About Me
Hiyee! I'm Nicole, being creative is a big part of my life, I mean I have been crating with my mom all my life in a variety mediums. Clay is my absolute favourite medium because I can apply all of the techniques I learned over the years in one way or another to pottery.
Everything is handmade by me, right down to the glaze chemistry, I have my own private studio located at my home in Cavan just outside Peterborough, ON.
It's more than just a mug, it's functional art inspired by nature. My favourite thing to do is carving free hand designs of treesscapes, windblown pines, cedar trees, lakes, rolling hills, rocky shorelines and distant mountains. I am also very boho and that can also be seen in my work.
I feel a strong connection to the philosophy wabisabi and ikigai.
Wabisabi is a Japanese philosophy which revers authenticity above all else, appreciating the beauty in the naturally imperfect world.
Ikigai is a Japanese term that roughly translates to “reason for being.” Ikigai (pronounced “eye-ka-guy”) is, above all else, a lifestyle that strives to balance the spiritual with the practical.
This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for.
My work is made even more unique by my use of glaze chemistry, developing my own glazes. Glazes are made using recipes to precisely weight out raw materials. I love layering the glazes to add more depth in my work.
You cannot rush ceramics, if you try something too fast it can crack, it remembers everything the way you handled it, if it bent when it was wet, it will try to reappear after the final glaze firing.
Ceramics is a finicky medium, its high risk that after hours of work has been put into an item it cane be ruined by glaze, cracks or casualties of a faulty kiln firing.
I do not do custom orders, I find them extremely stressful, and I love ceramics because it allows me to escape from my head, and if something fails there's less pressure in knowing that I'm the only one who knows about it, there is no one waiting for that exact piece.
I am a self taught potter/ceramic artist, I created my business out of a need for a career that I could work at my own pace after becoming pregnant my body went haywire, I have invisible illnesses which are unpredictable. Ceramics saved me and taught me a lot, I love it and don't want to feel stressed out by it.
You can find my current work, and see behind the scenes on my instagram account instagram.com/nicolelceramics
Any questions? please see if you can find the answer on my website
5 Things about me;
I am...
- really weird - I don't take compliments well, internal monologue "Play it cool Nicole, don't overdue it, you'll scare people off"
-very curious, I love to know how things are made, which is also why I share so much about my process with everyone. Side note* if I were a cat, I would have used up all of my lives by now
-a sarcastic asshat -you either love me or you don't and that's okay with me, just keep it real
-Empathic - I am extremely sensitive to the energy of those around me, which makes me an outgoing introvert because after being around people I am emotionally drained
-I care entirely too much- This might have something to do with being an empath but I am a crier. I cry when I laugh too hard, when I am frustrated, mad, but don't take these tears as weakness, because I live with chronic widespread pain everyday.
Curious about how I make my pots?
I hand build most of my work using flat slabs of clay, or by using a process called slip casting, which means I do not use the traditional wheel that everyone imagines as soon as I tell them that I am a potter.
So what does that mean? Keep reading...
For example; Each mug is hand formed from flat slabs of clay that I roll out on a giant piece of equipment called a slab roller. then each slab must be compress, measure and cut the clay into the dimensions I need. Clay moves through various stages of drying that have descriptive names like, suede, soft leather, hard leather & bone dry. I have to wait for it to be the right consistency/dryness to start building and, joining the clay together. Too soft and it just deforms and smooshes, making everything more difficult, too hard/dry and the clay cracks. Hand buildng creates seams that I could smooth down making it appear seamless but I love the seams, it accentuates their handmade beauty.
I make my own glazes using raw materials. It is kind of like how a baker follows recipes, except you don't want to liCK these spoons. Glazes are chemical reactions, their preferred appearance looks nothing like its final results. there are a lot of factors to consider and a lot of testing done before getting a glaze just right so it interacts nice with our other glazes, but won't run off the pots and make a mess.
My Inspiration
I grew up with Chemong Lake in my backyard, living outside city limits surrounded by nature running barefoot, climbing trees, I draw strength and inspiration from Mother Nature.
I love worn, gritty, unique objects that have a story or feel a connection to them. My parents cared about the functionality of the furniture and household wares, not if they all matched or were fashionable. It wasn't until more recently in my adult life that I discovered the philosophy behind wabi sabi that perfectly described my 'style'.
The Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, celebrates elements that are weathered, worn or rusted.
Appreciating the beauty in the naturally imperfect world and accepting the natural cycles of growth, decay & death. It revers authenticity above all.
“It was made by my hands, and evidence of this can be found in every piece made”
-Nicole Loraine
Fine Print
-No two objects are ever 100% the same
-I do not edit my images
-Due to the differences in monitor settings, some colours may appear different. The glazes really come alive in natural light
Hand washing is recommended to prolong the life of your handmade creations
********************
-All items are microwave and dishwasher safe (unless they contain gemstones or metal)
********************
For more information on caring for your pots, Click here.
Handbuilt Pottery inspired by Mother Nature
Every piece is handmade and built from rolled out flat slabs of clay, assembled and created in small batches.
Each carved landscape is done free hand by me using a variety of carving tools. My glazes are handcrafted using a recipe of raw materials weighted out to one tenth of a gram and combined with water.
I love objects that appear as if they have history, or story to tell. Embracing the philosophy of wabi sabi, which celebrates elements that are weathered, worn or rusted. Appreciating the beauty in the naturally imperfect world and accepting the natural cycles of growth, decay and death. Wabi sabi reveres authenticity above all.
“It was made by my hands, and evidence of this can be found in every piece made.” -Nicole Loraine
