School of Fish at the Brockville Aquatarium

 

 

This clay mural was an outreach project with students, staff, and committed volunteers of schools in the Brockville area.

Krista Cameron did fish tile workshops with elementary school students, Mr. Sheridan's grade 12 classes produced the amazingly realistic fish, turtle, and frog tiles.

Tom Weagant had the lengthy and thankless job of making the perfectly plain tiles.

The project was complete by summer 2011.

 It was installed at the Aquatarium in March 2015, at which time my husband Victor Limbeek grouted his fingertips to the bone.

 

 

 

Tom Weagant emailed me this note when he read that I described his job as thankless:

"Thanks for the recognition but it was too much fun to be described as thankless;))"

        

 

 

           Yes, Tom, it was too much fun! The project consumed me for about one and one half years.



     Loved planning out the process, loved being in the classroom with the students, loved teaching Dave the technical stuff (Not sure he loved that, but we are still good friends!)  

 

 

    

 

 

      Loved seeing it sprawled all over my showroom for months, loved showing it off in pieces to anyone who happened to drop by...loved that Victor was so meticulous about grouting it, and loved all the enthusiasm that radiated out of those FISH!

 

 

Please enjoy my photographic trip down memory lane!

 

 

  

 

 

  

Krista Cameron

 

Dave Sheridan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil Hobbs comment

Dr. Neil Hobbs recently commented on the completed mural:

"Have to say I was fascinated by the process and outcome of the ceramic mural with students - it is good to work with "arrows launched into the future" as Kahlil Gibran calls children..and students are in the same category, I guess. We may never see where they land but it's good to help draw the bow that sets them on their way...."

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

Dust Has Settled! January 2016

Back to Play   (December 7, 2015) 

The dust from "Before the Rush" has settled, my studio has been purged and tidied, and washed! Cupboards in my show room are filled.

Today Kevin Anthony, carpenter, and very old friend came by to pick up a surprise gift for his wife. We poked about, looking at old and current work.

Expressing my ideas to him has stimulated me to write again.

At the moment, I am fooling around with tiles. I bought myself some lovely handmade tile cutters. They are sized to allow 12% shrinkage of the clay.  I have some old clay that I am willing to squander.

Lyne, a new student came in for the first time last week. She truly loves pottery, but has had a very busy career. Now she has touched clay for the very first time!

I decided to start her off with some tiles, using my Living Fossil technique. (There are still a few hardy leaves out there.) I handed Lyne some clay, and encouraged her to handle it to 'clay' exhaustion! She managed that very nicely!

We collected some leaves from my garden, and I taught her about negative space. I demonstrated a  little bit. She is a natural. Sliding the tools over to her seemed like breathing. She caught on to the design elements, and was meticulous at handling the clay. As she was off on a trip, I have tidied up her coasters, (AKA tiles) and will glaze them soon.

Kevin, who came in today, drooled over her little tiles. I told him that they would be black and turquoise.

"They will pop!" he exclaimed.

I am experimenting with my tile cutters, improving my technique, and planning composite Living Fossils, framed with small tiles. There are some technical issues with that that I need to experiment with.

I am not very painterly. Texture, relief, shading and highlighting of colour

appeal much more to me.

 

Leaves and grasses have been pressed into wet clay. A first layer of  black/blue glaze has been sponged on, and the tiles are bisque fired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tiles have been reassembled, and sprayed with a turquoise glaze.

The faint imprint of leaves and grasses are somewhat visible.

 

                 

Finished piece looks like the forest submerged in the river!
 

 

January 10, 2016

after the festivals of friends, food and foolishnesssss!

 

Lyne was in this week for a double header. She prepped tiles on Wednesday, and carved on Thursday. Her project at the moment, is to make some Provencal style tiles. She will carve and paint them. Time flew on Thursday, and she insists she will bring her sleeping bag next time! Take a peek: