Canadian Artist, Helen Stone featured at Tay River Gallery

<h1><font face="verdana">Biography: Helen Stone</font></h1> <div align="left"> <p>ARTIST’S STATEMENT:</p> <p>I want to expose the delicacy and beauty of our natural surroundings to the viewer, expressed in a clay format. Bas-relief impressions of blooming flowers, and vegetation which we might find on a forest floor or in a canopy above us, remind us of our roots. This type of experience is then confronted with a contrast: vessels fired by the flame which express a sense of fullness hint in another way at the bounty of nature and the intensity of the forces which shape it.</p> <p>These alternate forms of expression are different aspects of a whole experience. Made of earth, water, and fire and emerging finally in the air, they breathe for us to express the value of the natural world around us.</p> <p>Helen Stone is a member of the Ottawa Guild of Potters. She received her professional training at a local community centre and through Guild workshop series. She has assisted in providing Raku workshops to Ottawa students. Helen works with various clays. Sculptural work is usually done with a heavily-grogged low-fire clay suitable for the RAKU process. Some Raku firing involves subjecting the clay to a flame-burning oxygenating atmosphere at the beginning of the firing, with possible reduction atmosphere near the end of firing. The pieces are then immediately lifted from the kiln, still glowing incandescent, and placed in post-firing reduction pits. Sawdust or other organic materials are placed in the pits as a bed and to cover the pieces. With the pits covered, the resultant reducing atmosphere changes the raku glazes on the pieces. Pieces may emerge with finishes ranging from iridescent, to pure metallic, to a carbonized black matte, depending on the individual treatment.</p> <p>Her vessels feature Porcelain clay, fired inside a heat-resistant "saggar" or container within the Raku kiln. Combustibles and metallic salts combine to impart a fiery, mottled surface. The pieces are then gently burnished with an oil to enhance the finish.</p> <p>Helen also produces functional pottery suitable for everything from ovenware to tableware. A range of pots from mugs to casseroles are wheel-thrown and also hand-built, usually from a mid-fire porcelain. The fine denseness of the porcelain clay body lends itself to smooth glaze treatments and is also amenable to carving. She makes her own unique glazes from food-safe ingredients. She prefers the vibrant colours of alkaline glazes.</p> <p>Memberships:</p> <ul> <li>FUSION (Ontario Clay and Glass) <li>Ottawa Guild of Potters <li>Arts Ottawa East </ul> <div align="left"></div> <p align="left">Updated:<csobj w="64" h="20" t="DateTime" locale="00000409" format="ShortDate" region="0">10/9/2007</csobj> Copyright 2007 <a title="Tay River Galler Home" href="http://www.tayrivergallery.com/index.html" target="_blank">Tay River Gallery</a></p> <p align="left"></p> <p><br> </p> </div>