Gillian McMillan
Ornithikos
Gallery of BC Ceramics

September 4-September 29 Opening Night - September 4, 6:0¢0-8:00PM

Ornithikes, quite simply, is the Greck
word meaning bird-like. [t perfectly cap-
tures the theme of my recent series,

Tope
Jughirds 2003,
earthenware with coloured
slips, terra sigillata and clear
gloze, H: 12.7 to 22.9 cm
Right:
Crow 2003, black slip and
clear glaze. H:21.6 cm
Puffin 2003, coloured slips
and clear glaze. H: 25.4 cm
Banmlebird 2003,
canhenware wilh terra
sigillata. H: 12.7 cm

Two years ago, when the Crafthouse on
Granville Island called for entries in a
show entitled Birds, | created a special
group of jugbirds from my large spouted
vessels. Since then I have enjoyed shaping
different bird versions, and realize that the
current flock of fanciful, feathered friends
are just part of a possible panoply of avians!

What drives my work is really my love of
the ceramic process combined with the
epiphanies resulting from creating the
shapes. Over the many years of making
pats and teaching pottery, wheelthrowing
is the skill | most appreciate, Also, the
three years | spent at Emily Carr Institute
of An & Design, acquiring my BFA in
Ceramics, really expanded my horizons.
While there, | was reminded of the joys of
drawing and the significance of colour.
Taking printmaking, I found it analogous

to the ceramics process, The challenges of
combining imagery with print techniques
helped me to hone my ceramic processes.
Eventually the ceramics studio pulled
me back. In what now seems like a
pressure-cooker, | absorbed ideas on
reconsideration of thrown forms from
Jeff Oestreich, and the use of earthen-
ware clay, maiolica, coloured slips and
outrageous surface from Walter
Ostrom, Sally Michener and Tam Irving

Photo credits: Kem Mayer

encouraged confidence in
my creative voice and helped
me take my work beyond
predictable and safe hori-
zons. All these influences
have been instrumental in
my current series.

The day after I have thrown
pre-planned forms, | am to-
tally engrossed with assem-
bling them into individual
complex works. The follow-
ing day, Lapply luscious col-
oured slips to accentuate
shapes. If I have that elated
fecling as I finish, then I
know it works.

Ornithikes has encouraged
me toe explore the amazing

Potters Gunld of British Columbia Newsletter

variety of shapes and coloursinthe world’s
bird population. I play with the possibility
that they can be jugs or other functional
vessels, Some are purely imaginary and
some are coloured using real species as
inspiration. The Rooswer is based on one [
photographed while visiting the French
pottery village of La Borne ten years ago.

For each bird I make a drawing and de-
cide how to break it into thrown shapes.
The legs are merely indicated, sometimes
forming a pedestal while in other cases be-
coming part of the jug's volume. [It amuses
me to consider how | can throw beaks, tails
and heads. [t is important to me that the
viewer can discem the methodology. | coal
unslipped areas with fine redart terra
sigillata, This provides a satin sheen to
contrast with the shiny glaze covering the
slips. The works are mostly functional and
all food-safe, but some may simply look
down at their owners from a shelf,

There are many more birds lined up in my
sketchbook wasting for me to bring them
to life, The ones here are just the beginning
of my exploration.

Gillian McMillan

Gillian McMillan Rooster 2005, carthenware
with slip, underglaze, terra sigillata and clear
glaze, H: 27.4% W318 cm

September 2003