As a child, I was always making little bowls out of mud and letting them dry in the
sun. Who knew my love of mud would lead me to where I am today.
My first class was in 1989 with Ruth Porter in Nanaimo. I loved it! I practiced for a few
years until time was no longer my own. In 2016, I signed up for a beginner’s
pottery class at the Arrowsmith Potters' Guild with Barb Strachan, followed by an
intermediate class with John Shauer. Since then, I have spent countless hours
playing with clay and taking classes.
I have been extremely fortunate to go to Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts since 2017, such fabulous learning opportunities with clay, and meeting such lovely like-minded people. I was able to experience many fantastic instructors such as: Bob Kingsmill, Allan Burgess, Victoria Christen, Marney McDiarmid, Clive Tucker, Linda Doherty, Richard Burkett, Fredi Rahn, Elaine Brewer-White, Charmaine Nimmo, Arlen Nobel, Conner Burns and Cathi Jefferson.
During COVID I found out Cathi Jefferson was teaching very small classes at the
Clay Hub, so I signed up. COVID was a tough time, but in terms of my pottery, I think it was a blessing. Cathi taught so much about form and principals of clay, and I
am super grateful for her influence and knowledge. Now my job is to to get what is in my head out to my pots!
After a summer of cleaning bricks for the Tozan in 1995, I finally joined the Tozan
Society (3 years ago) and started the journey learning about wood firing. I love
the randomness of the final pieces – lots of surprises. Firings are a wonderful
opportunity which would be impossible without this fantastic group of potters.
The firings are three days long using loads of wood.
A year ago, a friend and I built a gas kiln out of an old kiln on my property so we
could experiment with high fire reduction firings. This lead us to an opportunity
to buy a Salt/Soda kiln in the fall of 2023, which we are still in the process of
building. Flames kissing pots is so magical.
When not taking classes or playing with clay, I am hiking in the woods with my
dogs, riding my bike, doing yoga, or I am in my garden.
I live in Errington on a 10 acre hobby farm with my husband, Terry, and my two dogs, three cats, chickens, a horse boarder, and two male peacocks. While building my little studio the peacocks would hang out and still do – that is how I chose the name - Loose Peacock!

​A September day in 2003 changed my life forever. I became hooked on
clay!
Never having played with clay before, I took my first hand building
course and loved it. A few weeks later I became acquainted with the
wheel, and that was it. Fifteen years, and hundreds of pots later, I am
still enjoying "playing."
I grew up in Yorkshire, England, and emigrated to British Columbia in
1992. Of course I cherish my British heritage, and there are a few
things that I miss - like the really good Pubs there - but I have never
regretted coming to Canada and count myself very lucky to be here.
Ladner was my first home in BC. The Delta Potters Association in
Tsawwassen is where my pottery story starts, and I enjoyed many
happy years as a member of the group there.
In 2013 my hubby and I retired and we decided to spread our wings and
move to Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, and we immediately joined
the Arrowsmith Potters Guild that is housed in the old train station in
Parksville.
After a year or so we became members of the Nanaimo Pottery Coop
and a while later we were invited to become members of the Mid-Island
Potters group.
At present I sell my pieces at the Train Station Pottery Shop in
Parksville and take part in their yearly Christmas Sale. As well, I sell at
the Mid-Island Sale in Qualicum each November, and the sales that the
Nanaimo Pottery Coop put on at the Country Club Mall in Nanaimo.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to become a potter.
It opened the door to a life of challenge and reward, and a
never-ending "what shall I try next!"

January 2025's featured Potter of the Month is Barb Strachan...a member of Arrowsmith Potters Guild since 1997 and a founding member and pottery teacher at the Train Station Pottery Shop. Barb finds inspiration in nature, particularly the ocean, and this is often reflected in her pottery. ​

I have loved pottery for as long as I can remember, but it has only been in the past few years that I ventured into making my own. I was looking for something to assist in improving my work/life balance, and I found that pottery quiets my brain and shifts my thinking towards the process of creating something new. Through this journey, Sisu pottery was born.
Sisu is a Finnish word without a direct English translation, so there is a range of definitions. One of my favourites is from Emilia Lahti, “Sisu begins where perseverance and grit end. It is the ‘second wind’ of mental toughness after the individual has reached their limits of their observed mental or physical capacities”. 
I enjoy making functional pottery, creating pieces that are inspired by nature and that celebrate the uniqueness of each piece.  I strive to make pottery that can stand up to daily life, including being able to put your favourite cup in your pack to drink your coffee in your favourite outdoor locations. 
I recently started making earrings and am enjoying experimenting with different techniques to make pieces that are reflective of the natural beauty around us. 

​There's something very exciting about a freshly rolled out slab of clay.
The possibilities are endless. I want to push the boundaries of whatever ideas spring to mind. I want to be surprised and learn new things.
The creative process of hand-built pottery brings me joy, whether it's functional tableware or decorative wall art. I invite you to savour the results of my 25 years of playful whimsical indulgence.

I was introduced to pottery in my 20’s when I took a class and fell in love with having my hands in the mud creating. I have enjoyed creating through other art mediums through the years, but pottery was always on my mind.
In retirement I am able to enjoy committing time to pottery, and to continually improve my skills and learn new things.
I love to play with different shapes and glaze colours. I make mostly functional pottery using the wheel, which is my passion, or using handbuilding techniques. I enjoy the ability to turn a lump of clay into something unique and beautiful. It's fun to explore making different shapes and using a variety of glaze combinations to get unique and beautiful colours.
There is always so much to learn and explore, that I can’t imagine ever getting tired of this art form.
I hope my pieces bring joy to the owner, through the feel of it in their hand, the colours, or the memories made while using the piece.

Usually, I only make functional pottery. However, I have started to make some different pots for our Guild’s November 9th Christmas Sale. These include ceramic Christmas trees, Fairy houses and Gonks. The Fairy houses have a secret compartment when the house is lifted off the plate which can be used to hide messages, store jewelry or even be a garlic holder. Some of them can be used as luminaries with a candle or battery operated light. So I guess these could also be called functional pottery.