Ae” fps So ae

 

By HEATHER LARSEN
For the pottery lover, an

 

“' exciting show of Fred Owen's
_ work is currently on display at

Semiahmoo Gallery, 15677

‘ ‘Marine Drive. His show in-

cludes a variety of shapes and
sizes, from mugs and tiny
dishes to square tea pots and
vases, large and small,to huge
bowls which would hold any-
thing and everything, or just
sit empty letting the beauty of
the product and the artistry of
the master show through.
| Even the glazes are differ-
ent. Some allow the natural
baked color of the clay to come
through, while others have
Streaks of blue appearing, and
still others have a white
“cracked” finish, which at
once gives the impression of
, the product being very old,
and, at the same time, shows
the beauty of the lines of the
object.

| Strangely enough, Prof.
Owen, as he’s called at Doug-

‘ I4s College's Surrey campus,
where he is art instructor,
never took any ceramics train-
ing during all the years when
he was taking his Fine Arts
and Crafts major. At that time
he specialized in major crafts,
which included weaving, and
even qualified as a jeweller.
He used to paint before he
went to art school, and promi-
ses himself that one day he'll
paint again. When he does,
he’s sure to be excellent at it.
He has several line drawings
in his show which display a
flair for that line of art.

But right now his love is
clay! And as he says, he’s
“become intimate with clay."’
His students are learning to
mould the substance into art
forms too. He teaches -one
design class at Douglas Col-
lege, but principally he teach-
es pottery during the day, and
also three evening classes
during the weck.

He likes to use a special clay
which comes from the Cypress

Seat) voor

- Variety of shapes, —
sizes, at pottery show: a

Hills on the Alberja-Saskat-
chewan border. It is the only
area left on the North Ameri-
can continent which was not
covered by the last ice age,
and it has unusual qualities of
maneuverability which  en-
able it to ‘‘perform like an
acrobat’.

As far as glazes go, on his
phttery he generally prefers
ttinsparent ones, allowihg the
fidtural color of the clay to
slow through. He feels that
“covering clay “8 Victorian’’,
and that its natural beauty
should be shown. ~ But that
doesn't stop him from using a
wide variety of glazes if he
feels they will suit his work of
‘the moment.

In his work he has the full
cooperation and backing of his
wife, Joan, who is a talented
artist in her own right, and has
a Fine Arts diploma from the
University of Alberta. She also
teaches at Douglas. College's
Richmond campus. 3

The Owens live on Molwntaln
View Crescent in Surtey,
where Fred ts fitesently set-
ting up his studio. They both
like it there because there are
“lots of trees, and being on a
cul-de-sac there is little traf-
fic.”*

The couple have two daugh-
ters, Lesley, 10 and Glenna, 8,
who both show innovative-
ness. Lesley likes writing
books and drawing, while
Glenna does a mixture of
everything from painting to
setting up a ‘‘library’ or a
play “hospital”, fully equip-
pid with plastic bags filled
with Ketchup or watet, for
blood or intraventus feedings,
and even makes up sick charts.

‘We don’t pressure them to
become artists,"’ says Fred,
“we let them be themselves.”
But he obviously is delighted
with the artistic tendencies his
girls possess.

Fred, who sports a prodi-
gious beard — ‘every time |
shaved | took off a layer of

4- esa iss en

skin” — has an iigeetaieil
record. He is on the executive
of the local Arts Council in
Surrey, and holds two or three
major exhibitions every year.
His work has been exhibited th
the Burnaby Art Gallery, fh
Edmonton, at the University of
Calgary, the Alberta College
of Arts, the Regina Publie
— the Sault Ste. Marie

University of Fine Art, the’

Gallery of the University of
Alberta, and many other plac:

work has also been on exhibl:
tion with the World Craft
Exhibition in Peru and Ti urkey.

. Last June he had a majot

demonstration at the World
Craft Conference in Toronto,
and he will be demonstrating
pottery techniques at the Spo:
kane World’s Fair with nine

other Surrey artists, who are —

being sponsored by the Surrey

Art Society and the provincial
overnment from Oct. 20 t
7,

If you're planning on visit- .

Ing the fair Around that time,
you might wéat to drop in and
see Fred Owen, or you might
prefer to take a shorter journey
and see his show on display

this week only, at the Semiah« %

moo Gallery.

oe ‘ sen x

ctes

'

   
 

- es across the country. His ”

ee ee ee ce

~~