Marcelle, Mad Mudslinger - Ceramist

I live a quiet life in the forest by the sea, working from my pottery/sculpture studio on Mudge Island BC off Canada's west coast.

After discovering at an early age, and getting quite excited about it, clay became my favoured medium for expression, revealing true stories, and creating utilitarian craft. Since childhood I've not strayed far from the earthly material. On the journey of life, it has been my only constant. Forming clay into things with my hands is as much of a thrill now as it ever was.

In 1996 I earned a Fine Arts Diploma, focused in ceramics, at Malaspina University-College on Vancouver Island BC, before completing a 10 year apprenticeship with Master wood fire potter and kiln builder, Graham Sheehan of Sunstone Pottery, Gabriola Island BC.

During my time at Malaspina I was introduced to the exciting and mysterious world of wood fired ceramics. The original version of Nanaimo’s Tozan Dragon Kiln was being built by the famous Yukio Yamamoto on a hillside, steps away from my campus residence.

The apprenticing years at Sunstone brought much diverse knowledge and experience in wood fire tradition, and culminated with construction of the Mad Mudslinger wood fire pottery kiln on Mudge Island.

Mad Mudslinger pottery and sculptures sit in private collections around the world. One of my notable earlier commissions was the design and creation of communion chalices for Christchurch Cathedral in Vancouver B.C.

Holding a background in functional production ware, today I emphasize the merging of utility with ornate, and precision with the happily accidental in one-of-a-kind pieces of domestic art. My continued awareness and respect for integrity of the medium and the elements recalls in my work a sense of primal reverence toward the natural world. Regardless of subject, however, my theme is always clay.