Come and join our presenter, sculptor Mary Fox, for a journey into finding and handling your passion in a way that allows your dharma to take shape!  Mary addresses the questions: “Passion, how do we find it?”, “When we do find it, how do we handle it?”, “Do we embrace it fully, dive into it and go where it leads? Or, are we intimidated by its power and scared to embrace it?”.  Mary describes herself as a passionate person who can sometimes be unnerved by the power of her passions, but who, despite this, has always followed them. In this lecture she will be sharing with you how she has learned over the years to follow her creative passion and where that has taken her.  And with honesty and enthusiasm, she will share with you some of the creative and personal challenges she has met along the way.

Making these lovelies as a special treat for all you latte drinkers out there…

As artists we are always interpreting the world around us and this is never truer for me than when I am creating sculptures. As I work the clay, I start to feel the sculpture revealing itself to me. The series that I am working on now, my woman sculptures are all about celebrating women’s nurturing, love and compassion…something the world and its inhabitants need more of.
A few days ago I read about Victoria Soto’s heroic response to madness that ended with her life being lost but the children in her care being saved by her strength. As I have been working on this piece I have been thinking of her, the protector, harbouring her children from harm…this is my tribute to her.

I gave a presentation to the Tri City Potters in November and have been getting  feedback from some of the potters that were there that night. Every lecture I give is different as I taylor them to the group….this group was all potters and they kept me on my toes with lots of great questions all night. This comment is from one of the potters that was there, thought I’d share it with you.

” I really enjoyed your presentation at Tri Cities Pottery Guild.  I was the one on your right asking questions about form.  Your forms are superlative and something I aspire to.  You said a fraction of an inch off at any spot will make the difference between just a vase and a vase full of life. You said the best way to improve is to study your own work. A thousand watt light bulb went off in my head.  It was the precise answer I had been looking for.  I used to toss the ones I didn’t like; they made me uncomfortable.   Now I set them out to be contemplated so I can perceive what to do differently.  Thanks Mary!  Love ya!!! “

Thanks for the feedback, Wendey, I’m glad that my talk was helpful to you. I remember when I first started keeping the pots I wasn’t so happy with, it was a turning point for me too…that what makes us uncomfortable…sometimes that’s exactly where we need to focus and learn.

Till next time, Fox that Pots….

Mary will be exhibiting at the Back to the Land exhibition at 1040 Moss Street in Victoria.

The Opening Reception will be held at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria on Friday October 5th from 7-10pm. The events of the evening are as follows: a special members’ preview from 7-8pm, In Conversation with Diane Carr at 7pm at which time she will introduce the artists, and the public reception from 8-10pm. In addition, there will be an opportunity for Gallery visitors and members of the community to meet with the artists and hear more about this pivotal time in ceramic history. Many of the artists will be available during an informal time on October 6th between 1:00 -2:30 pm , at this time the artists will be answering questions and engaging in conversation with gallery visitors.

Back to the Land piece

Back to the Land: Ceramics from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands 1970-1985 presents the work of 31 ceramic artists working on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in the 1970s and 1980s. Guest curated by Diane Carr, the exhibition emphasizes the “back to the land” movement of the early 1970s as the impetus for the explosion of ceramic activity in this region.

View Larger Map

Mary at the Filberg Festival 2012

Mary was the guest artist at the Filberg Festival, held in Comox on Vancouver Island in August.

Loved being the Guest Artist at the Filberg Festival, this was the 30th year for the Festival and I can see why it’s such a popular event. Four days in a wonderful park surrounded by really great Artisans with live music to enjoy as well… what could be better. Oh, I know what made it better…. great food as well, gotta love that! I met lots of new people that now have Mary Fox works in their homes, 2 of my sculptures have new digs and was reacquainted with some long time collectors that I haven’t seen in many years. A good time for sure.

Each year the Filberg Festival features more than 120 of the best artisans from across Canada. Booths nestled amongst the towering trees of the Filberg Park are full of hidden treasures and one-of-a-kind items, making the Festival a shopper’s dream!