On March 29, 2003, I went on a tour of artist homes and studios in Calgary. Sponsored by the Triangle Gallery, it gave me the opportunity to see inside many abodes that I have often admired from the sidewalk. This home is the fifth home of eight in this series.
This Governor-General award-winning ceramicist and his wife share a cute little clapboard home in Hillhurst. Historically this area had its beginnings as farmland owned by the pioneering Riley family. Hillhurst became a part of the city around 1910 but real development in the area didn’t begin until after the Second World War. This house was one of the first built in the Hillhurst region in 1912.
Rather than redo the house, the couple kept a lot of its original fixtures including the windows, the doors and the ceilings. In the back of the house is a very unique and comfortable studio space full of lots of pottery. The style of pottery is very earthy and hand-sculpted, giving it more of a traditional appearance than a factory-made one.
The house has a very homey feel, most likely because the owners are so open and welcome. As I passed through the house, tea was offered to anyone who wanted it and when I got to the studio, questions were being answered with a passion that only someone who really loves their work can manage.
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