Click images to enlarge!
Brenda Wolf,
Brenda Wolf Makes
Regina, SK Canada
Website: https://saskcraftcouncil.org/project/brenda-wolf/Email: brenda.wolf.makes@gmail.com
Artist Statement: I strive to create realistic fruits and vegetables in both clay and paper, realizing that perfection in nature is rare.
Studio Description I'm lucky enough to have a single car attached garage that I've converted into my studio. It's heated so that I can use it in winter and I can open the overhead door and let the sunshine in during the summer months.
What type of clay do you use? Dark burning stoneware
What temperature do you fire to? Cone 5/6
What is your primary forming method? Handbuilding/pinching
What is your favorite surface treatment? Underglaze, pan pastels, alcohol ink
Do you make any of your own tools? Not really, although I will often grab a wooden skewer or an old credit card in a pinch as needed, when I can't find the rib I need or a pin tool.
What one word would you use to describe your work? Lifelike
What is your favorite thing about your studio? My workbench
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without? My rubber ribs
What are your top three studio wishes? A hand held extruder, Slab roller and larger kiln
What’s on your current reading list? Audio books-Harry Potter series
How do you save money on materials and supplies? Try to recycle clay when possible.
How do you recharge creatively? I feel recharged when my studio is cleaned up!
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency? Spending even just a few hours a day in my studio keeps me inspired and keeps my stock up without the stress of worrying about having enough.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome? The biggest challenge for me has been to approach galleries with my work.
What did you first piece look like? My first pieces were quite simple, made entirely of clay. While I did lay various underglazes as I do now, the process was less detailed.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why? To be able to snap my fingers and clean up after myself and to have all the paperwork that's involved in a small business look after itself!
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why? That's a tough one, there are so many talented potters that I admire.
What is your studio playlist? I'm a fan of musicals
Why do you create art? I honestly can't remember when I wasn't creating something. I can't seem to keep my hands still and go a little stir crazy without something to do.
What is your best studio tip? Never give up. It's taken me several years and a lot of trial and error to get where I'm at. I finally figured out where I want to be.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be? I love the clay in the greenware stage. I wish it would stay that way!
