Ann Semple: Clay Biography

Ann’s introduction to clay came while studying at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, when a friend suggested they take a pottery course in the evenings to try to balance the study of sciences. That was the first creative thing Ann had tried since ‘art’ in grade six. Ann loved the feel of clay and was hooked.

Kingston potter’s guild turned out to be a welcoming organization not that far from the university, and was flexible, allowing members to come in any time to work. Ann joined and went there whenever (night and day) possible until her graduation.

Marriage and children, jobs and moves, followed in quick succession and pottery was shelved until many years later when an energetic teacher planned a pottery unit for her classes and sent out a request for help. The unit lasted a month and reconnected Ann with clay. That was all that was needed and soon the basement of Ann’s family home was THE place to find her once the family’s needs were taken care of. Initially hand building, was all she did, but when this same teacher (Jean Hills of London, Ontario) loaned and then gave Ann a wheel, she was soon trying to teach herself throwing from books. Then a battered kiln made its way to the basement and Ann and her books began to fight the glaze dragon.

As a resource for information books are excellent, but once she discovered a pottery course at a community college in London, Ontario, where she then lived, she found, to her amazement that progress was faster with a live instructor. Slowly she began to acquire the techniques and information she needed to know.

In August of 2001, Ann moved to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where she found that her new home was right next door to the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (MISSA)! She converted her garage into a studio, joined the South Vancouver Island Potters Guild (SVIPG), the Western Communities Arts Council, the Island Artisans Association and the Potters Guild of British Columbia as well as the Potters Council of the American Ceramics Society.

Since moving to B.C. she has attended the following workshops (most of them at MISSA):

1. Clay Symposium in Burnaby - one day - 2002
2. Malcolm Davis demonstration at MISSA-2 day -2002
3. Steven Hill workshop in Delta - 2 day demonstration - 4 day hands on - 2002
4. Robin Hopper Glaze & Colour workshop at MISSA – 10 day - 2002
5. Margaret Barlow glaze calculation course online - 2003
6. NCECA (National Council on education for the ceramic arts) in San Diego - 3 days - 2003
7. Ron Meyers demonstration at MISSA - 2 day - 2003
8. Les Manning workshop at MISSA - 10 day - 2003
9. Steven Hill Workshop at MISSA - 10 day - 2003
10. Glenys Inman-Marshall workshop SVIPG - 1 day – 2003
11. Tom Coleman workshop MISSA - 10 day – 2004
12. Laurie Rolland workshop –SVIPG - 2 day- 2004

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