Pottery and Rafting - What a mix!

Every winter while we are taking a break from rafting (there is no water just ice), I spend some time in my studio getting wet. Notice getting wet seems to be a theme going on around here? I try and keep busy by making pottery. But then, I've mentioned that in earlier blogs.



So here is an opportunity for me to show off some of the pieces I have made. If you see anything you like, contact me and we can arrange shipping for you in time for Christmas.


Stoneware - Pine Ash Glaze



I have experimented with Raku, Barrel firing and Stoneware with a wood ash glaze look. All of these methods rely on random effects to give you the end product. The ideas of random and entropy intrigue me. Also, any surface that has a liquid look or of something flowing over the surface catch my eye. ( another river theme I guess). I primarily use a wheel however in the last few weeks I have been doing slab work. It's nice to try something different and then go back to old ways with new ideas and attitudes. I hope you enjoy looking at these pieces.


Barrel Fired


















Raku-Crackle Glaze





Stoneware-Clay from the banks of the Red Deer River brushed on the surface of the pot.

Those white mountains

Every time I look out the window here at Otter Rafting Adventures, I can see the mountains and the bright white snow shimmering on them. I have always found the mountains a draw; for skiing, hiking, sightseeing, inspiration for the pottery I make in the winter (check out Otter Pottery), the creation of rivers that are nature's playground and a place to go just to look around in awe.

Just the act of looking up to the mountain peaks makes one compare to the religious experience of looking up to the heavens. But, I always think of these mountain peaks as a place where we get an unobstructed view of our world. Different feelings and thoughts are generated by the abruptly altered grasp of scale. With the altitude, the senses tingle in the light thin air and create an other world experience. This photo is of the Big Rock rapid from several hundred meters higher up. To identify it, it is the dot in the middle of the river where the river is at it's widest.

The building up of the snows in the mountains over the winter months is closely watched with anticipation of the coming summer and the rafting season. So when it's snowing and blowing out on the prairies, think of all the snow and the coming spring melt.