Biography: Marie Paquette, clay artisan

It took me a while to come to pottery even if I grew up in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec that used to be the Canadian Capital of Pottery at the end of the 19th century (St.Johns, P.Q.). I didn't know I wanted to be a potter while growing up with my feet sinking in the blue clay of the river Richelieu, literally "a rich place".

Instead, I studied French Literature at University of Montreal thinking: I'll be a poet! I ended up teaching French as a second language to military personnel.

All those years though, the energy concentrated in my hands was looking for a way to express, to fulfill itself and in 1992, I registered for hand buiding night classes in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

It quickly became an addiction that gave me a lot of joy!

Nevertheless, 2 years later, I decided to give watercolours a chance…But while visiting the Musée du Haut-Richelieu at the end of the summer 97, I saw three chunks of clay of different colours: red, blue and green that moved me so deeply I knew I had to go back to pottery! To go back to my joy!

Since we were then living in Trenton, I registered in Peta Hall's hand building pottery night class at Loyalist College: Peta was –and still is- an inspiring master! She took me on a wonderful journey through all aspects of hand building with clay!

I work with stoneware, porcelain and raku clay and fire them all in an electric kiln at cone 6.

I hand build only because I love the peaceful rhythm of hand building: the intimacy of pinching pots in the cradle of my hand or the weight of the clay being stretched into slabs.

I love the serene heaviness of the clay as well as its fluidity, its motion.

I fold and fold again the clay, texture it, tear it part and put it back together, stretch it, allowing the clay to curve and ripple.

All along the process, I make sure to stay very close to the clay, aware of what it wants to become and to try to respect it…I have this deep conviction, after 6 years now, that in the fluid immobility of the clay, there are an infinite numbers of pots waiting to come to life!