my blog has moved

I now have a new blog. For updates about my work, upcoming shows and other musings go to www.margitnellemann.com/blog

For information about our teafarm, teas and other tea related activities check out our new tea blog
www.teafarm.ca

See you there.

Launching Cowichan Valley Artisans

Last week's launch at the Benchmark Gallery in Duncan was a huge success. I would like to thank everyone who came to the opening reception. We had a wonderful evening.
The exhibit runs until July 13 (Benchmark Gallery/Excellent Frameworks, 28 Station St, Duncan).
It was also great to meet all the people who made their way to our studio and tea gallery during our inaugural Cowichan Valley Artisans studio tour.

Cowichan Valley Artisans

Here is one of the reasons why it's been very quiet in my world of blogging....

Together with six other fellow artisans, I have been involved in creating a group to help promote food and art in the Cowichan Valley. The Cowichan Valley Artisans consist of 13 creative souls, who have dedicated themselves to their craft, be it glass, woodwork, clay or food, and who have now joined forces making a visit to the Valley even more alluring.
We are celebrating the launch of our year-round studio tour with a reception at Benchmark Gallery 28 Station St. in Duncan, June 30th, 5 - 9pm. Brock Windsor, one of our food artisans from Stone Soup Inn in Lake Cowichan, will be preparing some delicious appies for the event. There will be wine to accompany the food and Victor will be offering some tasty teafarm teas to top it all off.
We have created a beautiful brochure with map and website - www.CowichanValleyArtisans.com - to help guide people to our studios.

To debut this new group, all studios and venues will be open July 1st through 4th from 10am to 5pm. The studios remain open throughout the year. Please check each individual studio for their open hours.

See you on the tour.

Spring Clay Classes

With our recent studio renovations mostly behind us, I am happy to be offering a round of Spring clay classes.

Starting in May, I will be conducting three different handbuilding sessions.

The two Core Handbuilding classes are on Tuesdays - one in the morning and one in the evening.
Thursday evening I offer a Teapot Building class.

These spring sessions are the only classes I will be offering this year.

I look forward to hearing from you and to claying together this spring.

If you have any questions give me a call 250 748 3811
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Ceramics by Hand ~ Spring 2010 Class Schedule

Core / ClayPlay
This six-week course will explore the basic principles of hand-building as well as experiment with various methods of decorating and glazing techniques.
Open to all levels.
Time: May 11 – June 15, 2010 Tuesday 9:30 am -12:00 pm Tuesday 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Course fee: $195 + GST – includes 15 hours of instruction, clay, use of tools, glazes, bisque and glaze firings.
Deposit: $75 at registration. Non-refundable.
Maximum enrollment: 8 per class, pre-registration required.

Teapot Building
This course takes place over 6 Thursdays. You will create your very own tea set using different hand-building techniques. We will explore teapot design and decoration.
Previous experience with hand-building required. Tea served (of course!).
Time: May 13 – June 17, 2010 Thursday 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Course fee: $195 + GST – includes 15 hours of instruction, clay, use of tools, glazes, bisque and glaze firings.
Deposit: $75 at registration, Non Refundable.
Maximum enrollment: 8 per class, pre-registration required.

studio closed for renovations

So I realize the blog has been very quiet as of late. A quiet blog usually means a very busy studio. I have been completing all sorts of clay projects and, on top of it, the gallery and tea area is getting a new floor. I am still able to work in the studio but since everything is upside down and not looking its best, we have decided to close the tea bar and studio until April 8. We promise it will be worth the wait and I really look forward to showcasing all the brand new pieces I have been working on. If you are visiting from a far and really want to come by, please give me a call @ 250 748 3811.

cups of good health

After the grand cup production and the busyness of the Victoria Tea Festival, I managed to come down with a very stubborn cold. While this may be a good excuse to get some rest, I also feel drawn to the studio and the many unfinished projects I have on the go. Thinking of all the many projects and plans I am keen to get started on, I drink lots and lots of tea to get healthy quickly.

attacked by tea cups

It is true - my studio has literally been taken over by tasting cups. A while ago, we offered to create and donate some 800 tasting cups to the Victoria Tea Festival and with the festival coming up this weekend (February 13 + 14) everything we do seems to revolve around cups.
In between kneading, wedging, extruding, shaping, trimming, drying, firing and glazing, I try to fit in some teapot time as well. And yes, there will be new and cool teapots available at the tea festival. Come have a look if you are at Crystal Gardens.

Art of Craft

Last week, I went to the opening of the Cultural Olympiad exhibit 'Art of Craft' at the Museum of Vancouver. The exhibit, a cultural exchange between Canada and Korea, features craft artists from across Canada as well as Korea.

These are the three parts represented at the museum -

Unity & Diversity: Selected Works - 75 pieces from across Canada recently on display at the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale in the Republic of Korea.

By Hand/BC and Yukon - 51 pieces from Canada’s West Coast with a focus on the artists’ creative processes and studio environments.

Craft from the Republic of Korea - 47 pieces demonstrating the excellence of traditional and contemporary crafts.

I am honoured to have one of my tea sets in the By Hand/BC and Yukon part of the exhibit.

If you find yourself in Vancouver between now and April 11, I highly recommend you have a look at this exhibit.

www.museumofvancouver.ca/exhibition.php?id=15

a new year steeped in tea

It is back to work week here at the studio. With the up-coming Tea Festival in Victoria (February 13+14), I am making teapots again. Big pots and small pots, fun pots and new pots. I have some different designs in mind that I am looking forward to trying out. I will keep you posted here.