Friday, December 10, 2010

Suzanne Scott -- The Potter's Daughter



Suzanne's Scott's interest in creative ventures was evident very early growing up in a home where two craft studios shared the basement along with a playroom in between. Pottery and leather were the media of her parents and she now uses both of these in her own work.


You can follow Suzanne's ventures in several ways. Her online store called Potter's Daughter is a great starting point to view and purchase her line of pottery and leather jewelery and her blog The Potter's Daughter is a great way to follow her latest creations.

She is on Twitter as well as the Village Pottery Facebook site. Village Pottery in New London, PEI carries Suzanne's full line during the summer season from May 10-Oct 25.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Pottery Pendants by Suzanne Scott


Now available worldwide the ever popular pendants by Suzanne Scott, produced at New London Village Pottery are available through Etsy at Island Pottery.

Check it out.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Watercolour of Village Pottery


We were pleased to see that a summer visitor had chosen to paint the shop and gardens during her summer vacation and even more pleased to be presented with the finished painting. Thanks Shirley.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pottery Brie Bakers

Pottery Brie Bakers are a great way to serve cheese.
Here are two recipes --

Brie Melt

Sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar,

1/4 cup walnut pieces, and 1/8 cup of soft butter on top of a 300 gram piece of Brie.

Put in microwave for about 30 seconds or until butter is melted and Brie is starting to melt.

Serve warm with your favourite crackers.

Cranberry Brie Melt

With your favourite Cranberry Chutney, spoon 3/4 cup chutney over top of an 8 inch round of Brie. Put in microwave for about 30 seconds

or until butter is melted and Brie is starting to melt. Garnish with Pecan halves.

Serve warm with your favourite crackers.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Pottery Marks of PEI - Frieder Hermann

Check out the article on Frieder Hermann published by The Buzz a few years ago.

A collection of pottery by former Malpeque, PEI potter Frieder Hermann who retired to Ontario is available.






Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Japanese Brochure Launched

We are pleased to do a blog launch of our new brochure. Designed by the multi-talented designer and potter Isako Suzuki, we look forward to continued communication with our valued Japanese customers.



Monday, April 12, 2010

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - The Anne Pottery

Annette Galloway operated a pottery studio on Edinburgh Drive in Charlottetown, PEI in the 1970's and 1980's, known as The Anne Pottery, a play on her own name as well as the Island's best known red-head the fictional character Anne Shirley of Green Gables fame.

Her glazes have the characteristics of a gas fired kiln but were fired electrically.
Her signature was, The "Anne" Pottery - Ch'town - PEI

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Stone & Sea Pottery

Stone & Sea Pottery was a business established in 1999 by Elizabeth Vessey, at RR#2 Cornwall, Prince Edward Island. Registered in December of that year, the Royal Gazette indicates on May 10, 2008 that the listing was removed from the registry of PEI businesses due to non-renewal of the listing.
Elizabeth signed her work with the company name and the province - Stone & Sea PEI.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Anne Pottery


This work signed Anne is from PEI.


Any help in identification would be greatly appreciated.

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Duffy Pottery


"Of the Isle" was a craft shop in Brackley, PEI that operated in the 1960's & 1970's by Mrs. Duffy from Charlottetown. Her son Philip Duffy, an Island potter at that time supplied her shop with pottery. His work was signed "Duffy PEI". Now a resident of the province of Quebec, Philip continues to pursue his ceramic interests in the sculptural side of the art, rather than in functional pottery. He wrote in 2012 to indicate how the shop building,
"Was bought and moved in the late 1970's  from Brackley to make into a cottage, it was a few miles north of the [Charlottetown] Airport, soon after Fair Isle Motel . . . my mother had at least 30-40 craftspeople represented in her shop, at the time. I loved all the variety, really fantastic, to see Levitt's woodturning -- no longer... Axel Johnson [woodturning]. When Moira and I went to see him in Little Sands, what a treat ! One time the road was blocked, June for road construction, we walk a half  mile, across fields, when we got got there, Axel, said 'Well I know the road is blocked, how did you get here?' Moira answered, well, 'We walked all the way from Charlottetown,' Axel was surprised, then, he said  'Well that will take some lard off your behind !' "

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Carol & Ken Downe Pottery

Carol and Ken Downe's pottery was located in Rustico, PEI and operated under the studio name of Old Forge Pottery - having located their retail shop in a former blacksmith shop with their pottery studio in an adjacent heritage house on the same property.

Carol developed the business beginning with an early interest in ceramics as a hobby. Having lived in Alberta she and her husband Ken returned to PEI in the 1970's. Carol's interest blossomed through following the example of her mother who in retirement had just become a student at Holland College School of Visual Arts in Charlottetown. Carol registered at the college as well and they both studied under Barry Jeeves and Ron Arvidson.

Carol's husband Ken developed an interest in the business and retired early from his career to join her in the business - assisting in all aspects of the business with Carol as the primary potter. Working as business partners Carol and Ken were prolific potters during the late 1970's until the studio closed following Ken's death and Carol's retirement.

The Royal Gazette for PEI indicates that on May 24, 2002 that the partnership known as The Old Forge Pottery & Crafts, which had been registered by Kenneth G. Downe and Carol Downe was dissolved.

Their studio work was signed Downe - PEI. As well Carol signed some work with C Downe - PEI.






Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Maxine (Elliot) Stanfield

Maxine Stanfield was a student at Holland College School of Visual Arts in Charlottetown in the early 1970's who developed a strong interest in the sculptural aspects of clay. She studied with both Barry Jeeves and Ron Arvidson.

Eventually painting became her dominant visual art form and she became well known on PEI for her abstract work.

Maxine relocated to Nanaimo, British Columbia in the 1990's and resumed using her maiden name of Elliot.
She signed her sculptural work - Maxine with PEI and the year.

This piece was thought to be made while she was living in Prince Rupert, B.C.




Maxine was also a painter with her work forming part of the permanent collection of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown.

In June 2019 Maxine Elliot who had been living in Nanaimo, died in the Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, BC. We extend our condolences to her family and close friends on their loss.

An obituary appeared in The Guardian on July 16, 2019.

Mourning the loss of Maxine Elliot. Born in Vancouver, she made her way to P.E.I in the 1970’s when she began her career as a painter and potter. Maxine will always be remembered for her outspoken, honest approach to life and art. She was an inspiration to many. Maxine died at Victoria hospital on June 28th. She leaves behind her three children, four grandchildren, ex husband and many who will miss her dearly. 

Maxine Elliot -
photo published in The Guardian July 16, 2019




Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Ida MacKay Pottery

The ceramic creations of Ida MacKay of Mount Stewart, PEI remains some of the most distinctive pottery produced during the 1970's and 1980's on the Island due to her use of an unglazed but highly textured surface. Using various processes she produced work with a natural organic feel. She studied under both Barry Jeeves and Ron Arvidson at Holland College School of Visual Arts in Charlottetown and participated in workshops with visiting artist, including Les Manning whose stretched-slab techniques were influential on her.  Her interest in art and pottery is captured in the landmark book by Gail Crawford, Studio Ceramics in Canada 1920–2005.
Throughout my pursuit of word and image, I met and became friends with some remarkable people. One was Ida MacKay of Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island, who came to Toronto in the 1930s to pursue psychiatric nursing and, at night, to study pottery-making at Central Technical School. One of her pieces appears in Chapter 1. When war broke out, she enlisted, and, as Lieutenant MacKay, she survived several adventures, including abandoning her torpedoed ship near Gibraltar while en route to Italy to care for Canadian troops. In 1970, when she finished her peacetime career in public health, she returned to clay. No longer interested in wheel work, she enrolled in a workshop in Charlottetown that focused on the stretched-slab technique, conducted by Alberta College of Art instructor . . .
Ida used her initials in a vertical format I M M as her potter's mark along with the province "PEI" indicated.
Ida MacKay's six years service as a Canadian Army nurse the during the Second World War is being documented by PEI historian Katherine Dewar, for a forthcoming book scheduled for publication in late 2021. The book is titled We'll Meet Again: P.E.I. Women of the Second World War.

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - St. Clair Pottery

Harry and Dodi Morris lived in various locations on the Island and the St. Clair name came from their sojourn in the historic home - St. Clair House - located in the middle of what is now a suburban area in the Brighton neighbourhood of Charlottetown. As the oldest house in the area, it had extensive grounds extending through a full block, and had several additions to the original structure over the years with multiple staircases giving it the feel of a country inn.

To St. Clair House, the Morrises brought their love of Island sandstone, the native rock of PEI, and added what would become their signature renovation, added to each of their houses - a sandstone fireplace.

From Charlottetown they moved to Victoria, PEI which is well known for its quaint village atmosphere and the artistic community that gravitates there. Their Victoria home and studio, continued since the early 1980's to house various tourist businesses; an antique clock shop and currently The Studio Gallery have followed Dodi and Harry's lead, helping to make the village a special place.

The work of Harry and Dodi Morris made during the 1960's and 1970's carries the pottery mark of St. Clair Pottery - St. C. P., as well as P.E.I. for Prince Edward Island. Some pieces are marked St C H indicating St. Clair House. Each piece also has a unique number attached.  Often their work had a nautical theme and included slab built row boats.


Tree form sculptural piece by St Clair House Pottery

St. Clair House pottery mark - also individual item number as well as what appears to be a PEI Crafts Council sticker number similar to ones used in the Island Craft Shop which had been operated by the PEI Crafts Council during the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's. 

Friday, March 19, 2010

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - Jeeves Pottery

Potter, Barry Jeeves along with his wife Joan, an accomplished weaver, arrived on PEI from Banff, Alberta in the early 1970's, so that Barry could accept employment with what was then called the Handcraft Training Centre and eventually became Holland College School of Visual Arts.

Barry was a graduate of the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and Sir George Williams College of Art, Montreal.

The family purchased property, and built their home and studios on the Brackley Point Road, with a retail shop for the summer tourist trade, and Barry teaching pottery during the school year.

When MS kept Barry from working full time, he continued to teach part-time and had a major influence on arts education in Prince Edward Island. When he became confined to a wheelchair he continued to focus his attention on an art form that required less physical ability. He returned to his painting, and would locate buildings which had both an elevator and a view so that he could paint urban scenes from new perspectives.

Both Barry and Joan maintained an active interest in the Arts. His art work was represented in Charlottetown by Details Past and Present Fine Art and Antiques.

Barry used a potter's mark a stamp with the mark "Jeeves P.E.I." he also used a signature "Jeeves PEI".



From the collection of Tom Banks
From the collection of Tom Banks

From the collection of Tom Banks

From the collection of Tom Banks




On May 10, 2015, Barry died. He was a true builder and left an enduring influence on the development of craft as a viable art form on Prince Edward Island. When he arrived he was one of only a few professional craftspeople on the Island; now, his adopted island has become known as a hot bed of fine craft and young artisans are able to pursue their craft at a professional level.

Barry Jeeves' favorite poem:
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Carl Sagan

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Kathy Ethridge

Kathy Ethridge join Village Pottery around 2004 and is a multi-talented craftsperson who besides being a potter, is also an accomplished spinner, weaver, and woodworker.

In 2010, along with partner Robert Kennedy she opened Everyday Pottery in Kensington, PEI.

While working at Village Pottery, she signed her work with the studio name as well as her own initials "KE."

Pottery Marks of Prince Edward Island - New London Village Pottery - Christopher Dahn


In the summer of 2009 Christopher Dahn, who had studied at Nova Scotia College of Art & Design worked at New London Village Pottery. During that time his work was signed with the studio name, as well as his own name or initials.

Jaiden Carragher Pottery, PEI

Jaiden Carragher has the following accounts for her pottery work: Instagram account - The Spacey Artist Facebook account - The Spacey Artist...