Marc Lemieux
I first became interested in pottery after taking a class at the Kingston Potter's Guild in 1990 while studying at Queen's (Philosophy). After several years as a dedicated hobby potter I decided to pursue a full time career in clay and realized that some formal training would be good. I then attended the Emily Carr Institute and Design in Vancouver from 1995-1998. After graduating with a BFA and Diploma in Studio Ceramics, I returned to Kingston to establish my studio. I spent the first year hunkered down in my parents' basement, tracking down used equipment and establishing relationships with galleries to carry my work. In 1999, I officially opened Black Dog Pottery in a small storefront on Montreal Street. The next year I moved to my current location.
The bulk of my work is porcelain which is fired to Cone 10 (2350 F) in my electric kiln. I do a large amount of glaze testing and tweaking, and am particularly interested in developing a depth and variety of colour in my work by overspraying multiple glazes. I have taken several workshops over the years with some of my favorite potters including Tom Coleman (2008), Steven Hill (2010) and Randy Johnston (2017) and am currently taking a glaze materials course with Matthew Kaatz to further my knowledge of glaze chemistry. I find these workshops extremely beneficial, and ideas and techniques that were presented have strongly influenced my most recent work. I have been distorting the shapes, slowly getting braver with my colours and surface decoration, and am keen to see where this all takes me.