illuminating autumn: a tale of transition
sharon reay
august 31 - october 1, 2022
ccbc shop & gallery
Autumn: A time of change.
Lazy, endless (beige) summer days, transformed by subtle changes in the light, bold colours and renewed action. School starts, Halloween appears – imagery, stories and new challenges abound. Somewhat shy, Fall was simultaneously exhilarating and frightening to me.
This installation offered a chance to explore techniques both old and new. As a lifetime maker inspired by nature and children’s literature, sculpture and illustration have always infused my work. The last 20 years, I’ve focused on functional, wheel-thrown stoneware and atmospheric firings, loving the orange peel texture and surface variation of soda firing. What pulls at me lately is experimenting more with sculpture and oxidation firings, and the use of underglazes to achieve a cleaner, brighter, more illustrative quality.
Welcome to my journey: a glimpse of where I come from, where I am going, along with some influences which continue to inspire. Simultaneously exhilarating and frightening, Fall still brings challenges – which is where the fun really begins.
Born and raised in Nanaimo, Sharon Reay was creating art in various media since childhood. After attending the Vancouver School of Art, she continued taking courses and workshops, as she grew her art practice and raised her children in Burnaby. In the ’80’s, she taught ceramics at the Burnaby Arts Centre for several years, before it became the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. By the early 90’s she had become the Adult Arts Programmer (in all disciplines except music), then later her position shifted to focus upon Ceramics of all ages. Her main focus has been on clay for the past 40 years, but she has often turned to other materials – mainly drawing and working with wood, when circumstances or injuries made work with clay impossible. The imagery she is most inspired by comes from children’s literature or nature and her whimsical characters most often elicit smiles from those who come across them.
“A passion for art and literature has been a driving force throughout my life. So when the timing of this display coincided with several artistic and literary events being sponsored by local organizations – I was thrilled to assist in spreading the word.
Works on display range from some very old creations, to very new and experimental – designed to show how my process has evolved. However, the colourful hanging leaves and small hanging pumpkins were created specifically to celebrate the imagery of Fall, with my portion of sales for these items being donated evenly to the organizations listed below. I thank the Craft Council of BC for giving me this opportunity – and for their continued support of artists in all mediums.” Sharon Reay
Decoda Literacy Solutions
Support literacy programming
Art 4 Life – POMO arts
September 15 – October 30, 2022