New Art Exhibits at Squamish Arts Council Artisan Galleries
located at 1336 Main Street, Squamish (across the street from the Library)
GARRY BROECKLING, photography
JENNY SMACK, pottery
HENRY GOTTARDI, pottery
Homage to Henry
Through the cracks of a dilapidated old shed, I spotted a kiln which seemed long forgotten. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the house next to it and this is when I met Henry. Through this chance encounter developed an incredible friendship, with many afternoons spent deep in conversation about everything from the effects of a glaze to the trials and tribulations of life. This was seven years ago.
Henry had retired from a career in pottery some years earlier. Looking at some of the images of work he had done, I was particularly taken by the unique and beautiful surface of his Sawdust& Propane fired bottles. Henry and I talked about doing pottery together, but timing was never right.
So just over a month ago, we decided to work together two days a week at my studio and build a propane-assisted sawdust kiln, a technique which had been developed by Henry decades before. Seaweed was collected along the seashore and coffee grounds from Galileo Coffee Company, and both were dried in preparation for the firing. The coffee and seaweed flash colours onto the surface of the pottery inside the kiln.
Sawdust was also collected from Bowerman's Furniture, which in combination with the propane, was the fuel for the kiln. And with the addition of soluble salts, seven years later, we are making the magic happen!
All the work in this show is from our first firing in our kiln.....and wow was it exciting!.....we were like little kids in a candy store opening up the kiln for the very first time.
Jenny Smack, artist statement
