Christy Richardson has been a hobby potter for about 40 years and, for the first time, has her work featured in this year’s Art Walk.
A retired teacher, Richardson taught at Columneetza and the former Anne Steveson high schools.
She does both hand-building and wheel-work creations.
“Some of it is functional and some of it is sculptural,” she says. “I really like working with texture and pattern on surfaces.”
Working the wheel is almost therapeutic, she says.
“It’s relaxing but at the same time highly focused.”
Richardson, who studied art education at UBC, works in stone-wear clay, a mid-range firing variety.
When describing her work, she says she doesn’t stick to a particular theme; rather, she goes in all different directions.
“I don’t have a particular form I necessarily am known for,” she says. “I keep trying different things and I find that satisfying.”
Richardson, who has a husband and three children, has lived ind the Cariboo for 34 years, moving to the area from the Lower Mainland. She and her husband now live out at Rose lake.
“It’s a wonderful place to live,” she says, adding that she has always had a home studio and has also taught pottery classes in the past and through the local potters guild.
She says she gets a lot of pleasure from creating clay works.
“I like making things for my family and participating in guild sales when I can. I had work in the Station House in the past but i don’t have anything in there now.”
Richardson is quick to note her appreciation of the Art Walk and says it’s “turning out to be a whole lot of fun.”
It’s really neat to see the diversity of creative work in our community, and also the huge support from so many businesses,” she says, adding that on the first day of the Art Walk, she got a passport and went around the city, stopping in at various participating merchants to see all of the other work being presented.
“Working with clay is a lot of fun and would encourage anybody who is interested to come out to our potters guild meetings,” she says, adding the guild meets at the Community Arts Centre at the old fire hall and suggests people to contact Leah Selk for more info on the meetings.
