Art and Ceramics Education
My medium is High Fire Clay-Porcelain and Stoneware. I fire my work to 2370 degrees F in my gas kiln in my studio in High River, Alberta. I have a wonderful studio with two gas kilns, two electric kilns in a bay in the light industrial district of High River to do my work. Together with my partner Bob Pike who does metal, we have 3 bays and one is a gallery.
My key theme functional work…I make complete dinnerware-teapots, dinner plates, casseroles, mugs, jugs and more. My love is to experiment. have done over 1000 glaze tests. In the last few years, I have been experimenting with carving lino and using it for texture on my clay surface. I make many one-of-a-kind pieces.
I have taken many Series workshops, over the years, it is my favourite holiday. I’ve attended the Banff School of the Arts, and the Australian National University in Canberra, studied design under Stan Perrot and attended a second year drawing course at ACAD. I mostly study clay but I also draw and do water-colours.
I’ve attended international ceramic conferences and have been a member of the Alberta Potters Association and the Alberta Crafts Council since 1971.
Since Bob and I began in 1971, we have used over 300,000 pounds of clay. That’s a lot of coffee mugs.
I live in a small town south of Calgary called High River-a great community that supports our business. We are involved in the community, helping celebrate Alberta Culture Days and doing collaborative events with another gallery in town.
I make logo mugs for schools and businesses and teach workshops for business retreats, groups of friends, bookclubs, and families.
I do supply the Alberta Crafts Council in Edmonton, the Leighton Centre near Calgary, Lineham House in Okotoks with pottery for sale.
In the past we have had a booth at Millarville Farmers Market for 10 years and have done lots of other craft shows.
Now most of our work is sold through our gallery in High River.
Connie Pike Resume and Artist Statement
1303-10th Ave SE High River, Alberta 403-652-5255
Formal Art and Ceramics Education
2018 -NCECA Conference, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
2017-NCECA Conference Portland, Oregon
2016-NCECA Conference, Kansas City, Missouri
2011-NCECA Conference, Tampa, Florida
2009- NCECA Conference, Arizona
2007 – NCECA Conference, Portland, Oregon
2003-2008- Australian National University Diploma Course in Ceramics
1978-2010 – Bob Pike-mentor, friend and partner.
1986-89 – Studied Art and Design privately with Stan Perrott (retired head of ACAD, Calgary, Alberta)
1976 & 1977 – Banff School of Fine Arts
Many short courses in design, drawing, water color, history and clay at Alberta College of Art, University of Calgary and Red Deer College Series in Red Deer.
1965 – Acrylic Painting course at the University of Alberta-extension.
1971-75 – Several weekend and week long courses with Pierre Guy with Alberta Culture and a Raku weekend course with Mary Borgstrom
1976 – One month course in ceramics from Carlton Ball (United States) at the Banff School of Fine Arts
1977 – Received an Alberta Government Scholarship and studied in Banff for 6 weeks with Les Manning, Liz Mould and Will Gordon.
1975-97 – Attended the International Ceramic Seminar held in Calgary and Fire Works in Edmonton.
1977-82 – Took short courses from John Porter, David Green, Santos Mignosa, Robin Hopper, Tom and Ginny Marsh, Mick Casson, the Bensleys. Ten week course on teapots from Jack Forbes -University of Alberta. Drawing and Design Course from the University of Alberta.
Design course by correspondence from the Lethbridge University.
1984 – Ten week China Painting course in Calgary
1986 – One week course with Irish Flynn at Red Deer College
1986-89 – Studied art and design privately with Stan Perrot (retired head of A.C.A.D.,Calgary)
1987 – One week course with Janice Tchlenko (England) in Banff. One week course with Tom Coleman (United States) in Banff . One week course with Noburo Kubo -Japanese Brush work on rice paper
1988 – March-attended international ceramics conference (NECEA)-Portland,Oregon. June- watercolor weekend Japanese Brush work course-Noburo Kubo in Bragg Creek. July-one week course with LarryCromwell in Red Deer. July-two week plaster mold course with Poul Jensen (Norway) in Red Deer
1989 – Two day course on Chinese watercolor with Thep Thavansuk. Jan to April – 2nd year drawing course at the Alberta College of Art, Calgary. July- one week anatomy drawing course with Bev Tosh in Red Deer. July one week drawing on clay with Frank Boyden(United States) in Red Deer. March- three day drawing course with Dirk Van Wyck ,University of Calgary. Feb-Low fire tile painting course (instructor from Idaho, U.S.) Calgary.
1990 – Two week watercolor course with Fleming Jorgensen, Metchosin, B.C.
1991- July- One week watercolor with Greg Swainson, Sherwood Park. Watercolor course with Greg Swanson, Sherwood Park-Sept to Nov 91 . Sept- Acrylic Painting Seminar at Burlingtons Art Supplies, Edmonton. History of Art-Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh from Bente Rode, UofA, Edmonton.
1992 – Six week Landscape Watercolor course from Jerry Heine, University of Alberta, Edmonton. History of Art-Group of Seven-Bente Rode, University of Alberta, Edmonton. History of Art-Art Isms-Bente Rode, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
1993 – Six week course-Flowers in Watercolor – Barbara Hartman, U of A, Edmonton.
1996- Weekend watercolor course with Frank Haddock.
10 week figure drawing course-Bev Tosh-University of Calgary.
1997-One week watercolor course with Brian Ateyo from Ontario.
1998-5 day watercolor course with Joanna Moore,St Albert, Alberta-in Red Deer
2001-Red Deer course with John Gibson, Denmark, on Decorating pottery.
2002-Alberta College of Art and Design-3 days with Greg Daly-glazing
2002-Red Deer course with Robert Sinclair-Watercolor. Three day course with Ron Roy on Formulating Glazes
2003-Alberta College Art and Design-3 days with Steven Hill
July 2003-Red Deer course with Meira Matheson, Altering Clay Wheel Work.
May-June 2003-Several Book Binding Courses with Arlene Westen-Evans
December 2003,Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-Dorothy Fiebleman-Laminated Clay and Mathias Osterman- Maiolica
June2004-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Paul Scott-Printing on Clay and Greg Daly-Throwing Vase Forms
Dec 2004-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Janet Deboo-Throwing and combining forms and
Trudy Golley-Plaster and Building with Clay Relief Tiles
June 2005-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Joanne Searle -Throwing and Combining Forms and Surface Decoration and
Gail Nicols-Glaze Chemistry
July 2005-Color and Line with Rimas VisGarda, Red Deer College
December 2005-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Kaye Pemberton – Wheel Thrown Domestic Ware and
Tony Franks-Identity through Materials and Processes
May 2006-Celtic Drawing with Cari Buziak
June 2006-Image Transfer Techniques on Paper with Arlene Westen-Evans
June 2006- Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
IAN JONES-Making Large Work Using Modules: Two Approaches and KENT SWANSON-Throwing and Altering Bowls and Open Forms
Dec 2006-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
ARCHIE MCCALL- Glasgow School of Art, Scotland -Making with Purpose.JOAN BRUNEAU-Nova Scotia, Canada -Wheel Thrown and Assembled Domestic Ware
Jan 2007 Alan Briks-Personal Mythmaking
October 2007 Mixed Media Painting Techniques-Jeanne Krabbendam
June 2007-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Anita McIntyre-Coloured Clay
Janet Deboo-A Rose is a Rose is a Rose
Dec 2007-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics-
Gail Nicols-Glaze Clay Kilns 2
Jereon Bechtold-Slipcasting Techniques
April 2008-Paper Mache Workshop with Pat Strakowski
June 2008-Long Distance Australian Diploma Course in Ceramics
Suzanne Wolfe-Image and Text on Clay
Greg Daley-Throwing Large Forms and Glaze Applicatiion
Studios
1974-1976-Worked in my basement in Vermilion with an electric kiln on medium fired clay
1977 – Edmonton-Had a studio with a gas kiln and did custom firing and production pottery and taught pottery.
1978-81-Had a pottery studio with Bob Pike in Lavoy-several employees
1981-87 – Bragg Creek Studio with Bob Pike doing production functional pottery , we had six employees and an agent in B.C.
1988-89 – Worked on Decorated plates along with production pottery.
1988-93 – Sherwood Park studio with Bob Pike with several employees.
1993 – Making production stoneware and starting on a line of decorated tiles.
1994-August-2004-Studio with Bob Pike in High River, Alberta doing several lines of production functional ware,
decorated plates and extruded pieces and one of a kind pieces in high fired porcelain , fired in a reduction kiln.
2005-2007- Share the building and gallery with Bob Pike, except now he works in metal, we have always had separate studios and have done our own work.
Teaching Experience
Pottery courses in Peace River, Alberta.
Pottery courses at Lakeland College in Vermilion for 2 years.
Evening and afternoon courses at the YWCA, Edmonton for one year.
Pottery weekend workshops for Alberta Culture in small towns in Alberta.
Weekend workshops in Whitehorse, Yukon, Ceramics Canada, Calgary and Yellowknife, N.W.T.
One week throwing course for Series in Vermilion
Sept 1997-10 week pottery course at our studio in High River through further education.
April 2002-Lethbridge Potters Guild
Alberta College of Art Students-credit course for working in our studio -2 students-Tyler Rock and apprentices in Studio. Always willing to share and learn.
2008-Presentation of Selection of Artists from Western Canada to Australian National University Distance Students
2008 Workshops coming up in Yellowknife, Ft McMurray and Hinton.
We constantly give tours and demonstrations at our studio and welcome beginning potters too for visits.
Collections
Stan Perrott and many private collectors.
Alberta Art Foundation purchased a large plate from
Glenbow Show 1997
In personal collections around the world.
Exhibitions
Group exhibition of functional potters of Alberta-Muttart Gallery-1982.
Several group exhibition with the Bragg Creek Artisans.
Group exhibition as a member of the Alberta Potters Assn at the 1987 Alberta Crafts Council Annual General Meeting in Canmore.
As a Bragg Creek Artisan had a porcelain piece in a show for the Olympics at Gulf Canada Square in Calgary.
Muttart Gallery, Calgary-Associations show in November, 1987
Bragg Creek Community Center-Celebration a winter 1988 Olympic show.
Ceramics Seminar in Calgary-One person show of decorated plates The Roasterie, Calgary, 1988.
The Alicat, Bragg Creek-group show-Decorative Plates-August, 1988.
Alberta Potters Association show 1993-Alberta Crafts Gallery Presents, Manulife, Edmonton
Alberta Potters Association 25th Anniversary show 1996- at the Glenbow, Calgary in September and travelling.
Leighton Centre, near Calgary, All About Tea curated by Evelyn Grant , June 2004
Alberta College of Art and Design-2004-Bookbinding Exhibition curated by Arlene Westen
High River Arts Society-May 2005, won first prize $200
October, 2005 Alberta Crafts Show at Art Central, Calgary
October 2005 Alberta Crafts Gallery, Edmonton
November 2005, Servants Anonymous Show in Calgary at Art Space
May 2006, High River Arts Society Show
June-July 2006, Common Ground-group show of ANU students at Harris-Warke Gallery in Red Deer, Alberta
June 2006, High River Arts Society Show , High River Library
October 2006, Servants Anonymous Show in Calgary at Art Space
April 2007, Brew Ha Ha Show, Alberta Crafts Council, a Teapot, Edmonton
2007. Cups, Distill Gallery, District, Toronto
2007, In the Home, Alberta Crafts Council, Edmonton
2007, Teapots, Arts on Atlantic, Calgary
2008-The Cone Box Show: Alberta Potters Association 40th Anniversary-traveling for two years. A small tile book, it had to fit into a cone box.
Memberships
Alberta Potter’s Association since 1974
President- 1988- Bragg Creek Artisans
High River East Side Artists
Arts and Culture of the Highwood-Executive
Alberta Crafts Council
Millarville Farmers Market Vendor
Marketing
Calgary Farmers Market Vendor
Millarville Farmers Market Vendor
Galleria in Calgary
Alberta Crafts Council in Edmonton
Art & Soul in High River
Pike Studios in High River
Scholarships
1977 – Received an Alberta Government Scholarship and studied in Banff for 6 weeks with Les Manning, Liz Mould and Will Gordon.
2005 Alberta Potters Association Scholarship
2006-Alberta Foundation for the Arts-Projects Visual Arts Grant for funding (1/2 a semester) for Australian National University Long Distance Diploma Course
Nominations
2005 for the Alberta Craft Council for the Award of Excellence
2005 for the Inaugural Linda Stanier and Family Memorial Award
Nominated by Bill Morton
2008 for the Inaugural Liinda Stanier and Family Memorial Award
Nominated by Henry Schlosser
Publications
Treasures of Alberta
Extruder Book by Daryl E. Baird
500 Tiles, Lark Books
The PSH The Pottery Supply House 50 Years/Ans Calendar
It has always been the mandate of Pike Studios to educate our community about the value of creativity in our culture. I strive towards this mission through workshops, 3-4 open houses a year, and numerous studio tours for children and adults, and I have acted as a cooperative teacher and mentor for students who pursue their interest and skill development with pottery. By showing my new work, providing open houses, and displaying it on my website, I capitalize on the opportunity to talk about the value of art and creativity in our culture.