Blog by Harlan House RCA
Hi again, Thank you for your interest in the retrospective work we shared with you last week. As promised, here are some new pieces – so new they are still warm! I hope you will enjoy seeing them at our Lonsdale Studio Exhibition this coming weekend. We will be open from 11 to 4 on Saturday November 5 and Sunday …
The Koffler Arts Center in Toronto had a 20 year retrospective of my work in 1990, called 20/20 Hind Sight. It was curated by Gloria Hickey. Works came from many collectors, and some came from our house. For some reason when my part of the show came back, I put it in storage. I did the same thing earlier with …
I love the phrase Juvenile Senior. A friend told me that is what he is, because he hired people to put a new roof on his house, even though he could maybe have done it himself. A few years ago he would have for sure. Now is now. I mention Juvenile Senior, because I just read my own history written …
By the time you see my next Studio Exhibition this fall in Lonsdale, I will be nearly 73. It will be the 42nd time we invited you to Lonsdale. Time flies! I have thought about stopping my work in porcelain, and I might. But then, along comes a 5 year old grandchild, and into the mud we go. Quitting is …
Spring in Lonsdale is simply splendid, just like it is anywhere else. I love the lilacs and the stop sign. Most of the locals drive through without stopping, or do a rolling stop. If you do stop they will know you are from away…but by all means do stop, and do look, and do enjoy, and do come back. I …
Spring is like a beautiful Spanish orange. It looks good, it smells great, and as the layers are exposed, the promise of what is inside makes my mind work overtime. We have seen spring arrive in Lonsdale for 43 years, and each time we pinch ourselves to see if it is real. There always is something new to look at. …
Thank you one and all for your support. The opening earlier this month at David Kaye Gallery was packed. We were able to visit with friends that we have not seen in years and met new friends as well. So, thanks again for taking the time to visit, and to view Table Talk with Maureen and me…we loved seeing all …
This is an invitation to you. I am having an exhibition of porcelain at the David Kaye Gallery in Toronto. The exhibition is called Table Talk. I have always cared about what kind of porcelain people put on their tables, over their tables and on the walls near the table. The show is about what happens to my celadon glaze …
I started to work on bas relief or low relief carving before I knew what it was called. A neighbour in Lethbridge taught me the basics of leather carving when I was in Jr. High School. I earned my way through high school and some of art school making ladies purses and wallets. Sixty years later I am still trying …
A little while ago Maureen and I were parked, getting gas for our car. It was a very cool day, so when a young and extremely beautiful lady got out of her car we had a discussion. Maureen thought the black tights were too tight, and would be too cool. I said they have nothing to do with warmth. She …
I love a magazine called Lucky Peach. It is an honest, mostly insider look at the food industry. In a world of smoke and mirrors, this publication has lots to expose. I read about a food-like product that I had no idea could, would or should exist. It was an expose of something called “Lunchables”. I have been in large …
For some unknown reason, I continue to be a lucky man. On a very hot day this week, this sign was added to the election signs on the roadside right in front of our house. It brought such a breath of fresh air to our village!
Lonsdale is almost perfect. We have mosquitoes, black flies, and the odd deer fly – other than that, it is perfect. This little imperfection is why I built a summer room with windows and screens. I found the table in a tombstone yard, and built the oven a year later in 2004. Maureen and I almost live in this little …
Spring in Lonsdale has been lovely. We had a great group of guests for the Spring Exhibition in May, and my thanks go out to all of you for your support and interest in the new works. It was great to talk with friends, and get caught up after a cold winter. Since then, nature has shown its power. The …
I love it when the stars align. I have some good friends that love good food. They made very good pork sausages with kimchi, which they fermented themselves, and added into the meat mix. Generous people that they are, they shared some with us. Tasty! These friends have most everything they need to survive, including good sausages, so how to …
Hello! We are having our 41st Lonsdale Exhibition of porcelain on May 2nd & 3rd and May 9th & 10th, from 11 to 4pm each day. This year, part of the exhibition is in my new pool hall! As you can see, I don’t have a billiards table yet, but I do have the lights made. They are condo lamps. …
If you live in Ontario, and endured February, you also had to endure a lot of winter complaining. You will not get that from me. Winter for me is a time to get some work done. For the past few weeks, I have been hauling small canvasses over to the house, working up a drawing and then going back to …
In these videos, my technique of sprigging is shown here for the first time. Before watching, let me share what I have learned about sprigging. Chinese potters have used a technique for hundreds of years, but my own European background made me look there for the secrets of sprigging technique. You have to be careful when looking at “factory” ceramics …
I’ve placed two more videos on the site that add to a series of technical videos intended for both students and those interested in learning how I make and decorate bowls. In the video of me trimming a thrown bowl, I mention that if you do not like to trim pots, you should avoid throwing with porcelain. I used to …
Why would someone who has been making pots for nearly 50 years still be making bowls? They are so basic, so simple, and so… well, useful. If you take those three reasons and add that they are truly fun to make, you have my answer. If you were to assume that the first three reasons are easy, you would be …