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Artist Statement
I see pottery as a journey. I am constantly learning about life and my place in it through the tactile expression of clay. Being close to the Bay of Fundy and the St. John River is my main source of inspiration. Life can be hectic and I enjoy the serenity of the outdoors. I hope my work portrays that sense of calm. Hopefully we all find some inspiration in our own backyards.
I enjoy making organic forms that sometimes loosely represent nature and other times are direct links. My work is hand built and thrown on the wheel then cut and altered. My recent work has been an exploration in materials and different processes to achieve the look I have envisioned for quite some time. To see the work finally coming to fruition keeps me looking forward to the future.
I’m grateful to be able to work at my craft and look forward to the road ahead.
Biography
Joanna Pottle was born in 1969 and grew up in Westfield outside of Saint John, New Brunswick. Her love of clay began in 1999 while participating in raku workshops with Peter Thomas in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. After graduating in 2004 with a diploma in clay from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, Joanna set up a studio in her hometown of Saint John at 244 Duke St., West which she has maintained ever since. She left pottery in 2008 to pursue other interests, but returned to her practice full time in 2014. She continues to participate in workshops as recently as 2014 in St. John’s, Newfoundland with Deborah Schwartzkopf.
Joanna’s inspiration for her pottery forms and surfaces come from her natural environment. Daily walks along the Bay of Fundy spark her creativity and its potential with functional pottery. The environmental art of Andy Goldsworthy has always inspired her creativity, and she continues to be influenced by other potters. She creates two lines of work called Sand and Stone that are directly related to her environment.
Joanna is very passionate about educating people of all ages with an appreciation and understanding of handmade pottery and its potential; she offers workshops at her studio on a regular basis. She hopes to successfully produce and distribute pottery throughout the Atlantic provinces and beyond through galleries and tradeshows. Joanna’s work is currently available at The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Buckland Merrifield Gallery, Saint John, NB; Fine Crafts Gallery of Gaudreau Fine Woodworking, East Rustico, PEI; Wendy Johnston Pottery, Hopewell Cape,NB; and Art 4002, St. Andrews, NB.