Internationally acclaimed potter Gordon Hutchens is one of the founding members of Denman Island’s Pottery Studio Tour - a cultural highlight in the region each spring.
Hutchens - along with many other talented artists in eight additional studio locations - will be welcoming clay lovers on Saturday and Sunday May 20 and 21 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. In addition, a celebratory retrospective highlighting the incredible diversity of pottery produced on Denman over the past three decades will take place at the Marcus Isbister Old School Centre.
A week long, communal firing in the anagama (‘climbing-hill-dragon’) kiln on Hutchens’ land has just been completed in time for the tour. Some of the spectacular results include large vessel forms that Hutchens has decorated with engobe (clay slip - applied in this case with broad sweeping brush strokes to emulate the white-crested waves of a stormy sea) in concert with dazzling lustre glazes. This artist has also refined an innovative silk-screen technique that involves the application of old Japanese fabric designs on to the surface of smaller pots.
Bathed in golden hues created by swirling smoke and wood ash inside the anagama kiln, these unique pieces bear an antique-feel that transcends time.
Tom Dennis has also participated on the popular tour since its inception. Another former resident of the U.S., Dennis was also part of the back-to-the-land movement in the 1970s responsible for laying the foundation for the ceramic arts community that Denman is so well-known for today.
Forty-five years after moving to the lovely Lake Farm on the Island’s north end, this potter’s ‘out of the way’ studio showroom is another destination of choice for tour-goers seeking both beautiful and practical quality functional wares.
This year visitors can expect to enjoy an extensive array of Dennis’s mugs, rice bowls, pitchers, vases, casserole dishes, square plates and more awash in a colour palette ranging from rusty browns to luscious burgundy, mauve, cobalt blue and turquoise tones.
Other Denman potters ready to unveil their latest creations are Scott and Garnet Beardsley, Bentley LeBaron, Hanne Christensen, Shirley Phillips of Lilac Sun Pottery, Marjo Van Tooren of Down to Earth Pottery, Barb and John Mills of Raucous Raven Pottery, and Dante Ambriel and Tashi Draper of Flowing Art Studio.
From practical kitchen wares to sculptures for home or garden display, there is something to suit every taste and pocketbook on the 2017 tour. Winding one’s way down picturesque country roads to each artist’s unique studio setting is a lot like a treasure hunt, and a wonderful way to explore and appreciate the rural ambiance and natural beauty of Denman Island.
Pick up your free map to all 10 venues at the Buckley Bay ferry booth, or on Denman at various locations including the Old School Centre at 5901 Denman Rd.
May 20 is also the first day of the season for Denman’s Farmers Market, and that is also on the grounds of the Old School Centre where the “30th Year Pottery Tour -Coming Full Circle” exhibit takes place.
Visit denmanpottery2017.blogspot.ca for the ferry schedule and additional info, as well as a colourful sneak preview.