Mosaic and glass hobbyist Lisa Thompson found pottery in the pandemic
Explaining the pottery process, Lisa said she first has to get her clay, which she often sources from Saxacalli; sometimes friends take care of bringing her the clay. She then soaks the clay in buckets of water for days, during which time she will try diluting it by mashing it with her hands to create a puree before foreign particles are removed. The clay is then left to dry for a bit, after which she kneads in what is called grog, which is ground clay brick. The grog gives the clay the right consistency to prevent it from exploding in the kiln. Lisa then uses her potter’s wheel to mould the clay into the shape of pottery she wants.
This part of the process, the artist enthused, is the most relaxing and therapeutic. It is her favourite part. She lets the piece dry before she fires it for the first time, where it becomes terracotta (baked earth) resulting in it’s natural brownish-orange colour. The pottery goes through a second firing and can be glazed or not. Lisa prefers to glaze her pottery as she loves vibrant colours.
Firing the pottery when it is glazed is the most anxious and exhilarating part of the process for the artist who explained that this reveals the result of her colours. The firing process takes four hours to complete, then she has to wait several more hours for the pottery to cool before she can see what it looks like. Chuckling, she noted it has taught her great patience.
Her pottery pieces take an average of three weeks to complete.
Prior to her interest in pottery, the artist shared about seeing a young woman creating art with stained glass many years ago which piqued her interest. She inquired about it and on returning to Guyana, ensured she was equipped with glass cutters. Lisa then wasted no time, going to Royal Woodworking General Store where she collected pieces of mirror and broken glass on which she practiced her cutting technique.
That was about 15 years ago, and during that time she took up mosaic art, then some years later, began making mosaic table tops. She sourced the furniture from Liana Cane Furniture Factory.
The self-taught artist also dabbled a bit in batik and tie-dyeing.
Lisa shared that she is most comfortable making new pottery when she feels inspired, instead of filling orders. While she makes custom pieces, she does not take many orders.
Many of Lisa’s pottery pieces incorporate pieces of glass, which creates a beautiful effect when the light bounces off them.
Since taking up pottery, the artist has exhibited and
sold her pieces at a farmer’s market last December, then recently at the exhibition at Iwokrama’s Parking Lot. She said patrons always tell her they love the vibrant colours of her pieces. “And, that’s what I love about it. I love colour and vibrancy. So, it’s really awesome when you make something that you think is wonderful and then a total stranger also thinks it’s wonderful. It’s a really good feeling,” enthused Lisa.
One of her most recent designs was imprinted with mango leaves from her yard. This beautiful piece is a matching set of four.
Lisa’s work can be found on Facebook at Scarlet Ibis Pottery.
Collectors and people looking for unique gifts can choose from a variety of paintings, sculptures, hand-painted Christmas cards, tibisiri and leather craft, pottery and jewelry made by local artisans today and tomorrow at Christmas pop-up shops.
The first event is today at Altitude Bar in Kitty from 10 am - 3 pm and the second at Parc Rayne, Rahaman’s Park tomorrow from 9 am - 1 pm.
Jeweler Nadia Jabour, who has been in the art industry for more than 25 years, and is the coordinator of this weekend’s Christmas exhibition and sale said she was elated to be able to pull it off. She revealed that it was only in the middle of this week that she decided on the event and was excited to see other artists book their spots as soon as they learnt of it. So far, 13 artists have booked places for Saturday’s event while Sunday is expected to feature at least 17 artists.
Nadia said that the different venues will make it easier for interested persons living closer to those areas.
Besides art, the upmarket events will also display and sell other locally made products such as pepper sauce, achar, cassareep, ginger, and also chocolate and pepper flakes by Andrew Campbell, as well as a variety of locally made face and body products and soaps.
“I was asked by a few expats earlier this week to put on something just for local artisans because they can’t find the local artisans in one place. You know, sometimes you want local stuff and you go into a store and they are mixed with other imported stuff. Sometimes the issue is that nobody can reach them [artists] because some of them are not on social media and even the ones who are on social media may not be pushing their stuff as they should,” she said.
The jeweler noted that Guyana has numerous talented people, but the majority of their work is still unknown to the public. She pointed out that not every artisan can open their own shop front. As such, she believes there should be a body of persons that takes on marketing the work of artists. Many artists, Nadia said, are not as informed in the marketing perspective and need the help they can get through such avenues.
The artist who also lives in St Lucia has a shop called Island Mix where she sells local and Caribbean made pieces.
Meanwhile, Nadia is already making plans for similar pop-up shops for December 11, 12, and 13, and December 17, 18, and 19 at Taco Loco in Campbellville, Georgetown. These events will be in the evenings and begin at 4 pm on the respective days.
Artists wishing to book spots at the upcoming pop-up shops can reach Nadia at 670-5625.