Artist Details
Gale LaPorte
Errington, B.C. Canada
Raku sculptor and artist Gale LaPorte of Errington, BC has been playing with clay for over 25 years, always hand-sculpting each piece. From an initial course in pottery, Gale discovered she loved hand-sculpting. "I enjoy the feel and the forgiveness of clay when sculpting with my hands," says Gale.
Gale sculpted dolls of various characters before discovering her love and appreciation of nature when she moved to Vancouver Island. Many hours exploring the shoreline and water in a little dory always turned up something fascinating, so Gale began creating indivdual pieces inspired by what she witnessed.
The sculptures are given time to air dry and then put into the kiln. Through trial and error Gale has discovered which raku glazes work for her. After the glazing process, the pieces are fired in an outdoor kiln on a bed of sawdust and shredded paper. Ashes are brushed away and each piece is sprayed with cold water. The end result of glaze colour and metallic sheen is totally dependent on the raku process. Each piece is then cleaned and prepared for sale.
