OFF the WALL BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS
Turning to the past
The North Shore
D
enise Martin’s pottery wheel occupies a corner of her studio that soaks up the natural light. There is a small shelf to her right that is within reach to place objects fresh from her turning. Another shelf creates an open divide to a table where a row of hand-built butter dishes dry and wait for their time in the kiln. When she takes her head up from her wheel, she looks towards a newly curated showroom with display cabinets she found at a local antique store. There is an earthiness to the air inside her backyard studio in New Glasgow. It’s both grounding and romantic, creating a connection to her work as a modern ceramics artist who finds her inspiration in things from long ago. Connection and process overlap in Denise’s personal, professional, and creative life. In 2012 Denise, who grew up in Black Point, Pictou County, returned to her roots after working four years in the US. A career in Human Resource Management Systems would be considered an unusual training ground for her new pursuit as a ceramics artist but what she says she learned about in design, testing, functionality, and user experience was invaluable. She applies the science of this knowledge into the art she creates today. In the eight years since Denise, her husband, and children returned to Pictou County she has immersed herself in her studio practice and the local community arts sector. Before officially launching Martin Ceramic in 2016 she invested her time in learning the various elements of her craft.
ah! Winter 2020–21 - 14
