The Potter's Place is delighted to have Mary Deveau in the gallery as featured artist for August.
Mary moved to the Comox Valley several years ago and spends a lot of time exploring the wild side of the ocean in kayak or sailboat. She spends a lot of time studying the local seals, which has lead to an exploration of their forms and gestures in clay.
"There seems to be a humanistic quality in their gestures that somehow links us to their world," she says. "Close up you get a sense of kinship, relationships and family … and from afar you can witness a display of blatant and shameless playfulness."
Mary uses very specific firing techniques to create the colour, textures and surfaces that describe her seals — smoke or pit firing are particularly suited, but she also uses glaze firings in gas or electric kilns and has experimented to create these fabulous works of art.
Mary is featured this month at the Potter's Place on the corner of Fifth and Cliffe in the cultural heart of downtown Courtenay at 180B Fifth. It's open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
For more information, phone 250-334-4613 or visit www.thepottersplace.ca and see the potters on Facebook.
— The Potter's Place