Valerie Metcalfe
Valerie graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1974 with an honours degree in Fine Arts. In 1978 she helped found the Stoneware Gallery and the Stoneware Studio.
Valerie’s specialty is refined, wheel thrown porcelain. Her pieces have been exhibited and sold across Canada and the United States and are held in public and private collections around the world. Images of her work can be found in numerous ceramic publications. In 1994 she was elected into The Royal Canadian Academy of Art and she is currently profiled in “Who’s Who in Canada”.
Over the years she’s enjoyed sharing her knowledge with, and having the company of, hundreds of students in classes and at workshops.
Artist Statement:
I fell in love with making pots 43 years ago in Art School and there continues to be a sense of the miraculous for me in working with clay. The process is a form of alchemy wherein you work with the four elements to transform humble matter into something precious. My work has many influences; from teachers and fellow artists to the wide open skies, deep woods and landscape of the Prairies. My inspiration also comes from working. It’s a mysterious process, but the more I work, the more ideas come. They manifest as images that suddenly come to mind or sometimes even in dreams. I am a production potter and to me beauty is integral to function. Pottery is such an intimate art. It moves into people’s lives and becomes part of their homes and all their small daily rituals. This sense of human connection is important to me and I hope to give a gift of beauty and harmony through whatever form I undertake. I prefer using porcelain clay as its whiteness and transparency appeal to my decorative expression. I love that it allows light itself to shine through.
To contact Valerie directly via email: valerie@stonewaregallery.com