Recently Keith and Celia Rice-Jones approached TriCity Potters with an idea for a workshop. They proposed bringing a large selection of their private collection of pots to us with the intention of using them for a discussion of their form, function and process. Our members had been asking for a workshop to jumpstart creative energy for the Fall potting season so together with Port Moody Arts Centre, we planned a Friday evening ‘slide’ show and a Saturday of conversation and possibly some demonstration of techniques.

Another reason for offering their pottery collection for viewing and their knowledge, was to provide a fund-raising effort for a recently devastated family they met in Nepal. I gather Keith and Celia plan to send their earnings for this workshop, along with any other donations, to their friends there.

The Friday evening power point presentation showed Keith and Celia’s influences, how they met and some tales of their travels to Australia and Japan. They also have some excellent Youtube videos of their separate ways of working, Celia at the wheel, attaching handles and glazing, and Keith creating his powerful garden sculptures and one showing their life together at their Burnaby studio. If you go to their website:

http://www.wildricestudio.com

you will find the links to two of these videos.

This third one features Celia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cKSHsBo6aI&feature=youtu.be

On Saturday morning the workshop participants eagerly helped Celia and Keith unpack boxes of pots. I expect the most special and bigger pieces stayed safely at home but here we saw teapots, mugs, bowls and jugs from their collection and several that they had made too.

Interesting discussion followed about who had made the pots and how, and where they were from. Their preference is plainly for quieter, traditionally glazed reduction-fired ware, and wood-fired pieces. There were no earthenware pieces except for a European baking dish. I took the liberty of photographing the selection and close-ups of ones that particularly spoke to me.

I had to leave at the end of the morning but I have heard that the afternoon was equally interesting, with some demonstrations from both Celia and Keith.

Enthusiastic TriCity Potters member Gay Mitchell has sent me this paragraph describing her experience:

 The rare opportunity to engage with such a stellar pair of artists as Celia and Keith Rice-Jones for the good part of a weekend in an intimate setting proved so valuable to me as an artist. Both the lively conversations about the history, cultural significance, and process of working with clay to make both functional and sculptural art pieces, and close-up and easy to understand handbuilding demonstrations were carefully listened to and watched by our small but eager group. I most enjoyed the very personal approach, storytelling and humility of Celia and Keith when sharing their own journeys and their willingness to share very tangibly with their Nepalese friends.
gay mitchell

Thank you Celia and Keith for all your work in preparing for this workshop and in making it so enjoyable and interesting for the group.