Terrie MacDonald - Artist Statement

Working with clay is a physical pleasure. Its plasticity and transformative qualities are sensual and alluring. Creating objects that people bring to their mouth, use to nourish themselves, alone, with family or friends is a great honor. For me pottery holds an important role as a vehicle to celebrate domestic activities that are intimate yet also rather mundane. Handmade vessels can be more then functional objects in a domestic setting. They can remind us that beauty and moments of reflection are found in the everyday activities that occupy us.

I graduated from The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1997 and have been working full time in clay ever since. Using earthenware clay I concentrate on table and accent ware for the home.

In 1999 I received a grant from the Ontario Craft Council, and chaired the 1999 Fusion Conference: ‘Reflections’, in Kingston. I have been Ceramics Instructor at the Kingston School of Art and The Kingston Potters’ Guild. Since 1999 I have taught at Loyalist College in Belleville. In 2003 I was invited to join the Colborne Art Gallery, an artist run cooperative which features six annual shows.

Technical Information

Using earthenware clay vessels are thrown and/or hand built. Slip (liquid clay) is applied on top, colored white or black depending on the piece. Layers of colored slip and underglaze are applied once the base coat has dried. Techniques such as sgrafitto (drawing through the clay) and wax resist is combined with slip work to create complex surface decoration.

All work is glaze fired to cone 03.