Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
When I first discovered Heather’s work on Instagram, I had to pull up my jaw from the floor. You may, like me, actually think her ceramics are made from bone and sinew, just as her new “Raw Like Bone” series wants you to think. Her work is that good. Inspired by bone surfaces she’s known from growing up on the east coast of Nova Scotia, her work is created from memories of her environment as a child and her connection to it today. I’m in love.
What’s your first memory of art making?
My first memory of art making was around age 8 when I won a colouring contest and won a meal for the whole family at a family diner.
“I always coloured heavily and then used my nails to scrape back to different tones of the colour.”
How did you find the medium you currently work in? Do you ever switch it up?
I started working in low fired clay at a community ceramic studio close to where I live. I liked that I could express myself through this medium. I do switch it up somewhat — I have a design business that I’ve owned and worked for over 20 years. I also have a partner in a textile company where we design original art and have it printed on silk and linen in Italy.
“Fifteen Porcelain Vases. Mostly Weeds. Not thrown. Hand built vessels. My living room mantle. All the porcelain littles with dried fleurs and weeds, Parisian gas light, elk shed antler, nest mirror on this foggy day.”
How do you feel about artists working in more mediums than one? Do you think it’s better for artists to stick with one medium?
It can be tricky working in several mediums but to make a living I’ve always been flexible and diverse. I have to say this past year I’ve concentrated mostly on the ceramics and needed to to improve my skills. I’ve taken fewer design jobs and I work in the studio for at least 5-6 hrs a day, most days.
Do you have a degree in art or are you self-taught? If you received a degree in art, did you go straight into art making full time or was it a different journey? When was the “a-ha!” moment where you decided to take on art as a career?
I do not have a degree in ceramics, or design. I am self taught. I graduated with a science degree in food science and worked 4 years in this industry and then moved into the arts. I’ve always been inspired by my environment, growing up in Woodside, beside a refinery and tank fields and woods. Nature and topography surfaces. I engaged in Painting exhibits, designing Interiors, commercial and residential, textiles and lastly Ceramics. I’ve been fortunate to work on substantial contracts with design, selling paintings, ceramics, textiles, and having my ceramics in various exhibits.
When an Art Gallery approached me to represent my ceramics, that was the “ah ha!” moment that I could slowly transition myself from designing interiors and painting to make a living concentrating on Ceramics and Textiles. Of all mediums I have worked in, I feel I express myself through these two.
From Heather’s Interactions Exhibition last July 2019. “I needed my own plinths, so I designed the tall wooden plinths that were made in a south shore saw mill. I had 200 year old boards originally from Lunenburg and needed a small table, so I cut one board and added IKEA legs. Not Bad. ;)”
Tell me about your creative space. Do you have an in-home studio or do you rent a space? Do you prefer one over the other if you’ve experienced both types of spaces? Is your studio messy or organized?
I’ve always had a home office, with brief times working for other design companies. Two years ago, I realized I needed my own ceramic studio. I live in a 100 plus year old home — I carved out space in the old coal and furnace rooms. I love it. I have outside access, small windows that have great light.
“I love the old bones of this place.”
I enjoy community studios for the community aspect, but I am an introvert that thrives in my own studio. I’m OCD, which may seem weird with being a creative, but my brain works best when relaxed so that means my studio space is neat and organized. Lots of clean up!
What inspires your work?
Nature has always inspired my work, but more so stone worn by the sea, bleached driftwood, found fox heads and bleached shed antlers, rusted metals, worn surfaces.
As a kid, I lived not far from a farm and piggery. When the boys built a fort, they put a cow or bull/pig skull on sticks to scare the girls off. But I loved the colour of the bleached bones, the stitching of bones that made up the skull. I have always looked for shed antlers in late December, when they are shed. Again, the coloration of the bone. The history of bone used in combs, hair adornment, buttons. Its as close to nature as you can get for me.
Do you work on multiple pieces at once?
Yes, I do. I coil pots which have to firm up at stages to support the weight of more coils, so I’ll form plates and bowls of different sizes that will work efficiently to fill and fire the kiln. I build sculpture as well.
“These edges have brought an exciting design project for an amazing cake designer/artist. I’m a lucky girl.”
How do you balance real life and art making? Do you schedule your creative time? Do you create everyday?
The balance of making art and real life is something I’m always striving for. It’s so important. I’m somewhat successful by really limiting commissions and pre orders. If I don’t, I lose the ability to experiment and design new work. That’s important to me. So I tend to sell what is made and available, taking only commissions I truly want.
How do you feel about social media in the art world?
Social media, especially Instagram, has been great for my business. Design and Ceramics. I ship ceramics all over the world. The Instagram platform enables Galleries and interested people to see my work. I see others, too. It’s wonderful.
What message do you hope comes across through your artwork?
My work as an artist expresses my emotions. Feelings I’ve experienced from my environment, what I see humanity going through. I want those feelings to come through and to be relatable.
From Heather’s “Bone Tattoo” Collection: “Textures have always been a love of mine. Tonal, surface and a desire to feel. Using fragments of collected vintage French lace has inspired this new series ‘Bone Tattoo,’ a collaboration of my ‘Raw Like Bone’ series. A memory I love of my father’s dragon sleeve tattoos he had needled in Hong Kong and figuring out how to reuse my collection of beautiful handmade lace.”
You can view Heather’s gorgeous ceramics on her Instagram @handbuiltpittsceramics. You’re welcome.