CHAMBERS GALLERY, Mississippi Mills Administration Building, 3131 Old Perth Road, Almonte
“My hope is to create individual pieces that are pleasing to the eye, yet are functional and a pleasure to use”
Teresa grew up in the picturesque New Forest, in Southern England. It was there that she first found her passion for clay.
She studied Art and Ceramics at Hill College and then at the Southampton College of Art, completing her training by serving an apprenticeship with a local area Potter. Branching out on her own in 1982, she established her own studio, ‘Brook Pottery’, that was in a former undertakers carriage house, right next door to the Green Dragon pub!
After immigrating to Canada in 1988, Teresa continued to evolve her pottery style, spending several years discovering and researching the materials available, adapting her methods to the ‘New World’.
Working from her Kinburn studio since 1998, she has drawn inspiration for her pottery from her rural surroundings.
Teresa’s work is strongly influenced by 17th, 18th and 19th century English designs, ranging from Thomas Toft’s slipware to William Morris’s wallpaper designs and Liberty fabric prints. She uses an age old technique called ‘Slip trailing’ to apply intricately raised patterns to her pots. Making her own glazes and slips incorporating natural oxides and under-glazes, allows Teresa to produce unique colours for her signature designs.
Each piece is individually hand thrown on the potter’s wheel and after it has firmed to a ‘leather hard’ stage, it is carefully trimmed and is then decorated by brushing or applying the slip through a very fine nozzle. This technique forms an attractive raised design that enhances the tactile nature of the pot.
Once decorated and dry, the pot is bisque fired to 1000 degrees Celsius in an electric kiln, in preparation for it to be glazed. It is then dipped in an ocher colored glaze and fired again, this time to 1200 degrees Celsius where the glaze then melts.
The result of this long and intricate process produces a very attractive functional stoneware piece that can be used and enjoyed everyday.
Studio is open by appointment
