Brian and I have instituted a new window changing schedule. The window is changed every Monday and Wednesday and Friday. Our windows really are our best advertisement and it is amazing how frequent changes are noticed. We are often having people pop in just to tell us how much they enjoy checking out our windows. Yesterday, being Monday, Brian put in two of our "Upstarts". In 2010 we had an exhibition titled "Upstarts". The exhibition featured many of Canada's finest ceramic artists born before 1940. The show was a huge success. These are the artists who really have made a difference in how we look at clay today.

Mayta Markson RCA of Toronto, Ontario. was one of the first ceramic artists to get the designation RCA (Royal Canadian Academy) in 1976 along with Luke Lindoe (1913-2000) and Ruth Gowdy McKinley (1931-1981). Mayta does two bodies of work: functional and sculptural. At the exhibition in 2010 I acquired a wonderfully decorated large platter enhanced by incredible brushwork. I had to track Mayta down and getting her to participate in Upstarts was, for me, a real coup. Currently we have some terrific pieces by her including one of her great teapots. Mayta was part of the Five Potters, a group that included Bailey Leslie (1904-1998), Dorothy Misanik, Marion Lewis and Annette Zakuta. They were active in Toronto in the sixties and seventies and had a studio on Davenport.

Mayta Markson RCA Teapot $175
Note the matte swirl brushwork

In the other window Brian has put two superb pieces by Ron Roy,. Ron is a glaze master and the two celadon pieces, a vase and a platter, are beautiful. Ron is the man many potters turn to when they are looking to perfect a glaze or are having trouble with an existing glaze. A man of few words but a great sense of humour we are very fortunate to have examples of his work on hand. Ron's current production is very small. I am grateful for each piece that I currently have on hand.

Ron Roy Celadon vase