Louise Pentz

ESTELLA
smoke fired porcelain on a black granite base
clay, ochre and smoke
9.5 in. tall x 2.5 in. x 4 in. wide
SOLD

 

  

SIDRA
smoke fired porcelain on a black granite base
clay, ochre and smoke
9.5 in. tall x 2.5 in. x 4 in. wide
$750

 
 

ARTIST STATEMENT - SCULPTURES

These clay figures embody the Legacy of Mothers, representing the concept of Woman as Vessel. Conceived in the headwaters of our ancestors, these Vessels shape and transport personal gifts of identity and unique knowledge, along the voyage of descendancy. The scars of rough passage remind us of lessons learned in the past. This Legacy of strength, endurance, and faith, which has prevailed, now serves as inspiration to continue the journey - using the paths of our Mothers to guide us through the currents of today

Louise Pentz

 

 

  

A CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP - DON AND LOUISE PENTZ

 

 

RED URN
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
10 in. tall x 6.5 in. diameter
$450


 

SMOKE FIRED CERAMIC

We celebrate the continuum of placing clay vessels in fire to harden and give them colour. It is a process which has been practiced since our earliest ancestors.

Each piece is made from a combination of porcelain and stoneware and burnished while the clay is still damp. "Burnishing" is a process of rubbing clay with either a smooth stone or flexible metal rib. When dry, the piece is fired to harden the clay.The vessel then has colourants applied and is dipped in a thick slip (liquid clay). As the slip dries, it crackles and pieces of it fall off exposing the coloured clay beneath.

When the slip is dry the piece is buried in wood shavings inside a fireproof container and the shavings are ignited. A lid over the container forms a chamber for the smoke and flames. Carbon from the smoke penetrates into the clay wherever there is no slip to resist it. When cool, the remaining slip is removed from the piece. After much cleaning, a couple of light layers of wax are applied and the work is polished.

The decorative surface on the smoked vessel is not glazed. It is the clay itself that has been burnished, coloured, fired and polished to attain the pleasing smoothness.

 

 

  

 

GREEN AND GOLD FOOTED BOWL
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.5 in. tall x 8 in. diameter
$195

 

  

GREEN AND GOLD FOOTED BOWL (top view)

 

YELLOW AND BLACK OLLA
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.75 in. tall x 5.5 in. diameter
SOLD

 

 

 

ORANGE AND YELLOW URCHIN VASE
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.5 in. tall x 6.5 in. diameter
$150

 

  

BLUE AND ORANGE URCHIN VASE
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.5 in. tall x 5.75 in. diameter
SOLD

 

ORANGE AND RED BOWL
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
5 in. tall x 13.5 in.diameter
$350

 

  

ORANGE AND RED BOWL (top view)

BRONZE AND GREEN URN
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
8.25 in. tall x 6.25 in. diameter
$350

 

  

RED, GREEN AND YELLOW URN
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
8.5 in. tall x 6.5 in. diameter
$350
 

ARTIST STATEMENT - FINE URNS

Urns of clay - the traditional burial container for millennia. As with people no two are alike... With much care and attention to detail, each piece is shaped, coloured, fired and polished - nature's beauty and moods caught through the rigors of smoke and flame...

Colours range from vibrant and dramatic to earthy and subtle - reflections of the human spirit... Molding clay between fingers - sensing the space within; precious contents in a simple vessel - rest forever in the earth, from whence we came...

Louise Pentz

 

 

  

BRONZE AND ORANGE FOOTED BOWL (top view)

 

  

 


BRONZE AND ORANGE FOOTED BOWL
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.75 in. tall x 8.75 in. diameter
SOLD

OCHRE OLLA
smoke fired porcelain and stoneware
2.25 in. tall x 7 in. in diameter
SOLD

 

  

OCHRE OLLA (view 2)

 

Louise Pentz is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (BFA 1973) and has studied smoke-firing with Michael Wisner in Arizona and glaze chemistry with Robin Hopper in British Columbia. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards. In 2003, Louise was invited to exhibit her work in Clermont-Ferrand, France. In addition to the exhibition in France, Louise's ceramics have been exhibited throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta. Her work has been featured in ceramics magazines and books. Well known for her functional pottery and smoke-fired vessels, Louise has recently become attracted to figurative sculpture that celebrates women's strengths and struggles.