‘I have a show up now at the new ECU campus of my “Flower Vases with Flowers in a Vase”, ceramics and large digital photos. Until Sunday Dec. 3, 1st floor Faculty space, open everyday.’

This was the invitation I received from Paul Mathieu. Last Thursday, on a beastly rainy day, I first took plates to Mina’s Strathcona home and then found my way to the brand new Emily Carr University campus. Parking in front of Equinox Gallery I discovered that the ECU Ceramics Department is on the first floor, next to the entrance, right across from the gallery. 

First I found the ‘No name’ gallery on that first floor, and Paul’s show and then wandered in to the Ceramics area. Leon and Darlene were deep in administration discussion so I didn’t stay for an extended tour. Another day..  I found Paul’s office, with a fascinating collection of pots on display, but sadly Paul was not there. He’d warned me that he would be busy, so I wasn’t able to learn more about his new work. All I could do was go back to the show and take lots of photos. 

He designed these vases and cast them in porcelain in his ECU studio. They are now completely covered in Ceramic Art Historical and floral images in his familiar, painstaking, painting practice. There are thirteen vases, twelve of which are set on reflective mylar puddles on the floor. The mirror-like material allows the viewer to notice that the vases are in fact upside-down heads. The thirteenth is on a more traditional plinth and is displaying its function, holding a large bouquet of flowers. This old lady would have wished that all the vases were displayed higher but I can see that the puddle idea would have been a problem.

Each vase has a huge accompanying mural and again, I’d like to have seen the vases at eye level to better connect each one with its image. These are digital collages of photos of the vase from every angle. I’m told that Paul has been working with his students on the display and the assembling of these images.

The show has now been taken down, and I didn’t photograph every vase but these will give an idea of how much work Paul has been doing! 

On another day I’ll take the time to explore the ECU campus but that day I popped in to Equinox (shows of work by Al McWilliams and Dempsey Bob were being prepared for a Saturday opening) and then headed up to the nearby Western Front where Eric Metcalfe lives.

Eric was pleased to see his two latest plates and peep at Renée’s little sculpture maquettes and Monique’s plates while we had a cup of tea.

He’d just finished that day’s gouache painting and showed me the others in this recent series. I am happy to notice that the plates he paints in my studio wind up being an influence on his other work. In this photo you see his preliminary drawing, the simple design on the plate and then the development of both in the painting.

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There was a good turn-out yesterday, with several familiar clay folks interested in seeing how Jason works. He gave a presentation to TriCity Potters some years ago, as he was preparing for his big show at Bellevue Art Gallery, near Seattle. This link will take you to photos of his gorgeous work!

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/112208740085943894765/album/AF1QipPp20_ifUoMXXVTZM_SmR8LNTzOAHtGO2mL8qqV?authKey=COX5nqayvt3BnAE

Yesterday the room was not dark enough for his images to show well so I have not included any here. Instead you can see his little demos of making a hand-built beaker and painting with Chinese over-glazes. He was well-prepared and managed to cover details of his process in the one hour available after the slide show.

Little bisque-fired cut-outs are used to transfer a design to a slab form, with pressure from inside it. Clever!

He uses overglaze materials from China where he has worked for several months at a time.

The details of his mixing ingredients escaped me as I don’t plan to start over-glazing but for sure he is a detail person. He brought in a poured porcelain slip-moulded fish form to demonstrate his over-glazing technique. And he had a Chinese porcelain tile which he had already painted with underglazes and fired. On that he showed how he would add more details with overglaze enamels. His early experience in sign-painting and many years of drawing and painting, as well as his ceramics degrees now lend themselves to a practiced excellence in his work.

He tells us that at least one of his large ceramic installations will be showing in Portland for next weekend’s NCECA Conference. (I’ve decided not to attend this year even though it’s nearby and I will be regretting that decision when I hear all about the adventures of Shadbolt staff and others who do go).

There are so many clay artists to watch and listen to tomorrow, I am glad to have spent some time with Jason already. Thank you and good luck for your future shows and teaching and thanks for sharing your concern for our world, Jason.