THE SEAHORSE PROJECT – The interview

Tags

artist residency, École d'art d'Ottawa, Interview, Ottawa School of Art, seahorse, YouTube

Finally I found time to go to the Ottawa School of Art to use their movie editing software and put this interview together. Mind you the next day there was a giant sinkhole downtown right where I passed by to go home afterwards. Being an artist is risky business. 🙂

It is now up and running on my YouTube Channel. This was done last year during the opening of my end of Artist Residency at the Ottawa School of Art.

Dawn Dale, artist, friend and mentor, was kind enough to do it and did a great job. I’ll let you be the judge of it.

studiosixtysix – Vernissage

I went for the first time to studiosixtysix which stands for the actual address of the Gallery (66 Muriel Street, Otttawa). There was a vernissage for emerging artist Alana Latincic. The show title was ”the game doesn’t start until you say YES”. It had digital prints of abstracted shapes of video game consoles, a video one could influence by using a game controller and 3D printed objects reminiscent of her printed images all pertaining to her exploration of the video game culture.

In the Gallery, there are a few professional studios and art practices as well as some walls that were showing works from recent past exhibitions. I found it was an interesting concept. It took a few pictures without the flash so they’re a bit dark.

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Mentor Mixer Monday

This is the first event organized by the Young Arts Leaders Collective that I went to. It was a panel of accomplished artists and non-artists who also happen to have given back to the arts community in one way or another. They were discussing their big breaks, tips and what to do’s and don’ts through a series of questions. I don’t remember the facilitator’s name but she did a great job.

Another interesting thing was the venue itself which is a store on Wellington called Maker House
They were streaming live during the event and the footage can be seen on YouTube.

Here are some of the key-points I retained:

• Say Yes to each and every opportunity that comes your way until you’re busy enough to be choosy of where you spend your time/energy or if it doesn’t go with your branding
• Go to openings and build your network
• Use social media
• Make a 5 and 10-year plan for yourself
• Volunteer
• Like for the NHL trade up! (meaning think about your CV when building your career)
• Seek out a team of mentors

From there I took upon myself to start a conversation with one of the people who had just left from the panel. She happened to be the owner of studiosixtysix, Carrie Colton. She mentioned their upcoming exhibition as well as a potential opportunity for me to show my work in November. I had heard of the place and have a friend living nearby so I took this chance to visit the Gallery. This is my next Post’s subject.

The 2016 Ottawa Guild of Potters Spring Sale

Here are some pictures of the Ottawa Guild of Potters Spring Sale that was held this week-end at the Horticulture building, Lansdowne Park (Ottawa). It is a beautiful venue. Congratulations to those who won prizes at the Exhibition part of the Sale!

Exhibition display

Exhibition display

Work by fellow artist Hilde Lambrechts.

Front pieces by Jen Drysdale. Middle pieces by Johanna Jansen. Backdrop piece by Puck Janes.

Work by fellow artist Maria Moldovan.

Work by fellow artist Kathrin von Dehn.

Work by fellow artist Melanie Cuellar.

Displays inside the Horticulture Building, Lansdowne Park.

Work by fellow artist Jocelyn Jenkins.

Work by fellow artist Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau.

Work by fellow artist Michelle Bertrand.

Work by fellow artist Ileana Tierney.

Work by fellow artist Zuzana Voska.

More of my work out there

Tags

sale, vente

This year I tried to expand my presence on the market. I even spent a week in Montreal to talk to various Galleries. There are places of interest that I haven’t pursued further at the moment but it was a great adventure with positive feedback on my work as I brought some pieces along for the ride.

You can now find my work at the following locations:

• The Hintonburg Pottery Shop / Earthen Vessels Clay Studio (Ottawa, ON)
• The Ottawa School of Art Boutique (Ottawa, ON)
• La Fab Boutique (Old Chelsea, QC)
• Galerie Old Chelsea (Old Chelsea, QC)

Hintonburg Pottery Shop and earthen vessel clay studio

The Ottawa School of Art

La Fab

Galerie Old Chelsea

Lucie Rie at the Library

I had the pleasure to attend Ellen McLeod’s presentation on Dame Lucie Rie (1902-1995) at the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Ellen is a member of the Canadian Ceramic Circle. Lucie Rie was a famous European Potter of the last century. Originally from Vienna, Austria she had to move to England and start her career all over again because of the WWII. She was making one of a kind vessels that were mostly decorative at a time where England was celebrating Bernard Leach for his traditional rural pottery with strong Asian influence.  The treatment of her surfaces were superb and her designs minimalist. It was interesting to learn more about this wonderful lady and her friendship to Bernard Leach and mostly to Hans Coper.

For more info :Essay on Lucie Rie by Sophie Heath (Archive at the Crafts Study Centre)

 

260 Fingers

I went this week-end to the best ceramics show in Ottawa. I go there every year, even worked there some of the previous years, have good ceramic artist friends there and still wish to be part of it some day. Enough about me, here are the pictures.

Work by my friends and mentors Don and Leta Cormier.

Work by the talented Lesley McInally.

 

Reception night for The Seahorse Project

Tags

argile noire, Artwork, black and white, black clay, Céramique, Ceramic art, contemporain, contemporary, décoration, Exhibition, Exposition, hippocampe, Interview, Laguna Frost, noir et blanc, objet d'art, oeuvre d'art, Ottawa School of Art, Paula Murray, porcelain, porcelaine, sculpture, seahorse, YouTube

After a big Fall storm, some people were brave enough to come and have a chat during the Reception for my show at the Ottawa School of Art.
Fellow ceramic artist Hilde Lambrecht got me a wonderful bottle of wine with a Seahorse on it called “Promised Land”. It was very “À propos” for this show. Thanks Hilde! Thanks as well to all of those who showed up and those who have already visited and left a note in my book, as well as those who will come prior to Wednesday (when I’ll take it down).
A big thanks to Dawn Dale as well for graciously accepting to interview me for a YouTube video.

Nice!

Fellow ceramist Hilde Lambrecht writing a note

Awesome gift from Hilde.

Refugees.

Friends and fellow artists.

On the Line

Ready when you are.

Still Standing.

The Pacifist.

Flagship Species.

The Fallen.

Friends and fellow artists.

Friends and fellow artists.

View from outside, at night.

View from outside, at night.

View from outside, at night.

The Seahorse Project is up!

Tags

argile noire, artist residency, Artwork, École d'art d'Ottawa, black and white, black clay, Céramique, Ceramic art, contemporain, contemporary, Exhibition, Exposition, Laguna Frost, Ottawa School of Art, porcelain, porcelaine

Last week on Wednesday I set up my Artist in Residence Exhibition. Here are the pictures of the show that will be in the Lee Matasi Gallery until October 21. Reception will be this Thursday evening. Unfortunately on of my pieces broke its tail during the week-end (most likely because part of it was mended with glaze prior to the second firing and it couldn’t hold part of the weight once attached on the wall, although it was attached o the wall in 3 different points). Oh well, lesson learned. It has also been advertised on the Ottawa School of Art Website.

Artist Statement:
“Seahorses are fascinating creatures that have long captured our imagination. Part chameleons with their independent eyes and ability to camouflage, part horses with the shape of their head and long neck and part monkey with their prehensile tail, these odd fish still hold many mysteries for scientists.
Seahorses are being harvested and decimated by the millions every year. When climate change and pollution threaten the natural habitat of these coastal-living animals, they are facing yet another challenge.
When your population is driven to the point of extinction, what do you do? Do you adapt, stay and fight? Do you migrate against your own nature? Where can you seek asylum in foreign territories? ”

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Upcoming Artist in Residence Exhibition

I’ve been working on a postcard for my upcoming exhibition at the Ottawa School of Art. I’m quite pleased with the result. It’s cohesive with the newly designed Business Cards.

For printing, I used again Vistaprint since I had a credit with them due to the mess-up with my Business Card. I found it hard to decide between 100 (too little) and 250 postcards (too much). I chose the latest as I will be able to use them to promote myself in the future as well (my contact information is on it). I also upgraded the paper weight (from regular 215g/m2 to premium 350g/m2) so it won’t look cheap as a promotional material.