and I only use food safe glazes.

For pieces such as bowls, teapots, and cups, I pay high attention to details bringing together design elements such as wall thickness, rim and spout shape, handle placement and surface glaze. This is because when someone reaches for their favorite mug, it’s because all of those elements have come together. They don’t intellectually know why – they just know that their favorite mug keeps their coffee warm and they like the color of it and how it fits their hand and that it doesn’t spill when they take a drink, etc. This is where art merges with craft. I prefer simple shapes and try to accomplish the function in as few lines as possible. Irregular and altered pieces reflect our own imperfection and often facilitate the functional shape.

Firing in the wood and gas kilns are a mixture of control and surprise. The wood kilns are the most variable, because the outcome of the surface effect depends on so many variables such as where the piece was in the kiln, type of wood used for fuel, number of days fired, and of course the type of wood kiln. I love that the wood ash is the glaze and the way the flame pattern often leaves its print on the pot. Usually when I fire a gas kiln, I also use either soda ash or salt for enhancement. Again, this creates variable surface effects because of the amount of soda or salt used and the air pattern in the kiln during the application.

I like to think of the exterior of my pieces as a sheet of paper – that if you could flatten it out and look at the design, it would tell an interesting story. I hope that this story resonates with the person holding the piece and they see themselves within it.

Studio open during the remainder of the year by appointment.