Brian Barry
Brian Edward Barry was born in Hampton Ontario on February 25,1958. He > had a keen interest in the arts, especially using lead pencil and creating high realism drawings. he continued honing his drawing skills > but felt that he needed more expertise.

After his marriage to Miriam in 1983, he began attending the Beal Secondary post graduate Art Program in London Ontario, that involved several studios of various mediums including pencil drawing, painting, fabric design, art history, and of course, work in clay..affectionately called the ceramics class. He did not feel that he was an adaquate sculpter, which most of the students opted to do in the class. Brian convinced Bevin Ling that he should teach him how to use the potters wheel. Beven talked him through the process and Brian succeeded in making a cylinder. He continued to hone his skills in pottery and joined the London Potters guild when it was located at
Banting Highschool.

Brian purchased his first potters wheel in 1985 and his first kiln from the Sisters of St Joseph. He set up his first studio on King St in an auto body shop and then moved the studio to Stacey's Schoolhouse in Dutton Ontario on a country road called Starvation St. which has since been changed to Pioneer Line. Brian's love for functional pottery has evolved through the years. He prides himself in being able to make a 'drip proof tea pot' from porcelain clay, his clay of choice, although he has used stone ware on a number of occassions. Brian's glazing evokes thoughts of scenery and landscape through the use of blues, reds, and greens. He has also used
the white base of porcelaine clay to creat high realism drawings on his work.

Brian has participated in many guild exhibitions and sales. He has done work for Hutton House, Pinecroft Pottery, Toronto Galleries and one of a kind shows and commissions. Brian also uses his pottery skills in ministry work as an analogy of life and Biblical characters.

Brian is passionate about creating the best and most functional pottery. He is also passionate about teaching his students. Giving them skills and an interest in an art form passionate to him.

Sandy Harquail
Sandy Harquail began her exploration of ceramics in high school in an independent study program. Through this program she discovered a love of clay that led her to pursue the arts at Eastern Michigan University where she received a Bachelors of Fine Art with a concentration in ceramics. Sandy has also completed her Bachelors of Education at the University of Western Ontario.

Sandy enjoys hand building forms through the use of extruding and coil building among other techniques.

David Moynihan
David’s work is an exploration of self  through the exploration of clay.  It is in the process of making and teaching that he explores give and take, finds boundaries, and on occasion, answers.  David’s goal as a potter is to enhance the experience of  use by allowing “the marks and process of production show through his finished works”.

David's experience with clay began in 1994 while studying at Lakehead University.  Since that time       David has produced wares for both industry and traditional potteries.  Most notably historical “Pinecroft” near Aylmer Ontario,  “Brothers Potteries” and “Entertain Dinnerware”.  Through these opportunities David's work has been shown and sold across North America and Europe.   Locally,  his work has shown in several gallaries including Jonathon's (London Ontario) and the Gardiner Museum Shop (Toronto Ontario). 

David continues his exploration of clay through teaching and producing in the hopes that others will enjoy the experience of clay as mush as he does.
 
 

Chris Snedden
Chris Snedden has been a potter for over 20 years in the London area, and has worked in almost every facet of the pottery business, from building electric kilns and teaching courses or workshops, to producing and distributing giftware for the international market. Chris’s work continues to be shown at festivals and galleries across Ontario. Chris continues to teach, give workshops, and develop his award winning work.

Chris' website

Penni Stoddart
My first encounter with clay and pottery was at Junior High school in Toronto when I was in grade 7. I took an evening class that was mostly hand building but we also got to have a go on a stand up potters wheel. Nothing fancy, no finishing to the pot or trimming but we did get to throw and then glaze. I still have one of my first pots that I made that year way back when.

I have been actively working in clay since 1996 after taking a beginners pottery class with the London Potters Guild and soon after becoming an active member of the LPG. In the summer of 2001, I set up a 19thcentury pottery at Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London Ontario and expanded the project each year until 2006.

What started as a hobby has quickly become a business and expanded to include historically researched hand made pottery, private lessons, teaching for the LPG and single day workshop/classes offered to schools. I also work as an occasional teacher for the Thames Valley District School Board with the hope of one day getting a permanent teaching position.

In the summer of 2008 I returned to the hobby of living history after nearly a decade away from it. Specifically my children and I are re-enacting the War of 1812 although sometimes going to Civil War or Medieval times (society for creative anachronism or SCA) re-enactment events. After having a 19thcentury pottery at Fanshawe Village I have now incorporated my pottery into the hobby of living history and sell my pots at events as a merchant or sutler as well as doing demonstrations on a small kick wheel.

Penni's website

Kyle Thomson
Kyle attended the Sheridan College ceramics program. He studied under Bruce Cochrane, Dale Pereira and Tony Clennel.

During Kyle’s summers he worked for Jackie Seaton of Perth, ON and Tim Smith of Wiarton, ON. He threw hundreds of pots in each of their studios as well as aided them in all aspects of running a pottery.

Kyle built his own pottery wheel which he uses to make functional kitchenware.

Kyle's website

Gene Timpany
Clay forms, decoration techniques and the joy of physically creating an object, based on an image in my mind’s eye, came from the influence of my mother. She became involved in ceramics during my late public school years and I learned as she did and continued to do so through high school and college.

I decided to take a wheel thrown pottery course to try to re-connect with the art of my past. In this medium, I found texture to add to the play of light, shadow and colour. I love to create three-dimensional objects that are both useful and beautiful. Clay has gotten under my nails. Light and shadow have become fire and smoke. The movement of colour frozen in an instant from glaze that has run down the side of a bowl is a snap shot depicting colour, depth and texture. In mastering control over form and glazing techniques, I am able to create beautiful functional pottery pieces that are also pieces of art.

I joined the Potters Guild in September of 2005 and have not looked back. Last year I was the artist in residence for the Guild and I learned a lot about clay. I would like the opportunity to pass what I have learned on to you through the classes offered by the Guild.

Gene's website

Beth Turnbull Morrish
 I have been an artist as long as I can remember, always drawing, painting and getting dirty.

I attended Beal Art in London as an interdisciplinary student and earned a Technological Studies Certificate in Vocational Art. Four years at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design resulted in a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Ceramics and a love of clay.

While in Halifax I worked as a potter’s assistant for two different potters. After graduation I joined the London Potters Guild as a studio member. I became Artist In Residence and later Studio Technician as well as beginning my teaching career with adults and kids courses, which I still enjoy teaching there. I am also teaching Ceramics at Lambton College in Sarnia.

Beth's website

René Wortel

Reniris (René) Wortel was born in Leiden, the Netherlands, The same university city that Rembrandt Van Rijn, the famous post renaissance portrait painter was also born, 347 years earlier.

René has studied Industrial  and Graphic design at Fanshawe College in London Ontario. René applies design and graphic to the realm of pottery.  For the last eight years he has studied functional pottery at the London Potters Guild.  Working mostly with hand built slab constructions,iIt is an extension of his early studies in three dimensional product design, where now free forms are
melded with colours born of fire.

René  teaches hand building at the LPG & SGC in Woodstock with classes from beginner to advanced levels. The direction of his class is the construction of 3D objects that are the result of intentional design developed from using integrated graphic shapes.

René is the founder of Dovesong Studio and  was awarded an“Award of Merit” and the “People’s Choice” Award in 2004 and “People’s Choice” Award” and “Best Functional” in 2008 at the Woodstock Art Gallery Juried Pottery Exhibition.