Judy Blake
My hope is to create pieces that speak of my love of natural beauty – it’s mystery and harmony. I strive for a delicate balance between strength of form & sense of presence. Each piece, with it’s simple lines & generous curves, have been richly marked by the smoke & flame . . . soft patterns of colour & earthiness . . . a quiet beauty.
Thirty years ago as a young potter, Judy Blake saw her first burnished black pottery of the Southwest Native Americans and the blackware of Northern Mexico. She became captivated by the sensual beauty of these pots and the simple, unpredictable firing processes used to achieve this kind of work. Seeing those pots ignited a passion which has led to the work she is creating today.
“Making this kind of work, brings great joy and satisfaction in the throwing of the pieces, the gathering of the materials and the connection with the firing process,” says Judy. The pieces shown, are saggar-fired – a type of smoke-firing in which the pots are nested in combustible materials (straw, seaweed, sawdust etc.) and enclosed and fired in a lidded clay container. The pieces have been painstakingly burnished with a stone, giving the surfaces a silky glow that seems to come from within.
Judy has been working with clay since the mid 1970’s when she attended the New Brunswick Craft School. She has been the recipient of several awards, including The New Brunswick Arts Board grants for creation, travel and professional development and have been a part-time instructor for several years in the clay department of the College of Craft and Design. Her works include sawdust-firing, raku, pit-firing and saggar-firing.