POTTERS
GUILD
of BRITISH

COLUMBIA
a

l nspi red By N atu re By Peggy Stortz

Living on the west coast we are surrounded by the beauty and power
of nature. On Vancouver's North Shore, we are fortunate to be able
to enjoy the mountains, forests, rivers and coastal waters with all of
their flora and fauna. But as human development continues and these
precious sanctuaries become more and more at risk, we must protect
them as well.

The year 2010 has been designated the International Year of
Biodiversity. This September, in an effort to raise awareness about
the vital role that parks and green spaces play in our lives, the Ferry
Building Gallery mounted a mixed media group exhibition called
Inspired by Nature: The Parks of West Vancouver (Sept. 3 to 26.) Fifteen
recognized local artists depicted, in clay, textiles, paint and other
media, aspects of the natural habitat from several of the area’s parks.
Public lectures on the subjects of rockfish, glass sponges and forest
biodiversity were presented during the three-week exhibition.

‘Three of the participants in this show were ceramic artists, and all
three of them are Potters Guild of BC members. Jackie Frioud’s work
reflects her fascination with the streams and water pools of Cypress
Park’s Black Mountain and Nelson Canyon where she enjoys hiking
and cross-country skiing. Stream Beds I, LI & II are trough-like vessels
of blue and copper-brown clay resembling creek beds. In each lie
several round stones, again made of clay. They shine just like stones in
the crystal waters of North Shore rivers and creeks meandering their
way down to the sea.

Frozen Lakes, Black Mountain is a descending series of shallow
ceramic bowls, irregular in shape and icy blue grey in colour. They
show the artist’s appreciation for the wintery beauty of the North
Shore Mountains.

Ronda Green takes us to a much tamer location. Memorial Park,
known for its lovely gardens, is also home to West Vancouver's
cenotaph. Celebrating the elegance and importance of flowers, Green
created hundreds of small clay flowers for three of her four pieces. She
assembled some of these into the shape of two wreaths, acknowledging
the park’s war memorial. Black Wreath, circular and comprised of
black and sandy-toned flowers, is a reminder of deadly toll of war. Its
partner, Green Heart is just that—a heart-shaped wreath of delicate
sage green flowers. To the artist, it symbolizes her wishes for a better
world. With a similar message of hope, beauty and love, the off-white
blooms of Basket of Flowers cascade out of the ceramic basket of the
same hue. Their colour is offset by the deep green leaves that peek out
here and there.

Lily Monument, Green's fourth contribution to the exhibition is
a tall clay vase (60 cm) embossed with images flowers. Are the four
bands of colour on the vessel—brown, orange, yellow and green—
representative of the autumn shades we see in November?

From the urban park in the town centre we move to the outer western
edge of the municipality. Whytecliff Park is one of the favourite haunts
of ceramic artist Helen Weiser and a popular destination for divers,
bird watchers and beachcombers. Weiser has celebrated diverse aspects
of the West Vancouver shoreline. Low Tide Rock Bowl I, IT & HT is a
series of clay bowls fired in deep earthy tones to represent the sand,
clay and rocks visible when the tide is out.

Another threesome is her Surf Scoters [, II & II, These sea birds,
with their sleek black feathers and brightly coloured beaks, winter in
the area. No doubt some of them can be seen at Whytecliff. But Weiser
may have had a more serious reason for choosing this bird for her work.

Frozen Lakes, Black Mountain, by Jackie Frioud.

In 2007, an oil spill in San Francisco harbour killed thousands of surf
scoters. In fact, 40% of the birds killed by this spill were scoters.

Weiser’s final piece in the exhibition is a mixed media sculpture
entitled Rockfish at Whytecliff Park. These delightful clay rockfish are
suspended on sticks over a bed of natural stones. The artist chose
shades of grey, brown and yellow to colour the fish. Some are striped,
others more mottled. Looking on from the sidelines is a curious deep-
grey seal, one of a series called Seal Rocks. Could he be planning his
next dinner?

On entering the gallery and experiencing this extraordinary
exhibition, one cannot help but feel surrounded by nature—images
of stormy coastlines and giant trees are juxtaposed with watercolour
paintings and illustrations of some of the region’s most delicate wild
flowers. The artists’ tributes to land, water, plants and animals are
powerful reminders of our own connection to the natural world, a

treasure to be cherished and protected.

Peggy Stortz is a North Shore writer, entertainer and educator. She loves

to spend time in nature.

Flower Basket,
by Ronda Green.

Seal Rocks,
by Helen Weiser.

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter : October 2010

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