WAVEY VASE
wood fired stoneware, unglazed,
19"h, 10"w
My work in clay is quite diverse in that I work with a variety of clays and at the full range of temperatures. Wheel-thrown, coil-built, and clay slabs(shown here) are all regularly used techniques at Mudada. The work moves from being functional to non-functional to semi-functional to perhaps an unknown function yet to be discovered.
I love trying to make clay imitate other materials such as fabric, leather, metal, etc.
SHELL PETAL BOWL
low-temp oxidation, cast shells
6"diam, 3"h
Non-functional, however inspired by function.
JOY. OUR NATURAL STATE OF BEING
wood fired stoneware,unglazed
12"tall
I am illustrating in this sculpture and its title that joy is not something we must to bring in to our lives. Joy is always there, at least at the core. Sometimes in order to feel it the layers must be peeled away to get to the naural state, joy. I learned that from a meditation guide and I believe it is true.
GODDESS
local terra-cotta
2"h
Some of the clay used at Mudada is mined with a shovel on Mudge Island and processed through primitive means. The image itself is archetypal. Her bear-paw hands show how she is strong and of the earth. Some aspects of being human will never change.
"Mudada" means Mudge Island, Canada. The studio and wood kiln are both on this island. It is not accessable by ferry, however should you for some reason find yourself on Mudge Island please do contact me if you would like to view the kiln, recently fired pieces, or works in progress.
Gabriola Island is very close to Mudge and a meeting/showing can be arranged there as well.
WOVEN BOWL
unglazed wood fired stoneware
24"diam, 7"h
The challenge of weaving clay is tedious, and rewarding. Owners of Mudada clay woven bowls have found a variety of uses for them. The most popular is as a fruit bowl, but I also heard of somebody who bakes bread in one!
A lot of my wood fired pieces are unglazed. The reason for this is because the ashes from the burning wood deposit and melt on the clay surfaces, giving the piece a natural glaze. In other words, the kiln is self-glazing and the effect is much more satisfying to me than decoration that I create with glaze recipes.
