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About Mary

Beauty is a wondrous and mysterious presence in my life, filling me with surges of overwhelming joy and delight. The fluency that has grown from a deep knowing and connection to my work has an awesome power to bring forth the radiance of each vessel I make. Beauty is everywhere in the act of creation and it is humbling to be encompassed by it.

Artist Statement

I create endlessly. When I started my creative career, I thought I would be a functional potter and had no idea that I was an artist. Now, forty-plus years later, I work at my art constantly, as I am flooded with new ideas and artistic paths I want to explore. Some might say I am obsessive about my work, but that single-minded focus has led me to where I am today as an established successful artist.

I still produce a full line of functional wares that I sell through my Gallery/Studio here in Ladysmith. People often ask why I continue to make tableware when I could devote my time to original art pieces. The answer is simple: I enjoy and need both types of creativity. With decorative work, the forms and glazes are challenging and outcomes unpredictable. Opening the kiln can be like hearing the Hallelujah Chorus or experiencing Armageddon! I work on decorative vessels until the highs and lows of that process start to get to me. Then I switch to functional wares.

To me, the repetitive work is calming and restorative. When working on vessels created to adorn our tables, I derive pleasure from knowing that, through the subtle intimacy that grows from their daily use, these pieces will become treasures in people’s lives.

Creating vessels for both contemplation and daily use, enriching and inspiring lives––this is my vocation.

Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1959, I moved with my family to British Columbia in 1966. I am a self-taught exploratory potter and have never done anything else for a living. My works have been exhibited worldwide, but I find as I age that I am less interested in exhibiting. My greatest pleasure is in meeting the people who come to my gallery to pick out a new favourite for themselves or helping people from afar choose a piece online.

See my full list of publications and exhibits »