Sheryl Willson is a potter and ceramic artist who works out of her home based studio in the beautiful Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada. Sheryl’s formal studies in the Arts began in 1985 at Capilano College in North Vancouver, taking a three-year Graphic Design and Illustration program. After ten years of freelance, which included graphics, set design, and decorative finishing, she went on to study Fine Art at Langara College. In her final year at Langara, Sheryl received awards for Ceramic Sculpture, Studio Ceramics and Three-Dimensional Design. In 2004 Sheryl and her husband moved to the small town of Sorrento and set up a pottery studio where she now works full time creating one of a kind clay works and functional tableware.
“Making pots for the kitchen has turned me onto the rich history of food preparation and presentation through the eyes of a potter. Designing pottery that enhances the experience of making and sharing food is what interests me, as does exploring styles and glazes that fit with today’s aesthetic sensibilities, and casual entertaining.”
My Life as a Potter
It’s kind of simple really; I love to design, explore shapes, and make things. Working with clay seemed to be a natural fit. Clay wonderfully takes on any form. The trick is to be patient with it’s properties and keep your mind open to the happy and not so happy accidents along the way. Working in clay is all about process. Each pot or sculpture starts out as a formless lump of mud that is transformed, sometimes in minutes and sometimes over days and weeks, into a piece of art or a favorite mug. No matter how quick or slow the initial forming is, there are still weeks of tending to the rest of the process before the piece goes through it’s final firing and is complete. I enjoy working with natural elements, clay, oxides, water and fire, because these materials keep me in touch with nature, which is a profound teacher of process. She gives, she inspires, she challenges and she is constantly evolving, all qualities that feed me as I work. In turn I hope my work will uplift and inspire others.