Spotlight on: Gillian Mitchell & Sally Dobbin
THE ALBERTA CRAFT GALLERY - CALGARY IS HOSTING THE WORK OFgilliam mitchell and sally dobbin, two calgary CERAMISTs and teachers at wildflower arts centre. this SPOTLIGHT SERIES runs conjunction with our current exhibition Cultivate | Instigate, showcasing artists at the forefront of post-secondary craft education in alberta.
THE POP-UP STYLE DISPLAY PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND INVEST IN THE WORK OF ACCOMPLISHED AND ESTEEMED ALBERTA CRAFT ARTISTS.
FIND gillian’s and sally’s WORK AT THE ALBERTA CRAFT GALLERY - CALGARY FROM january 22 to march 8, 2020 (WITH A SPECIAL EVENT ON february 13)
Alberta Craft Council (ACC): Hi Gillian, Sally! Can you tell our readers who are you and what do you do?
Gillian Mitchell (GM): My name is Gillian and I make blue and green pots! I work at Wildflower Arts Centre as the Ceramic Technician and visual art instructor. I love teaching visual arts and clay to kids at WFAC (Wildflower Arts Centre)! My favourite age group to teach is 6 to 8 year-olds. They have no reservations about making, drawing or sculpting! I can give them a tiny idea and they blow it up making wonderous pieces of art!
Sally Dobin (SD): I’m Sally Dobbin, I am a studio potter and instructor at Wildflower and Northmount Pleasant Art Centres in Calgary.
ACC: What theme(s) or ideas(s) do you pursue in your work?
GM:I was born and raised in Alberta growing up in the prairies so naturally I crave something different! My work is all about the ocean; it resembles coral reefs, tidal pools and the deep. The unknown of the ocean and the creatures of the deep give me freedom to create what believe lives there! Even though my surfaces are highly textured and full of imagery, I create highly functional work. Everything I make I want someone to use and feel the ocean energy emit from within.
SD:My current work blends my love of colour, painting and abstract shapes with simple functional forms. I like a piece to be comfortable to use but filled with visual challenges. I enjoy the play between positive and negative space that the decoration I wrap around my pots creates.
ACC: You are now teachers. Who were your teachers?
GM: I began my artistic career at Red Deer College studying under Trudy Golley and Robin Lambert. From there I transferred to ACAD (call it whatever you like haha) and studied under Katrina Chaytor and Greg Payce. All of these instructors pushed me to find me. It wasn’t until my third year of my degree where I realized I love making multiples and nature emerged as a very important theme.
SD: I have had many instructors over the years, but Curtis Ripley in University first introduced me to the potter’s wheel.
ACC: How has your practice changed over time?
GM: During my time in school I was very focused on mimicking forests. I created many nesting dishes that looked like cabbage or foliage. I have always loved the blues and greens found at Grassi Lakes just outside of Canmore and that has been steady in my ceramic path from then to now. I have just drifted from forest to ocean… they aren’t that different if you think about all the life and mystery within.
SD: I originally worked with large non-functional forms, using them as canvases on which to layer clay slips like paint. I still love that process but I am hooked on the challenge of making artful pots for daily use - the ones you dig out of the dishwasher over and over because they always feel right.
ACC: What is your favorite thing to make?
SD:I love making larger platters.
GM: I love, love, love making multiples. I make a small dish big enough for a few rings, couple sets of earrings or a used tea bag. This common dish becomes part of a daily routine that isn’t considered special but the things within are. Creating a dish that holds your grandmother’s wedding rings at night, your pearl earrings from your spouse or the tea bag from your best friend during a much-needed visit is a precious thing.
ACC: Finally, what music are you currently listening to in your studio?
GM: I love listening to Foals. They are a rock band from the UK that I adore. The power they can create with music always gets me singing and wiggling in my chair. I also love listening to the podcast called Binge Mode: Harry Potter. It’s hilarious, informative and deep. If you are a true HP fan, you’ll love it.
SD: Currently I am listening to a play list I created with a very special person. It’s a real mixture of styles that evoke different emotions and has yet to bore me. Artists include: Bill Bourne, Walter Martin, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell…
About the Wildflower Arts Centre
Wildflower teaching artists love working with people of all ages and abilities. They are experienced educators and professionally trained artists, offering a wealth of experience in a wide range of disciplines.
Each artist of Wildflower maintains an active practise which lends an appreciation for, and an encouragement of, reciprocal learning between themselves and their students. For more information visit: https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Recreation/Pages/Arts-centres/Wildflower.aspx