CATHI JEFFERSON I CANADA
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I have always known that I was meant to work with clay. I started to pursue my dream to be a studio potter in 1974 taking clay courses with Herman Venema. Under his guidance and support I continued to work in his studio for 16 years. During that time I took fine arts courses integral part of furthering my education and growth with clay. Trying to retain that initial thrown freshness and interact in with the kiln during the firing process has always drawn me to salt and wood-firing. It never ceases to amaze me how each fired piece is directly affected by its location in the kiln, producing unique variations with rich colour tones and textural surfaces.

My overwhelming desire to make functional dishes is grounded in the belief that it is important to have handmade items in our lives to help us remain connected to the natural world and to each other. Most of my work is wheel-thrown and altered into square or triangular shapes. Pieces are decorated with impressions from nature or geometric shapes that attempt to enhance the form. My hope is that the design depicts where I am from and engages you to look around the piece through each framed window, noticing the different rich earthy tones and varying textures. I strive to make the form of each piece interesting and strong, capable of functioning so well that it will be enjoyed and used often because it elevated the ordinary into something special.

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