Artist’s Bio

Jenny Ross was born in Staffordshire, “The Potteries” area in England and moved to Canada in 1975.

Her ceramic education began at Kwantlen College in 1993 and since then she has taken part in several workshops in British Columbia, Mexico, and Europe.

She loves to be outdoors and takes her potters’ wheel outside in the summer.  Even though she lives in the city, there are huge Douglas fir and cedar trees in the garden and her love for trees extends to the effects of the wood in the firing of the pots.

After taking part in her first wood firing in the Ombu Kiln at the Shadbolt Centre in Burnaby two years ago, she had become enthralled by the effect that the falling ash has on the pots during the two day firing.  The variety of surface marks and textures that occur during the forming of the pot are enhanced by the directional flow of ash in the kiln, giving each vessel a radiance and life that is completely unique.

The pears begin as pinch pots of stoneware clay, which are joined and altered during the formation, making each one unique.  They are fired in a two-chamber wood-burning kiln for at least 48 hours.  The ash falling on the pots creates a variety of surfaces.  The pears in the second chamber also have soda ash sprayed onto them during the firing, giving an “orange peel” effect.