Saint John’s ‘Rebel Potter’ Coming to a Market Near you This Summer
SAINT JOHN- Leanne MacDonald, also known as the “Rebel Potter,” is taking her pottery on the market circuit this summer, with pop ups off and on throughout the market season.
Originally from New Brunswick, MacDonald’s journey into pottery making began when she was attending school in Saint Andrews, in 2006.
“It’s funny how I stumbled upon pottery. I was living in a complex with musicians and artists, and one of the guy’s fathers was Tom Smith, who was a big raku potter. So, I met him, and found out there was a studio downstairs at the Sunbury Shores art gallery.”
MacDonald started taking pottery classes at the studio, but typically avoided using a pottery wheel. She focused on creating pieces by using an ancient technique called hand building, which involves creating forms using only the hands, fingers, or simple tools.
“I would make little things on the wheel, but because I wasn’t classically trained at NBCD I made a lot of slab buildings, big platters, plates, and things like that. I wasn’t much of a mug maker, I would make mugs, but they were all hand built so they would take me forever.”
She then took a break from pottery and had her son before re-connecting with potter, Darren Emenau, whom she has known since childhood and considers one of her biggest influences. Emenau also practices hand building and MacDonald took classes from him to strengthen her skills.
“He was like ‘really you hand build?’ Because it’s not often that people hand build anymore. Most people veer towards the wheel.”
MacDonald’s emergence in the art community led her to learn about the Saint John Art Centre where she has worked out of for the past six years.
“We have a community studio and there’s about 5 potters, we all share a kiln.”
As a nature lover MacDonald’s work is heavily inspired by the environment. She believes it was initially what drew her to the craft.
“I always say it’s the elements because you’re working with wind, water, fire, and earth, which is the coolest thing to me. The community, the earth, I mean I fell into it on my own, I was drawn to pottery and knew I needed to make it. I find the East Coast earthy because we’re around the beach, it’s the salt and ocean air here, so a lot of my pieces are high tide mugs, I am very influenced by the sea.”
Earth and fire are a large component in a new technique she is currently learning under friend and potter, Tim Isaac.
“We do raku, and it’s a high firing process opposed to the kiln. We go up to Alma and we pit fire high-fire glazes.”
MacDonald tends to break the conventional rules with her pottery, which is how she received the nickname, “the rebel potter” by a fellow artist.
“I keep things organic, and very natural. I make pieces wobbly and wonky- the more organic the better.”
Her pottery has been sold at various galleries in uptown Saint John, including most recently The Art Warehouse. Although she currently works for an airline company, she is dedicated to her craft and plans to pursue pottery making full-time once she retires.
“There’s something about pottery- people hold on to those pieces, it’s special and so satisfying.”
Cortney Ellis is a Huddle contributor covering Moncton. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected]