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-3- JACK MCKITTERICK-CLAY AND OPTIMISM FOR POTTER Ni Cl '35 1 . " cuta'i' " . Lr') 'cmesef'- , ,1, ' -- - Jack McKitterick discovered the art 'ierq' ,-v"" - - to: 'r'CU'di tr '1, f " rec/W" , tgttt of creating pottery almost a decade ago i E " _ " _ 2' Mari" _; ( ' "vr,ssi,arj, . 'I and decided that with patience and prof- 'lMW','t% 1'1;- 1 " 'i»-W5;':;.; sf: t , i""ie;ej_,'iiif't,Crt"yj'ii/'( essionalism he could make it his 'hh)"::" "HI, 1 _ fr, C,svar t),-,,"4i'ilr:i; 'j', ".t' ,,ti:rshtri(l,t/r, livelihood. .13, _ '- . "r, "dl 1,115. diPfcrrs'fr,N., . . T V V "/rr, He moved to Port Elgin late last year 7:". l V , {a}, r "t I T 3 1, and began building a wood-fired pottery ," . ' ' _,' i.alsrii'lt 3. . y" _ _ kiln behind his 530 Mill St. home. l F, "r "q, fig-'- I ", .' _ C While much of his knowledge of the ' I . i"-: ' ", '5tat B' craft is the product of years of ex- _i' 1(N ' sir) _ 1? * iiis7ii *1 perience,McKitterick also took, as well a, Ju' I I ,li, ", if Arr" ""1 "new; as taught, pottery courses at the Aberthan srTr)'i I _ "rt'i, l .5 'ttt id " _ ' _ Cultural Centre in Vancouver and Vancouver Cru. ,5, 1;}:1 J Arts School. , - " 1 '- '7 I " ' . " Although his wood-fuelled kiln may N t , " " " "tll" ' 1 = well be unique to the area, it is the a) , i - "a » " 'd ' ' "N second that McKitterick has built for _ Jg l , . himself. _ F' _ ' .,... ' J. rt.,': ., For McKitterick, the firing of a piece 's ~1 tlitait Ai.,.: iiitrfCta . "if" - of pottery is of the utmost importance. ('1. . 'i,iic'crid'i:, . Pd {The process is tine consuming. The pieces , c, 'ill, b" IiL', E p, a 1 . are placed in the walk-in brick kiln T niw' lh' " E -!,At . '5 and sealed up while they are heated by ', l' ,iw'W' ; .'-~~':»§" Bl " _ " a fire of maple wood. The firing continues ', _"., 71""? K, .. 1 I . q _ for 10 to 12 hours. and the temperature , '.sitril .9 . Ci T', . 1 , rises to 2300 degrees F. Another two r.' " IR, ' I _ , 1 days must pass before the kiln is cool ( " - , " ' I, ' v ' enough to be opened and the final product _ Cl '. p, 3,41% _ , j) examined. . " ' i . Lf15$ 2.1- The wood flames impart their own subtle " I). 315,, , il, tones to the pottery and the flecks of 7:, F, " 1 ' ', ash blend themselves with the glaze. ., . ia 15iiml - " . _ , His method may be ancient and tine-con- [ _ 5.' g , 'r,3ll?:l air d " suming but they work. McKitterick said .~" t'cr'rsi'fgra! 'id ' , his traditional approach to pottery a?" , BNN' . e . f ' , ,. 1 making is almost the same as that used 1000 as? r r Milt! " 1 _ 1&3: ' . years ago in China during Sung Dynasty. . .r, we." t ' " , 1 Ill ' ' Itil ; Potters would be much more appreciated l"?, , f" ' > WC', Eirt " e3 , t _ if the public knew the difference be- be ..», " B? _ ,1 grF, T,;3!,9MBlWtll. Fr, EMM' ' "" tween pottery and ceramics. t 'm © ' , ii . :1, 1'c." "j?';: , .5 .1, 'st', '"rj'fic'it'i'tNal _ " The stoneware' McKitterick makes in a, - 1 G 1 :11 "i"'ilifri't?i,t, ' "". ', _/v."" H7ir. f)) ,1 his kiln will..not leak he said, because " 'Ill' 'llRlIll, , x.1,;1.:.w, l p' I Li, Csv'" 3.15;,313511 the clay is vitrified or fused by the iiW " I , 133 aNiii"Li: "W. _,sr' o'"' 1. "rl'"')"'-)?,'),'," extreme heat of the firing. w" .l% I . h T31 , I '11 .., '13,?! i, __ _ "17"" The most quickly done and yet most " . CN - "W" - _ . T F V . . Fr complex aspect of pottery is the shaping Jack McKmerick of Port Elgin, prepares to fire a piece of pottery In his homemade, of the clay on a whe e1. womvnredeis.oneotaetdwwomriiredkissinmearessMekitteriek uses hard maple Using his footrp6wered wheel, he spins 'romtttsteverts-Her"1ercompan"o""e1. 7 out tea pots, Casseroles, cups, dishes 1' "TT". and planters. "A medium sized tea pot takes about 5 minutes to make. The lid and handle come next and they are fitted to the 'pisd.-. the time adds up." He gets his clay from Toronto. The fascinating thing about his pottery clay is its com- position. The ingredients come from almost all regions of the United Stats and parts of Canada. Beacon-Ones July 28,1982. , Wear (r I 1 crr" Fo an o e who en.io s or collects stained glass, a v.ins.it r I to Alrandyng Mansfiejlg's home in Port Elgin IS like walking Mg , 11%, " . Into wonderland. 1hiN 'w'rz q " a . The couples cozy home located in Shakespeare Estates, E? in}, . just south of town, contains numerous pieces of custom made " ii 1 .trt.r- __ stained glass articles, designed and made by AI with Peg S ll 1 ' ver ca able hel and advice. . . . iii ' {Reg retiring in 1970, AI began working with stained , ' r glass when his wife asked for a lamp. Resigned up for a y course and attended one class before deciding he could learn my " more 0 . own. . . ' - Buying: book and learning by trial and error, an extoitirrg 1 - " but time consuming hobby began to takeshape; . 1%iur7, 'irrll, The Mansfields moved to Port Elgin 1n Aprllil982 and r,r5'r,ti:'i,.:,N,,, '5,',F,it2, retail their stained glass from their.' home-The couple have i, ',W';,f75'1* been summer residents sinde 1954. Originally from Britain, "sir),?.,:','?,,".-':,"))':),), the Mansfields emigrated to United States following World P " iiai'siitlillI . War II and came to Canada in 1951. » e Continued on next page i' 1lllll" 1