Pat Farquhar took her first pottery wheel class in 2005 and says, “I was hooked.” Farquhar says pottery is not a cheap hobby but, she likes the idea of making useful items from something as simple as clay. She likes that there is no waste since the clay can be reclaimed, if it is not fired. She adds, “You can do so many things with clay, there is no end to the possibilities.”
On a farm near Birtle, MB Farquhar has her own studio with all that she needs to create a variety of pottery. Her work can be found for sale not only at Arts Mosaic in Virden, but the Birtle Pharmacy, and at Val’s Garden & Gift Shop just north of Birtle.
Farquhar also teaches Hand-building, and Beginner Wheel pottery classes at the Centre (owned by The Classic Garden) in Birtle.
Another endeavor has been experimenting with Pit-fired pottery. Unlike pottery fired in a kiln, pit-fired pottery is put in a hole in the ground, covered with organic material (cow manure, banana peels, coffee grinds, etc.), and a wood fire is lit on top of the buried pottery. The fire is left to burn out in its own time. Once the fire is completely out and the ashes are cool, the pottery is dug up.
The result is each piece of pottery is a “one of a kind”. Different coloured markings swirled on the outside and inside of the pottery are created from the flames and the materials used in the fire. The feel of the pottery is different as well as there is no glaze between the person and the pot. Pit-fired pottery is not fired at a high enough temperature to be functional, and can only be used for display purposes.
The process of doing pottery takes time. Farquhar says depending on the conditions it can take several weeks to complete one piece of pottery.
Raw clay is formed on the wheel into a desired shape. It is then left to harden to a leather like consistency that will allow for trimming. Then, it must dry until there is no moisture left in the pot before its first firing in the kiln. This takes approximately 13 hours at a temperature of 1830 degrees Fahrenheit.
The kiln takes about 24 hours to cool and then the pot can be dipped in a glaze, it is then put back into the kiln to re-fire it for about eight hours at a higher temperature of 2230 degrees Fahrenheit. Once again, it will take another 24 hours to cool before the pottery can be used. Farquhar can be reached at pf@goinet.ca
Pat Farquhar creating a bowl on her wheel, in her studio at Spruce Garden Pottery near Birtle, MB.
Spruce Garden Pottery near Birtle, is home to many different handmade pottery creations.
