Bountiful Beauty at the Potters Place during Elevate the Arts and throughout the month of June.

Wonderous Wood Fired Pottery from Local Potter Jaime Willms and Fabulous Fiber Art from Local Weaver and Fiber Artist Pat Simpson

It’s hard to find a place more ARTFUL and more LOCAL than the POTTERS PLACE at the 5th Street Courtyard in Couirtenay. A perfect place to visit anytime, including during Elevate the Arts.

This month we are doing something a little different for us, and we have invited guest artist Pat Simpson, who makes beautiful art for the table such as woven tea towels and runners (and more) and thought what a perfect fit as so much of the wonderful pottery you will find at the Potters Place is fully functional and perfect for any table.

Jaime Willms is our featured potter for June and her recent kiln load was sensational. She put it best…

“ The crackle of the fire is getting quieter. The kiln is telling us that it’s time to stoke again. We stoke, and a six foot flame shoots straight up into the air, lighting up the dark night. The kiln crackles it’s thunderous, happy song, as the flames lick their way through a maze of pots, and out the chimney.”

Wood firing is a process that goes back to the fifth century from Asia. When Jaime travelled through China, she saw old, abandoned, wood fired kilns that had been used in years past to fire such simple things as bricks and roof tiles. The old potters would fire their pots inside protective vessels called saggars, so that the wood ash would not disturb the glaze surface. However, modern day wood fired potters such as Willms, happily encourage as much of the
“fly ash” and fire marks to decorate their pots as possible. Kiln kisses, patterns from supports keeping the pottery from sitting and sticking directly to the kiln shelves knows as wadding, wood ash deposits, directional flame marks and warm colours such as ochres, rusts, and toasty cinnamons are achieved in part by ‘reducing’ the oxygen in the kiln at specific temperatures and for specific durations. These colours and effects are all coveted by modern day wood firers. The kiln is stoked round the clock for over 4 days with approximately 4 -5 cords of wood and ​the ​temperature​ reached is​ around 2500 degrees F​.

Jaime’s display at The Potter’s Place throughout June, will feature pottery fired in an anagama wood fire kiln. This is a traditional 5th century ​​Asian designed kiln. The vases and vessels in our FEATURE window are highly decorated, some by Jaime, and some in collaboration with artist husband, Dany Fortin.
Not to worry, we’ll be sure to also have available, Willms’ functional work, ranging from plates, teapots, mugs and bowls. If you don’t have a Jaime Willms pot yet, you will want to start your collection with a piece this month!

Come see sculptors and a variety of other artists in the 5th Street Courtyard during Elevate the Arts from June 3 – 6,2015