Steven Hill Workshop with Delta Potters Association: A Review
by Sergia Hinde

Atthe end of June, Steven Hill of Red Star
Studios, Kansas City, Missouri was the
Hottest Show in Town.

After months of planning, meetings, tel-
ephone calls and countless emails, the day
finally came when Steven amived. Delta
Potters did a great job hosting the event at
the South Delta Ree Centre in Tsawwassen,
home of Delta Potters Assoctation. Close
to 100 participants arrived early the first
moming.

Steven brought with him some beautiful
work including tea tumblers, mugs, plat-
ters, pitchers, vases, and ewers. Some
pieces were glazed in shades of soft vel-
vety aqua with subtle differences in colour
emphasizing line, shape and the liquidity
of the form. Others resembled desert scapes
at sunset, soft golden sands shifling to
ochre and shades of sage. The insides of
the pots were just as beautiful as the out-
sides. They draw you in, inviting you to
look, admire and touch. | was struck by the

subtlety of the colourations, but there were
some other indefinabbe qualities. From the
smallest to the largest, these pieces were
not just lively, they were alive.

THE
MAD

POTTER ~~

Steven gave a slide presentation which
included snippets of his life with camens
of his famualy, his home and his studios,
The slides showcased his earliest works
from 1974 when he was driving a delivery
truck and throwing pots, to 1976 when he
bezan potting in camest and to mow, His
work has evolved over the years to its
present day elegantly refined image, but
still, a thread runs through it all - the hand
of the artist is ever obvious.

Over the two days Steven threw his signa-
ture melon pitcher, cypress pitcher, a25 Ib
platter with slip work, tea tumblers, mugs
and bowls, ewer and an oval watering can.
He worked slowly, with precision and
used almost no water, of soit seemed. “I'm
not 2 speed demon on anything I do,” he
told us. “Every single time I put eight
pounds on the wheel | throw it to the best
of my ability at the time.”

He read quotes from a handcat that in-
cluded glaze recipes for his reduction cone

A Store for all your pottery needs.
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Tel: 604.244, 3734

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September 2002

8 Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter