Kiln gods

One of the things I have learned at the Ottawa School of Art from teacher/artist Penelope Kokkinos was the existence of “kiln gods”. Prior to firing the kiln, artists make a little figurine with fresh clay and put it on top of the kiln (outside) to ensure a good firing. In today’s era it could be thought of as a useless superstitious activity but I think of it as part of the charm of the ceramic practice. Since a lot of what happens in the kiln or even during the construction of a piece is mysterious to the maker (chemical reactions happen depending on the glaze material, the placement of the work in the kiln, the flow of heat…) why not putting all the chances in your favours? 🙂

Here are some of these cuties hanging around after firings in the OSA kiln room.

Ceramic Centre of Giroussens – Centre Céramique de Giroussens

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France, Giroussens

About 42 km North-East of Toulouse, France is a little village called Giroussens. There, one can visit a lovely place entirely devoted to contemporary ceramics (with both a regional and international scope) through a boutique, exhibition spaces and workshops. This is a must-see attraction if you’re in the area.

I had the pleasure to visit it few years ago and discovered some great Italian and Spanish artists.

Here is the link to the site: http://www.centre-ceramique-giroussens.com (French only)

As an extra bonus, I have added some links to some of my favorite artists there:
Emili Biarnès
Silvia Calcagno
Nicole Pagès-Lindner

Artwork in the Boutique

Jean-Paul Espaignet

Jean-Paul Espaignet

Nicole Pagès

Nicole Pagès

Nicole Pagès

Special Exhibition entitled ” Le Renouveau de la Céramique Méditerranéenne” (The Renewal of Mediterranean Ceramics)

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Summer Camp | Camp d’été

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Enseignement, teaching

Here are some photos of my Summer camp on Greek Mythology.  I was very surprised about the number of children who took the course.  It seems obvious the adventures of Percy Jackson greatly influenced their choice.

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Voici quelques photos de mon camp d’été sur la Mythologie grecque.  J’ai été surprise par le nombre d’enfants qui ont suivi mon cours.  Il semble évident que les aventures de Percy Jackson aient influencé grandement leur choix.

Spring Break Camp | Semaine de relâche

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Enseignement, mixed media, teaching, techniques mixtes

Here are some of the projects we did with the 6-9 years-old children during the Ottawa School of Art Orleans Campus during the Spring Break Mixed-Media Camp (offered in both French and English). I chose to have a different theme and about 4 projects each day.

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Voici quelques-uns de projets réalisés par les enfants de 6-9 ans au Camp de Techniques mixtes lors de la semaine de relâche de l’École d’art d’Ottawa, Campus d’Orléans (offert en français et en anglais). J’ai choisi de travailler sur un thème et 4 activités par jour.

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