Canadian Pottery

Canadian Pottery – Harlan House vase, ht. 5″, dated 1970 – Calgary, Alberta. coll.#62 Produced 1970 at the "Clay Association" in Calgary. The Clay Association was formed in 1969 as a joint venture by Ted Diakow, Walter Drohan and Harlan House. The pot bears the logo of the group plus Harlan's early chop. Harlan House writes: The black glaze is called "Blackstone" and came from Walter Drohan and the Alberta College of Art. The blue glaze was called "Lithium Blue" and was one of Bert Borsch's - Bert was one of my instructors in 1969. The clay is from Medicine Hat and is one of the first made by Plainsman Clays.

Canadian Pottery – Peter Powning vase, ht. 9″, dated 1973 – Markhamville, New Brunswick. coll.#64 2006 RECIPIENT Bronfman Collection Peter Powning — Ceramist and Sculptor Markhamville — New Brunswick

Canadian Pottery – Bob Kingsmill vase, ht. 8″ dated 1972 – Vernon, British Columbia. coll.#63 One of my favorite pieces, I picked up this vase sometime in the late 1970's. I find the spotted lilac glaze spectacular both in colour and application, with the heavy flow stopping at exactly the right place above the foot. Funnily enough though, when I spoke to Bob about this vase, he told me the glaze colour was "accidental" - he was attempting another effect entirely! Originally, (but now worn away) the vase had a 1-1/4" yellow paper sticker on the base with a partially read large and ornate "BC" with a "pott.. 1972" dialog under the BC - I think this must have been from an exhibition at the time. The vase is incised with Bob Kingsmill's "K and two dots" logo.

Canadian Pottery – Charmian Johnson teapot ht. 6″ – Vancouver, British Columbia. coll.#69 CHARMIAN JOHNSON (1939 - ) Born in 1939, Charmian Johnson received her formal training in drawing and graphics in the Department of Art Education at the University of British Columbia, under Jim MacDonald and Bob Steele. She is renowned for her tea bowls, porcelain boxes, ikebana dishes, gargoyles and platters, with exquisite glazes and unpretentious forms. She returned to painting in 1978, producing a series of pen and ink drawings. Johnson has taught drawing and art education within the public school system as well as at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Selected Corporate, Private and Public Collections Claridge Collection, Montreal, QC Selected Solo Exhibitions 1989 Flora: Drawings by Charmian Johnson, Vancouver Art Gallery, BC 1987 The Gargoyle Factory Does Not Often Appear, Terra Cotta Gallery, Vancouver, BC 1985 An Exhibition of 99 Bowls by Charmian Johnson, University of British Columbia Fine Arts Gallery, Vancouver, BC Selected Group Exhibitions 2004 Thrown: Influences and Intentions of West Coast Ceramics, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC 2003 Genius Loci, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, ON 2002 Charmian Johnson and Ron David, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC Tenmoku: Iron Rich Glazes in Canadian Use, Canadian Clay and Glass Museum, Waterloo, ON 2001 The Chosen Ones, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, ON 1999 All About Blue - The Colour that Changed the World, Vancouver Museum, B Exhibition of Botanical Art, American Association of Horticulturalists and Botanical Gardeners, Hotel Vancouver Ballroom, BC Efflorescence I, Clay and Glass, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC 1998 Made by Hand Silver Edition 1998, Craft Association of British Columbia, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC 1997 The Canadian Collection, A.P.E.C. Conference, Government of Canada, Vancouver, BC 1996 The Grass Menagerie, Surrey Art Gallery, BC 1995 World Tea Party, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, BC 1994 The Taste of Several Times, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC Botanical Art ’94, University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC Go Figure, The Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC 1993 Jugs, Pitchers, Dippers, and Metaphors, Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC 1991 Choosing Clay, Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC Botanical Art ’91, University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC 1989 Johnson, Sivet, Grant, Galerie Franklin Silverstone, Montreal, QC 1988 Working throught the Gray Scale, Surrey Art Gallery, BC Tea Anyone, Grand Forks Art Gallery, BC 1983 Sensibilities: Unexpected Multicultural Harmonies, Museum of Anthropology, 1979 Planate Occidentalis: 200 Years of Botanical Art in British Columbia, University of British Columbia Botanical Society, exhibited at: Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario,; Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Albert; B.C. Provincial Museum, Victoria, B.C.

Canadian Pottery – Tessa Kidick bowl, dia. 8″ – Ontario coll.#65

Canadian Pottery – Larry Aguilar porcelain jar and cover, ht. 4-1/2″ – Qualicum, British Columbia. coll.#66

Canadian Pottery – Ron Tribe tea set - tea pot and four cups, teapot ht. 4″ – Vancouver, British Columbia. coll.#68 Born in Surrey England in 1927, Ron Tribe immigrated to Canada in his youth working a number of years in the retail business. Eventually he chose to pursue the arts and studied at the Vancouver school of art, Capilano College and the University of British Columbia and later opening his own Pottery studio in North Vancouver. He taught at Capilano College and was an exhibitor in the monumental Ceramics 80 exhibit celebrating 25 years of the Potters Guild of BC. Ceramics 80 was an invitational exhibition featuring 120 national and intyernational ceramic artists who had received honours at either a local or national level as well as those who had contributed to the growth and developmwent of BC ceramics. Ron Tribe passed away in 2009.

Canadian Pottery – Gordon Reisig ewer, dated 1977, ht. 10″ – British Columbia. coll.#67

Canadian Pottery - Gordon Hutchens raku vase, ht. 7″ - Denman Island, British Columbia - coll.#72

Adolf & Louise Schwenk pottery mug, ht. 6-1/4″ - Schwenk Pottery, Penticton, British Columbia. coll.#70 In the later 1950s, Louise Bowman Schwenk took a class from pottery instructor Reg Dixon. The next year she attended the Vancouver School of Art with her husband, Adolf Schwenk, a painter. Afterward, Louise and Adolf took their expertise back to their log cabin near Penticton, and making use of the local clay, they built up a successful pottery. Louise was the thrower and Adolf the painter. Their work was exhibited across Canada and in 1966 they were awarded a year of study in Europe by the Canada Arts Council. Louise tragically passed away while visiting the Leach pottery in England. [Information extracted from "Origins of a Ceramic Culture: The First Fifty Years of the BC Potters Guild 1955 – 2005" by Debra Sloan.]

Canadian Pottery – Adolf & Louise Schwenk plate – dia. 13″ - Penticton - British Columbia. coll.#81 In the later 1950s, Louise Bowman Schwenk took a class from pottery instructor Reg Dixon. The next year she attended the Vancouver School of Art with her husband, Adolf Schwenk, a painter. Afterward, Louise and Adolf took their expertise back to their log cabin near Penticton, and making use of the local clay, they built up a successful pottery. Louise was the thrower and Adolf the painter. Their work was exhibited across Canada and in 1966 they were awarded a year of study in Europe by the Canada Arts Council. Louise tragically passed away while visiting the Leach pottery in England. [Information extracted from "Origins of a Ceramic Culture: The First Fifty Years of the BC Potters Guild 1955 – 2005" by Debra Sloan.]

Adolf & Louise Schwenk pottery vase, ht. 6-1/2″ - Schwenk Pottery, Penticton, B.C. coll.#73 In the later 1950s, Louise Bowman Schwenk took a class from pottery instructor Reg Dixon. The next year she attended the Vancouver School of Art with her husband, Adolf Schwenk, a painter. Afterward, Louise and Adolf took their expertise back to their log cabin near Penticton, and making use of the local clay, they built up a successful pottery. Louise was the thrower and Adolf the painter. Their work was exhibited across Canada and in 1966 they were awarded a year of study in Europe by the Canada Arts Council. Louise tragically passed away while visiting the Leach pottery in England. [Information extracted from "Origins of a Ceramic Culture: The First Fifty Years of the BC Potters Guild 1955 – 2005" by Debra Sloan.]

Canadian Pottery - Kjeld & Erica Deichmann jug ht. 6-1/4″ - New Brunswick coll.#71

Canadian Pottery - Kjeld & Erica Deichmann bowl dated 1944 dia. 6″ - New Brunswick. coll.#79 Another view

Canadian Pottery – Walter Dexter stoneware charger, dia. 13" – Metchosin, British Columbia. coll.#75 Walter Dexter R.C.A. (1931-2015) Calgary-born Walter Dexter received his Diploma in Ceramics from the Alberta College of Art in 1954, and continued his studies at the Swedish School of Art in Stockholm. Known primarily for his innovative work with raku techniques and high-quality stoneware, Dexter ran his own studio since 1972 until his death in 2015. He exhibited across Canada and had a major one-man show at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in 1994. He has also exhibited internationally in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, Italy, Japan and the United States. Dexter’s works are featured in the permanent collections of the Claridge Collection, Montreal; the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull; the Confederation Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown; and the University of Calgary. In 1962, he was awarded a silver medal at the International Ceramics Exhibition in Prague, and the following year received the outstanding Stoneware Award at the Canadian Ceramics Biennial. In 1993, Dexter completed a major public commission in British Columbia, when he created a raku Donors Wall for the Saanich Penninsula Municipal Hospital in Victoria. A respected instructor, Walter Dexter taught at the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, British Columbia; the Vancouver Community College; the Emily Carr College of Art; and the University of Saskatoon. He continued to teach each summer at the University of Victoria. He also co-edited The Art of the Earth, an historical, literary and philosophical compilation of extracts and illustrations on clay-working. Dedicated to the Canadian craft community, Walter Dexter held a variety of executive positions. In 1978, he was the President of the Craftsmen’s Association of British Columbia and a Director of the Canadian Crafts Council. He also served as President and Vice-President of Ceramists Canada.

Canadian Pottery – Walter Dexter raku vase, ht. 10" – Metchosin, British Columbia. coll.#77 Walter Dexter R.C.A. (1931-2015) Calgary-born Walter Dexter received his Diploma in Ceramics from the Alberta College of Art in 1954, and continued his studies at the Swedish School of Art in Stockholm. Known primarily for his innovative work with raku techniques and high-quality stoneware, Dexter ran his own studio since 1972 until his death in 2015. He exhibited across Canada and had a major one-man show at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in 1994. He has also exhibited internationally in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, Italy, Japan and the United States. Dexter’s works are featured in the permanent collections of the Claridge Collection, Montreal; the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull; the Confederation Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown; and the University of Calgary. In 1962, he was awarded a silver medal at the International Ceramics Exhibition in Prague, and the following year received the outstanding Stoneware Award at the Canadian Ceramics Biennial. In 1993, Dexter completed a major public commission in British Columbia, when he created a raku Donors Wall for the Saanich Penninsula Municipal Hospital in Victoria. A respected instructor, Walter Dexter taught at the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, British Columbia; the Vancouver Community College; the Emily Carr College of Art; and the University of Saskatoon. He continued to teach each summer at the University of Victoria. He also co-edited The Art of the Earth, an historical, literary and philosophical compilation of extracts and illustrations on clay-working. Dedicated to the Canadian craft community, Walter Dexter held a variety of executive positions. In 1978, he was the President of the Craftsmen’s Association of British Columbia and a Director of the Canadian Crafts Council. He also served as President and Vice-President of Ceramists Canada.

Canadian Pottery – Walter Dexter stoneware vase, ht. 6" – Metchosin, British Columbia. coll.#76 Walter Dexter R.C.A. (1931-2015) Calgary-born Walter Dexter received his Diploma in Ceramics from the Alberta College of Art in 1954, and continued his studies at the Swedish School of Art in Stockholm. Known primarily for his innovative work with raku techniques and high-quality stoneware, Dexter ran his own studio since 1972 until his death in 2015. He exhibited across Canada and had a major one-man show at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in 1994. He has also exhibited internationally in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, Italy, Japan and the United States. Dexter’s works are featured in the permanent collections of the Claridge Collection, Montreal; the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull; the Confederation Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown; and the University of Calgary. In 1962, he was awarded a silver medal at the International Ceramics Exhibition in Prague, and the following year received the outstanding Stoneware Award at the Canadian Ceramics Biennial. In 1993, Dexter completed a major public commission in British Columbia, when he created a raku Donors Wall for the Saanich Penninsula Municipal Hospital in Victoria. A respected instructor, Walter Dexter taught at the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, British Columbia; the Vancouver Community College; the Emily Carr College of Art; and the University of Saskatoon. He continued to teach each summer at the University of Victoria. He also co-edited The Art of the Earth, an historical, literary and philosophical compilation of extracts and illustrations on clay-working. Dedicated to the Canadian craft community, Walter Dexter held a variety of executive positions. In 1978, he was the President of the Craftsmen’s Association of British Columbia and a Director of the Canadian Crafts Council. He also served as President and Vice-President of Ceramists Canada.

Canadian Pottery – Vase, 15″ – Gary Merkel, Victoria, British Columbia. - coll.#83 Vase shown at "Fired Up" in Metchosin 2014.

Canadian Pottery – Gordon Thorlaksson (1937-2009) 12″ bowl on stand – British Columbia coll.#82 Gordon Thorlaksson b. Winnipeg 1937 Thorlaksson studied and graduated in Fine Arts from San Jose State University California and taught ceramics in B.C. through the 70s. Thorlaksson was influenced by the Chinese ceramic forms and glazes of the Sung, Yuan and Ming dynasties. During the 1960's, when he was studying, he found he was not entirely in line with the prevailing attitudes. In an interview in 1977 he said,

"My style was not very well received. The trends then were ceramics that had a total earthy functional quality, or to those which gave social comment. There was a general resentment towards elegance and other characteristics associated with the Imperial Chinese periods."

For every pot Gordon Thorlaksson made, he made an accompanying ceramic base in the Chinese tradition.

Canadian Pottery - Ernst & Alma Lorenzen vase, ht. 7-1/2″ - Lantz, Nova Scotia coll.#74

Canadian Pottery - Ernst & Alma Lorenzen lava glaze bowl, dia. 6″ - Lantz, Nova Scotia coll.#78

Canadian Pottery - Julie Gellner stoneware vase, ht. 12-1/2″ coll.#87 Gellner, Julie b New York BCFA85 BCFA86 Terrace BCP86

Canadian Pottery – David Taylor (1944-2011). Stoneware vase, ht. 11″ – Nova Scotia - coll.#85 David Taylor b. 1944, Middleton, Nova Scotia. Taylor studied painting and sculpture at the N.S. College of Art and Design in Halifax and at Coventry College of Art & Design in England. In 1973, he opened his studio in Dayspring, Nova Scotia. Taylor originally stamped his pieces with Taylor, Dayspring Nova Scotia but later changed to an incised script signature "Taylor" with "Nova Scotia" stamped. He operated his studio until 2010 and had both solo & group exhibitions across Canada and the United States. There are two Taylor vases in the collection. View second piece here

Canadian Pottery – David Taylor (1944-2011). Stoneware vase, ht. 6″ – Nova Scotia - coll.#86 David Taylor b. 1944, Middleton, Nova Scotia. Taylor studied painting and sculpture at the N.S. College of Art and Design in Halifax and at Coventry College of Art & Design in England. In 1973, he opened his studio in Dayspring, Nova Scotia. Taylor originally stamped his pieces with Taylor, Dayspring Nova Scotia but later changed to an incised script signature "Taylor" with "Nova Scotia" stamped. He operated his studio until 2010 and had both solo & group exhibitions across Canada and the United States. There are two Taylor vases in the collection. View second piece here

Canadian Pottery – Wayne Ngan "oil spot" vase ht. 6" – Hornby Island, British Columbia - coll.#89

Canadian Pottery – Wayne Ngan "oil spot" bowl dia. 5" – Hornby Island, British Columbia coll.#88

Canadian Pottery – Leonhard Epp, (1932-2018) raku vase, 11″ high – British Columbia - coll.#90 Another View Leonhard Epp: b. Germany 1932. At the age of nineteen, after earning a Journeyman's Certificate in stone sculpture, he emigrated alone to Canada where he took a job as a lumberjack in Rimouski, Quebec. After one winter's employment, he made the decision to relocate to Vancouver enrolling in the Vancouver School of Art. He taught at the VSA from 1962 to 1972 as Professor of Sculpture and Ceramics then moved to the Okanagan in 1973, serving as Professor of Sculpture and Ceramics at Okanagan College, 1974-76. After teaching, he focused full time on his creative practice in his studio in Falkland, B.C. Epp exhibited in numerous solo exhibitions in public and private galleries, including the Vernon Art Gallery, the Kamloops Art Gallery, Kelowna Art Gallery, the House of Ceramics, and the Bau-Xi Gallery. He also participated in numerous group exhibitions in Vancouver and Seattle. He created sculpture for the Federal Manpower Building in Victoria, B.C., as well as Fishermen's Credit Union Building in Vancouver.

Canadian Pottery – Nan Lawson Cheney faience vase, 5-1/2″ – British Columbia coll.#92

Canadian Pottery – Nan Lawson Cheney glazed earthenware vase, 6″ – British Columbia - coll.#91

Canadian Pottery – Jack Sures (1934-2018) bowl 1994, dia. 7″ – Saskatchewan coll.#94

Canadian Pottery – Jack Sures (1934-2018) stoneware vase, ht. 5" – Saskatchewan coll.#93

Canadian Pottery – Zoltan Kiss, wine jug ht. 10-1/2″ – Vancouver British Columbia coll.#96

Canadian Pottery – Zoltan Kiss, wine jug ht. 8″ – British Columbia coll.#95

Canadian Pottery – Lari Robson covered tea ceremony waste water jar, ht. 9″ – British Columbia coll.#97

Canadian Pottery – Tommy Kakinuma Owl, 6″ – Vancouver, British Columbia coll.#98 obituary: Tommy Kakinuma, potter and sculptor died September 9, 1982 after a lengthy illness. He was 73. Tommy first came to Canada in 1937. He taught at U.B.C. and at Banff. He won numerous ceramic awards including the Canadian Ceramic award in 1957, Best Canadian Sculptor in 1963 and a silver medal at the 1963 International Ceramic Show in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He worked and died in his home in Burnaby where his wife Ikuko and daughter Hitsue still live. A very beautiful memorial service was held at Forest lawn little Chapel of the Flowers in Burnaby. The following is taken from the eulogy given by Doreen Lawson, Burnaby Alderman.

We are here today to honour the memory of Mr. Tommy Kakinuma who was a potter and artist, husband, father and a friend, and not necessarily in that order. He was a quiet, sensitive man who had an appreciation of the beauty and serenity of nature. His artistic talent expressed this through his work in his sculptures, his garden and his home. He was also strong minded and determined. He valued his privacy and refused to give it up, even when his illness took him to the hospital. Mr. Kakinuma hated hospital life--the noise, the lack of privacy and the interruptions, and he wanted so much to go home. It is a credit to his wife, Ikuko, and his daughter, Mitsue, that he was able to spend his last few weeks in the home he loved so much. It's no wonder he held his wife in such high esteem and was so proud of his daughter. Mr. Kakinuma had a personal integrity and quiet dignity and he earned respect both in his private and professional life. He was a potter who worked with clay which is a very humble medium and fashioned it into an object of great beauty. His love of life was expressed through the quality and excellence of his work. The only complaint I ever heard from shop owners who sold his sculptures was that they could not get enough Tommy Kakinuma pieces to meet the demand. His sculptures give qreat joy to everyone who has them and each piece has a character of its own. Mr. Tommy Kakinuma brought honour to our country and to his community of Burnaby with his work. He leaves a legacy behind --the memory of a warm and caring man remains in his sculptures which are a celebration of life and love. He gave of himself to us all and, especially, to his family. He will be sadly missed.

Canadian Pottery – Tommy Kakinuma 7″ Penguin – Vancouver British Columbia coll.#100

Canadian Pottery – Tommy Kakinuma 8-1/2″ Penguin – Vancouver, British Columbia coll.#101

Canadian Pottery – Tommy Kakinuma Owl, 5-1/2″ – Vancouver, British Columbia. coll.#99

Canadian Pottery - University of Saskatchewan, signed “WHP” and dated 1926 – ht. 3-1/2" coll.#105

Canadian Pottery - Tam Irving Celadon box, ht. 3-1/2″ - British Columbia, coll.#103

Canadian Pottery - Gordon Hutchens vase, salt glaze, ht. 5-1/2″ - British Columbia

Canadian Pottery - Tam Irving stoneware mug, ht. 5-1/2″ - British Columbia coll.#102

Canadian Pottery - Luke Orton Lindoe (1913-2000) "Branch Pot vase" ht. 19-1/2″ - Alberta coll.#107

Canadian Pottery - Hansen-Ross “Dawn” plaque dated 1976. dia. 9-1/2″ - Saskatchewan coll.#106

Canadian Pottery - Judy Dyelle porcelain vase, dated 1992 - ht. 7″. Metchosin, Vancouver island, British Columbia coll.#110

Canadian Pottery - Judy Dyelle vase, 1998, ht. 5-1/2″- Metchosin, Vancouver island, British Columbia coll.#111

Canadian Pottery - Judy Dyelle tea bowl, 1984, ht. 2-3/4″ - Metchosin, Vancouver island, British Columbia coll.#112

Canadian Pottery - Judy Dyelle 9"porcelain vase, dated 1997 - Metchosin, Vancouver island, British Columbia coll.#109

Canadian Pottery - Sue Hara yunomi tea cup, ht. 3-3/4″ - Victoria British Columbia. coll.#114

Canadian Pottery - Judy Dyelle Sushi Plates, 1986 ea. 4″ square British Columbia coll.#113

Stoneware vase, ht. 22″ - Olea Davis, Vancouver, B.C. coll.#116 Olea Davis (1899-1977) was the founder and first president of the B.C Potters' Guild. She was also instrumental in starting summer schools to assist talented potters, and for thirteen years taught a course in ceramics at the University of British Columbia, Dept. of Extension, Fine Arts Division, where she helped artists submit their work to international competitions and exhibitions. Mrs. Davis was concerned with educating the public through craft demonstrations and working with the Community Arts Council, succeeded in establishing the first craft outlet in Vancouver. Collaborating with Luke Lindoe, she was involved in the founding Plainsman Clays, a supply firm that gave B.C. craftsmen a reliable and consistent source of potting clays. Her papers are stored at the University of British Columbia library, special collections.

Olea Davis, a founding member and the first president of the Potters Guild of B.C., died in April 1977. During her many years in B.C. she worked to promote the arts, her particular interest being sculpture and pottery. A few months before her death she was made an honorary member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Zurich, Switzerland. Olea had shown her pottery in many exhibitions in Europe as well as in North America. A brief biography of Olea Davis was printed in the Western Potter, issue '35.

Canadian Pottery - Tea bowl ht. 4″ - (Chop Unread) coll.#115

Wayne Ngan stoneware footed platter, 13″ sq. Produced 1970's. Wayne Ngan, Hornby Island, B.C.

Judy Dyelle pottery vase, ht. 4-3/4″ - Judy Dyelle, Metchosin, B.C.

Folmer Hansen and David Ross pottery charger, dia. 15″. Produced 1956. - Hansen-Ross, Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.

Raku Vase ht. 8″ (Chop Unread; Vancouver Island or BC potter) - British Columbia

Canadian Pottery - Stoneware Vase, ht. 21″ - (Chop Unread)

Canadian Pottery - Porcelain Vase, indistinctly signed, ht. 9", dia. 12" coll# 123

Canadian Pottery - Ted Diakow teabowl, ht. 5-1/4", Alberta

Canadian Pottery - Stan Clarke stoneware vase, 9" high, British Columbia

Canadian Pottery - T & S Harlander Vase, 1963, ht. 18" - Brooklin, Ontario. coll.#127

Gordon Hutchens Porcelain sang-de-boeuf Tea bowl, ht. 3-1/2" - coll.#130

Otto Wichmann crystalline glaze vase, ht 6-1/2" - coll.#128 Otto Wichmann had a successful pottery studio in Hamburg, Germany but emigrated to Canada in the mid 1980's. He opened a studio in White Rock BC and worked producing art ware specializing in crystalline glazes. I spoke with him at an art show in Esquimalt BC sometime around 1987, but it seems his stay in BC was rather short lived as he is no longer active in the area.

Glazed Earthenware vase incised "Gravelle - Dawson Creek", ht 9-1/2″ - coll.#131 Some time ago I researched this pottery vase and discovered that "Gravelle" was the surname of a teacher who worked in Northern British Columbia and gave classes in pottery making. I believe she also may have taught in the Prince Rupert school district, as I recall seeing other "Gravelle" pots with the Prince Rupert location incised. Unfortunately, I cannot locate the source documents to support my research - if anyone has more information on "Gravelle" please contact me or leave a comment below. Thanks, Larry update: I located another Gravelle vase today that was signed "M. Gravelle" and dated 1968, so I'm adding the M.initial to the listing. (Nov 8th 2018)

Herman Venema stoneware vase dated 1977 - ht. 9-1/2″ - coll.#129 Herman Venema (1940- ) is a potter and instructor based in Abbotsford BC. Herman Venema biography

Canadian Pottery - Porcelain Vase, Unknown maker, ht. 5" British Columbia - coll.#126 The chop on the vase above (previously identified as by Martha Melling) is as yet unidentified. If you're familiar with this potter's mark please let me know! Thanksm Larry -Dec 2018

Canadian Pottery – Byron Johnstad stoneware tea bowl, ht. 5″ – Vancouver, British Columbia. coll.#84

Canadian Pottery – Byron Johnstad porcelain bowl, dia. 9″ – Vancouver, British Columbia. coll.#80

Canadian Pottery - Rebecca Rupp vase, ht. 11″ - signed on foot "Rupp", coll.#108 Rebecca Rupp Bio: 1970 Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina. 1971-73 B.F.A. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Magna Cum Laude. 1977 Independent study in Korea and Japan. 1983-85 M.F.A. Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. 1985-86 Banff School of Fine Art, The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta. Exhibition History 1982 “Wheel and Handbuilt Large Cups, Saucers and Bowls” Edna Hibel Gallery, 1018 Madison Avenue.New York, New York October 19-November 6 1982 1988 "Rebecca Rupp: Tableware"; Ontario Craft Council, Toronto, Ontario. "Mad Hatter’s Tea Party"; Burlington Art Centre, Burlington, Ontario and Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Ontario. 1989 Dexterity Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. 1989 "Feat of Clay: The Fifth Anniversary of the Permanent Collection"; Burlington Art Centre. 1990 Galerie Franklin Silverstone, Montréal, Québec. 1991 "Rupp and Gutteridge: Dual Perspectives" Harbinger Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario. 1996 "Useful Intentions"; Burlington Art Centre and Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario. 1997 "FIRE+EARTH: Contemporary Canadian Ceramics"; Burlington Art Centre. 1998 "FIRE+EARTH: Contemporary Canadian Ceramics"; Itabashi Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan. 2000 "FIRE+EARTH: Contemporary Canadian Ceramics"; Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 2001 "FIRE+EARTH: Contemporary Canadian Ceramics"; The Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan. 2002 "FIRE+EARTH: Contemporary Canadian Ceramics"; Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario. Publications Ceramics Monthly, October 1982 Ontario Craft, Summer 1988. Contact. The Magazine of the Alberta Potters Association. "What’s the Use?" Fall 1991 Fifth National Biennial of Ceramic Art. Trois Rivières Québec, 1992. International Exhibition of Ceramic Art. National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan, 1992.

Valentin Shabaeff (1891 - ?), Saint Peter Figure, ht. 12" - coll.#132 Russian b.1891 emigrated to Canada 1929 (Dominion Gallery, Montreal) [Max Stern fonds] Valentin-Firsov Shabaeff was born and educated in Russia,he maintained his studio, together with his wife Sonia, in Montreal, Canada. Shabaeff represented Canada with painting at the New York World's Fair in 1939. Worked as a painter, sculptor, ceramics and produced reliefs and murals. ******************************************************** from art and architecture in canada vol 1 - Loren r. Lerner, Mary F. Williamson AYRE, Robert. Introducing Valentin Shabaeff. Canadian art vol 5 #2 (christmas 1947) pp.80-83 illus. english. Valentin Shabaeff, an artist born and educated in Russia, maintains his studio in Montreal. Once a painter and a Sculptor, he now works in ceramics, producing reliefs, murals, and sculptures. Shabaeff deplores the amateurism he finds among canadians working in Ceramics, insisting that progress only comes when one makes ceramics one's profession, and is prepared to undergo a rigorous apprenticeship. ************************************* University of British Columbia, Fine Arts Library Musee des beaux-arts du Canada, Bibliotheque et Archives / Musee canadien de la photographie contemporaine Musee des beaux-arts de l'Ontario, Bibliotheque de recherche et archives Edward P. Taylor Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal, Bibliotheque Born of a peasant family living on the Volga Plateau of Russia. As a child he loved drawing at the village school. He began formal training at the age of 12. He studied painting, design, sculpture and ceramics for 9 years at the Moscow Art Academy, and Byzantine murals at Kazan, also at the Imperial Academy of Art at St Petersburg (Petrograd, 1914; later named Leningrad). His teachers were Prince Paul Troubetzkoi, Baron Klodt (for ceramics) and Prof. Feishin. He joined the Russian army during WWI, was wounded, taken prisoner, and spent several years along with 75,000 other Russians in a camp where more than a hundred prisoners starved to death daily. He returned to Russia on a prisoner exchange in 1918 and taught art and was employed in the assessment of works of art for the Customs Department in Moscow. In 1925 he left Russia due to the decline of activity in fine arts following the revolution. He travelled to China where he did bronze and stone sculptures for His Majesty's Hotel and Chinese Customs House at Shanghai (1925-1928); moved on to Indochina and then to Japan. He arrived in United States in 1928 and worked in Hollywood on a design for Cecil B. de Mille's movie King of Kings. He came to Canada in 1930 and settled in Montreal where he completed commissions for the Chapel of Christ Church Cathedral (ceramic triptych of Madonna and Child with Seraphim); ten stone reliefs for the CNR Central Station; murals for Henry Birks and Sons in Quebec City; murals for Samovar Montreal night club and other commissions. In 1945 Dr. Max Stern of the Dominion Gallery was the first Montreal art dealer to give Shabaeff a solo show of ceramic plaques, reliefs and jewellery. The entire exhibition was sold out to collectors. The brooches included heads of women and horses, birds, fish (all with simplicity of line and subtle colour). In his first visit to Toronto in 1939 he met Grace Dempster. She wanted to be an artist but had trained as a teacher to please her family. He hired her as an apprentice and they were later married. Ten years after that first visit to Toronto he held his first solo show at The Fine Art Galleries of Eaton's College Street Store. Viewing his work Rose MacDonald of the Toronto Evening Telegram noted, "Shabaeff's ceramics come as a magnificent surprise. They glow with color, color of fine glazes, a vibrant turquoise most often, enriched by applications of gold and of platinum which take on new values of lustre as the result of the three successive careful firings . . . Shabaeff's art is in the great apostolic succession of Byzantine art a tradition of which the Russian Greek Orthodox Church was the direct inheritor." In his second show at Eaton's, Pearl McCarthy of the Globe & Mail noted one of his works as follows, "Shabaeff has turned out a breathtaking masterpiece. It is a huge wall plaque 58 inches x 46 inches, in modelled, fired clay with colored glazes and pure gold and platinum, on the subject of the Rape of Europa. It centres the exhibit of work by this man of great talent which will go on view Tuesday in the fine art galleries of Eaton's College Street." He did a 16-ft. ceramic Our Lady of Light for the Loretto College, Toronto. In the years that followed he lived and worked in Wellington, ON; Granby, QC; Napanee ON; Brockville, ON; Cornwall, ON; Smiths Falls, ON; Ottawa, ON; and Vancouver, BC. He completed 25 reliefs, murals and bronze sculptures for Hotel Vancouver. In 1962 he stopped making ceramics but continued with sculpture, painting (water colours, oils, pastels), drawings, and etchings. Shabaeff used the finest of materials, paints and frames for his work. The last public account of Shabaeff appeared in a 1974 article in The Montreal Star by Henry Lehrnann when Shabaeff was 83 years old. Valentin and his wife Grace had one daughter, Agnia (b. c.1950). Since no public notice of his death has been found, it is not clear when or where he died.” [MacDonald, “A Dictionary of Canadian Artists”] Provenance: Dominion Gallery, Montreal.

Canadian Pottery - Suzy Birstein pottery mug, Vancouver BC, ht. 5-1/2" Collection # 133

Canadian Pottery - An Otto Wichmann green crystalline pottery vase, ht. 8", Collection #134

Canadian Pottery - A Gordon Hutchens gold crystalline pottery vase, ht. 6", Collection #135

A Walter Dexter raku white crackle pottery vase of typical form decorated with calligraphic designs of his mid 1980's period/style. Height 10", coll. #136