Scott Beardsley

Scott, a self-taught potter, started making pots in 1972, after pursuing a number of other artistic endeavours. None of them really seemed a good fit until pottery came along, or rather, appeared.

I had an art history teacher in college who seemed to know I was just drifting with no clear goals, I was twenty at the time. He had an incredible library of art books. For some reason he kept loaning me books on pottery, Greek, Asian etc. then ask for critiques of the books he had loaned me. I had no idea why he was doing this.

Right around this time, my grandmother died and left me a thousand dollars, which was big money to me.

On a drive through Langley, BC I saw a shop called BC Pottery. There were some handmade pots in the window, so with my newly acquired wealth decided to buy a pot. When I walked inside, the place was a pottery supply shop, not a pottery store. An hour later I struggled out with a hundred and seventy pound kick wheel, a small book called How To Throw on the Wheel and a box of clay. I never looked back. I also never went back to school. That was forty-seven years ago.

Scott's pieces reflect his surroundings on Denman Island. He lives in a forest and walks his land to find all the leaves that adorn his work. I'd say originally my biggest influences were Asian pots, Japan, Korea, China, etc. From all these years living on the west coast, that landscape has surely influenced what I make.

I'm always surprised at how versatile the clay medium is and how even after all these years it can still give me so much joy while also keeping me humble.