All About Black Dog Pottery
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. 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 first opened Black Dog Pottery on Montreal Street then moved to Queen Street one year later. I have been happily making pottery in downtown Kingston for 25 years! I love meeting and chatting with visitors and have enjoyed being one of the places that people always come back to - whether it be for a wedding gift or a coffee mug for themselves.
The bulk of my work is porcelain which is fired to Cone 10 (2350 F) in my electric kiln. I make all of my own glazes and do a large amount of glaze testing and tweaking. I 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 recently finished two online glaze materials courses with Matt Katz to further my knowledge of glaze chemistry.
Recently I took part in a mold making workshop and a one year mentorship program through the Kingston Potters Guild with Angelo di Petta. I find all of 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.
The Black Dogs
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Boston
Boston, my first black dog, made the trip out west with me and spent her days hanging out with my classmates in the communal pottery studio.
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Sasha
Sasha was my second black dog - and was a dutiful shop dog from 2006 until 2021. She even graced the cover of a 2006 issue of Profile Kingston. Like Boston, she was a black lab and border collie mix.
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Pepper
Pepper is the current black dog! In addition to black lab and border collie, a little husky has crept into the mix. She is a happy, exuberant dog who enjoys life and always makes me laugh. She works at the shop every day and loves the attention when people drop by.
