Barbara Minish

I started making pots more than 30 years ago at Winnipeg’s Stoneware Gallery/Studio. Following a move to Ottawa in 1987, pottery moved to the back burner as I dealt with the demands of raising 2 children and my career with Environment and Climate Change Canada. This hiatus from pottery happily ended when Loam Clay Studio opened up in my neighbourhood – just the nudge I needed to get me back at the wheel. I am currently an instructor at Loam and a member of Gladstone Clayworks, where I create my pieces.

The wheel thrown pots I create echo the timeless forms created by early potters millenniums ago. The sensuous curves and classic refined lines of ancient Minoan pots are irresistible to me and link to my Greek ancestry. My primary focus is on form and surface texture. My approach to glazing is minimalist – using glaze and colour to enhance the form and surface of the piece. The curves, balanced shapes, and textures invite people to take them off the shelf and connect with the clay and my process.