Posted on August 06, 2016 by Nigel Hayes
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Darrel Hancock was born in Port Alberni and lived there for four years before moving to the mainland.
Darrel went on to graduate from the Vancouver School of Art, majoring in ceramics, and has been making functional pottery ever since.
He says “ All my pottery is Handmade Functional Stoneware thrown on a potter's wheel and fired in an electric kiln. It is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. Art and Function come together to make pottery that is designed to be used every day”
“My mugs come in a variety of sizes and shapes and also a variety of colour combinations. I make all of my pottery in a number of glazes and I will continue to do so, this way my customers can add to their collection now and in the future.
Darrel said everyday he wakes up happy knowing he’s going to be throwing clay, and the act itself is very therapeutic. "If I'm feeling anxious or frustrated or whatever, I just sit down and throw 100 mugs and just that meditative repetitiveness of the action is a calming experience.”
He hopes people who purchase his pottery get from it what he puts into it. "I speak to a number of people who say they start off their morning with a cup of coffee in one of my mugs and they look forward to that every morning, and I think that's great, that's why I'm doing it,” he said.
You can see more of Darrel’s beautiful functional pottery at https://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/pottery/darrel-hancock
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bowls,
butter dishes,
Canadian Gifts,
french butter dishes,
gifts,
goblets,
hand made pottery,
honey pots,
local crafts,
mugs,
oak bay,
pate dishes,
pottery,
tea pots
Posted on April 15, 2016 by Nigel Hayes
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A 9 Point Guide to Essential Wood Care
1. Oil your wooden bowl or utensil on a regular basis. We recommend doing it on a monthly basis.
2. Ideally, we recommend mineral oil. Food grade mineral oil is tasteless and odourless. It does not get sticky and does not become rancid with time. This is available from most local supermarkets & hardware stores. However, many of our artists recommend using Walnut oil or Olive oil as an alternative – both of these are excellent.
3. Rub on generous amounts of the oil (warmed just to room temperature) and allow to soak in. Repeat the process about 6-8 hours later, and repeatedly if necessary, until the oil is no longer being absorbed. Then wipe off any excess that remains on the surface.
4. Wash your wooden utensils without worry after oiling. But...
5. Do not let wood utensils soak, and never wash them in a dishwasher!
6. Dry wooden boards and utensils thoroughly after washing. Wood dries faster than plastic and is less likely to harbour bacteria on its surface.
7. Bowls that you regularly use for salads can just be wiped clean with a paper towel or J cloth. It will soak up any excess oils and be ready for your next salad.
8. Cutting boards should never be used interchangeably with meat (including poultry and fish) and other foods (like bread, salads, etc.), to avoid possible cross contamination from bacteria in uncooked meat products.
9. The USDA recommends that you wash wooden utensils (especially cutting boards and utensils used with uncooked meat products (including fish and poultry) with hot, soapy water, then rinse and dry. If you follow their instructions, first make sure the wood is well oiled before using it, and that the utensils have been at room temperature, not out in the cold. Follow with a generous oiling, since soap will remove much of the surface oil.
You can see many superb wooden bowls, platters & vases – all hand crafted in British Columbia at Side Street Studio’s web site https://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/wood
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arbutus bowls,
bowls,
Canadian Gifts,
garry oak bowls,
local crafts,
maple bowls,
oak bay,
salad bowls,
shop local,
side street studio,
wedding gifts,
wooden bowls
Posted on July 29, 2015 by Sue Hayes
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John Topham writes;
“There is a lot of experience that goes into the crafting of my wooden bowls for fruit and salads . During my 34 years in the explosives industry with CIL/Orica, I have travelled extensively throughout Canada, Africa, the U.S., the Caribbean and South America. Since my retirement in 2002, I have been consulting for Austin Powder Co. of Cleveland. My other interests are photography and guitar”.
“My passion for wood turning evolved from my formal training in Fine Arts. I have been turning for a dozen years and am a founding member of the Summerland Wood turners Group. We meet monthly at a member’s shop; a social time devoted to turning, discussing safe work practices, products, tools, design and finishing”.
“I am a Member of Summerland Community Art Gallery”.
Side Street Studio in Victoria, B.C. has two types of my Salad & Fruit bowls.
“The Silver Maple bowls originated from Nanaimo Street in Penticton. They are from a tree that was planted more than 80 years ago, salvaged and given a new life as a beautiful bowls”.
“The Western Birch bowls originated from a tree from the ‘Carlson property’ on Washington Street in Summerland. This tree was planted more than 80 years ago, salvaged and given a new lease of life as a beautiful bowls”.
“All of my bowls are finished with pharmaceutical grade mineral oil. These historic bowls are food safe and ready for use with fruit, salad and vegetables. An occasional application of oil will ensure generations of service”.
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bowls,
Canadian Gifts,
fruit bowls,
john topham,
local crafts,
oak bay,
salad bowls,
shop local,
side street studio,
wedding gifts,
wooden bowls
Posted on July 29, 2015 by Sue Hayes
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Jack Olive grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario. After obtaining a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Mooorhead State College in Minnesota he spent 3 years working as a biochemist at the University Of Oregan Medical School. But a strong creative gene began to override a love of pure science and so Jack returned to Moorhead to work on a degree in ceramics and graphics.
In 1971 Jack moved to Vancouver to become a founding member and director of the Vancouver Clayworks Society; a 12 member cooperative ceramics studio.
In this hugely creative atmosphere Jack worked with other members of the group to develop methods of applying graphic images i.e. photography, drawing and painting to clay. His style of work ranges from abstract geometric to wildlife painting and drawing. Currently Jacks pottery images include Pears, Salmon, Orcas, Ravens, Apples and Crows. These images are incorporated into a large range of functional pottery items from Jugs to Mugs , Casseroles , Bowls, Plates, Tea Pots, Pitchers and more...
Jack has recently explored the techniques and possibilities of Raku. This example uses “naked Raku” techniques, which result in a pot that is white with a black line image. A dry pot is covered with terra sigliata (liquid clay), fired once to bisque temperature, and then covered with a high-fire clay slip and a low fire glaze, through which he etches the design.
The Raku firing process requires a special Raku kiln that is fueled by propane and reaches temperatures of about 1800°F (about 982°C).
The piece is then fired to Raku temperatures, and placed into the smoking chamber. When the piece is cooled, he peels off the slip and glaze to reveal the black line on the white background. The resulting pots have a lighter, more textured quality than his traditional stoneware.
In order to complete the firing process, the Raku pottery must remain in the kiln for approximately 30 minutes. The Raku pottery is removed from the kiln using specially designed Raku tongs.
While the Raku pottery piece is still hot and glowing, it is placed inside a metal can full of combustible materials. The heat emitted from the Raku pottery causes these materials to catch on fire. After the materials inside the metal can catch on fire, a lid is placed over the can and the Raku pottery is sealed inside.
The Raku pottery is capable of withstanding these high temperatures and the fire within the can because it is made from a special type of clay that is capable of withstanding thermal shock.
Jack now lives and works in Gibsons on the beautiful B.C. Sunshine Coast but you can see lots of Jack’s magnificent creative work – both Raku and Stoneware at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/collections/pottery/jack-olive-pottery
Posted in
bowls,
Canadian Gifts,
casseroles,
cream & sugar set,
dishes,
jack olive pottery,
jugs,
local crafts,
mugs,
oak bay,
plates,
pottery,
raku,
salad bowls,
shaving skuttle,
shop local,
tea pots,
wedding gifts
