My Philosophy and Journey with Clay

I've had a love of clay since childhood. I remember playing at the beach and sensing the silky smoothness of the clay just under the surface of the sand when I dug my toes in. Intrigued by the textural difference between the clay and the sand. I had to dig some up. The first lidded dish I managed to create, primitive as it was, was the beginning of my lifelong connection with clay.
 
That connection lay dormant for most of my teen years until, after graduating high school, I signed up for a night school class at Sheridan College, in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. My instructor noticed my natural ability on the wheel and suggested I enrol as a full-time student which I did. Three years later I had earned the Diploma of Applied Arts in Craft & Design - Ceramics Studio. Unfortunately, the need to earn a living and perhaps a fear of the unknown world of being an artisan steered me away from clay for 20+ years. I married, had two children and stayed busy on the "mommy track" and at my part-time retail job.

But the clay called me back in subtle ways at first - watching the scene in the movie "Ghost", reading a book in which the main character has a pottery studio in their garage and dreaming of working with clay. The final pull came when a friend told me she was taking pottery classes. I went to check out the facility and have been reunited with clay ever since thanks to the excellent 24/7 pottery studio operated by the Mississauga Potters' Guild, ironically located just down the road from where the Sheridan Campus once stood. It's been several years now since my reunion with clay and I am thrilled about the adventure before me.

Working with clay is a convergence of 3, possibly 4, of the elements:
earth(clay),
water (used for lubrication and joining),
fire (firing the pieces in the kiln) and one could argue the case for
air/wind as also involved when the clay is drying.

I'm actively looking for my voice in my pottery and I feel certain special pieces are starting to whisper for me just a little bit. Hopefully I will find the full range and volume of my creative voice but I am definitely enjoying the journey trying to discover it through clay.

Please visit the other sections of this website including the photo gallery of some of my recent work, the pottery process,  the pottery shop and the Show & Sale pages.

If you want to contact me or if you are interested in purchasing one of the pieces in the "Pottery Shop" please fill out the contact form.

Thanks for visiting and please come again soon - watch of my upcoming blog if you want to know what I'm up to now.

Vicki L. Ruple Lepe
"Just Pottering"
Brampton, Ontario Canada

 

'Broken Hex' November 2009