Station exhibit features pottery, quilts

Erica Preston-French stands in front of some of the pottery and quilts that are part of her exhibit at the Station Arts Centre. The exhibit runs until Nov. 28. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Erica Preston-French’s exhibit at the Station Arts Centre is a combination of stunning pottery and intricate quilts.

Called Ardent Array, the exhibit opened on Oct. 31 and runs until Nov. 28. Preston-French lives near Ingersoll currently, but did live near Springford and was a Station Arts Centre member at the time.

The story of how she came to pottery started when she was young.

“I’ve been sewing since I was nine,” she said. “I went to Sheridan College for the craft and design program. I originally went for textiles, but ended up taking glass blowing. Glass was expensive and could be elitist. Ceramics was more accessible to everyone and was more welcoming.”

The theme to the ceramics is the natural world, and in particular mushrooms.

“The show is about where ideas start and how we move forward and transform them into objects or paintings,” Preston-Foster said.

Many of the songs are in connection to a song she was listening to while crafting the pieces. For instance, the piece Imagined Amanita was completed while listening to the song Psilocybae by Childish Gambino. It features a blue amanita, which does not exist.

“I like the idea of this imagined blue amanita and followed the thought process forward in these other pieces,” she said.

Most of the ceramics are functional, either being vases or tea pots. One, though, is a hanging piece that is decorative, that was imagined while listening to a Doechii song.

“I just had the idea and made it work,” the artist said.

Preston-French started quilting because of practicality, but continued because of passion. She was making her own clothes and her children’s clothes.

“There was a lot of scrap left over and I hate throwing things out,” she said. “Quilting was a way to use ever last bit of fabric in my house. Then I fell in love with it.”

Now she buys additional material for quilting. The quilts on display were made as wall hangings, but could go on a couch or bed.

“I wanted to include the quilts because I had so many ceramics, I wanted something on the wall to bring everything together,” she said.