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My Ceramics

In the studio I like to do	Handbuilding, Throwing on the Wheel, Sculpting, Everything to do with Ceramics
Pottery Wheel	Brent
Clay body	Stoneware, Porcelain
Clay Brand	NZ 10 porcelain, Laguna Vegas Buff Cone 10
Kiln Type	Electric Kiln
Kiln Atmosphere	Oxidation Atmosphere
Temperature	1280 Celsius
Glaze	I make my own glazes in studio. Some from art school days, some from books and some developed myself starting with a triaxial blend. Moving countries it was useful to have knowledge of ceramic chemistry.
You can buy my work from	Very limited at the moment. From my website: https://www.CindyGibsonCeramics.ca

About Me

Introduction	Hi, my name is Cindy Gibson and I’m from Canada. I grew up on the Canadian prairies and did my BFA (honours) at the university of Manitoba in Winnipeg. I have been a full time potter/ceramic artist for most of the time since then – in western Canada (Manitoba, Alberta and BC); Heidelberg, Germany and Haslemere (Surrey), England. After 10 years away I came back home to Canada’s west coast and settled in the beautiful city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I make domestic ware, garden art and sculptures using porcelain and white stoneware fired to cone 10. In my practice I am concerned with the interaction between form and a refined surface. I like experimenting with colour in slips and glazes, using results to achieve the look and surfaces I’m after. The quest is never ending but fun! https://www.cindygibsonceramics.ca/
What I Love about Ceramics	I love that in ceramics there is always more to learn and amazing things to discover. I like the problem solving challenges and the satisfaction of successes. I also love that there are friendly potters everywhere in the world, and while we might speak a slightly different dialect in the language of clay it easily binds us together nonetheless. It takes hard work to make a living with clay, but there is never a reason to be bored!
How I started with ceramics	Like so many potters on the same path I went to art school to “become” a painter. I was hooked after the first ceramics class. I didn’t have much to say as a painter and found the practicalities of pottery suited my personality. I felt grounded and excited by limitless possibility at the same time.
What inspires me	I’m not sure where inspiration comes from, but ideas flow (or trickle) into my head from my surroundings, from reading, from drawing, from my interest in history: most often nothing to do with clay. But the spark is there and as I’m working the ideas change. I don’t make notes, and usually no drawings – just feel the itch to work and then more often than not make a bunch of awful things that get scrapped. But in doing that the ideas get refined and I end up with something that is nothing like what I was thinking in the first place. It sounds chaotic and a waste of a lot of time, but it’s not. The morphing can go on for years and jump into other work too and on it goes. I also reluctantly take on commissions now and then if it seems that the client and I are on the same wavelength. The brief has to interest me – because commissions can be stressful and not worth it if it isn’t something I can believe in. Ideas may be great, but a certain amount of control is needed. That being said, commissions can also lead to unexpected directions, usually for the better.
What I'm working on at the moment	During the pandemic I had a hard time getting the porcelain I had been using for a long time. So I thought this might be a good time to try out new clays and experiment with firing lower, or much lower. I’m not really sure I like it so far, but early days yet. Victoria is known as the city of gardens, and there is a strong market here for unique things for outside. So while I am experimenting I usually start with garden pieces where I can go wild with form and colour.