Meet our members

Laura Gosnell is a Vancouver Island-based potter whose work reflects the profound connection she has to both the landscapes of British Columbia and her global artistic experiences. Now based in Chemainus, Laura’s work is deeply influenced by the coastal forests, mountains, and Pacific waters surrounding her.

After earning a degree in environmental biology, Laura began working with clay in 1998, and what started as a creative outlet quickly became her primary artistic path. A self-taught artist, she combines her scientific background with a strong commitment to sustainability—her studio is now powered entirely by solar energy, and she strives to create durable, functional pottery that counters the modern trend of disposability.

Her work draws on the organic forms of the West Coast—smooth, weathered stones, sea glass, and the rhythms of coastal life. Laura’s ceramics are a celebration of both nature’s beauty and the art of mindful, lasting craftsmanship

In her studio, Cathi Jefferson is surrounded by the thing that most inspires her: the sacred trees of the west coast rainforest that she refers to as “the lungs of our planet.”  Her passion for nature is expressed through her pottery as she “feels a deep connection to the fathomless energy and beauty in nature and I want to maintain this sense with clay.”

Cathi has always known that she was meant to be a potter – it is simply something that she loves to do. Her career as a studio-trained potter began under mentor Herman Venema in Matsqui, BC, in 1974. Cathi imbued this hands-on study with formal arts training at Kwantlen College (1980 – 81) and the Fraser Valley College (1986 – 88). Over the years, Cathi’s desire for learning and improvement has taken her to workshops around the world, with residencies at The Archie Bray Foundation in Montana and others in BC, Banff, Maine, Japan and the UK.

Cathi has taught clay at the University of Victoria since moving to the Island in 2007.  She has also taught at Emily Carr College of Art and Industrial Design and the Kootenay School of Art as well as  given many hands-on demonstrations at workshops and conferences throughout North America, the UK and Korea.  Cathi was awarded the 2010 Carter Wosk BC Creative Award for Applied Art and Design.

Kat Hammick completed her diploma in Fine Arts at the Victoria College of Art in British Columbia where she studied drawing and painting. She discovered clay later, first through an introductory wheel class and then quickly transitioned to hand building and has been infatuated ever since. Kat’s sculptural work is inspired by themes of nature and the passage of time. 

Working with organic textures and shapes Kathleen finds that the dark earthy tones created by smoke firing complements these  forms. Fire is  a powerful element that influences ecosystems both creating and stimulating life, while simultaneously destroying and taking life away. This dichotomy is highlighted with alternative firing methods, making each of the finished pieces individual by nature.

Jasmine explores the connection between the natural forces that shape the vessels we use daily —crafted for brewing, drinking, and storing tea through different firing techniques that celebrate the unpredictable beauty born from atmospheric firing: soda, raku, smoke, obvara, high fire reduction and wood-firing. Each piece  expresses  the interaction between earth, water, and fire, transformed by flame and smoke, affecting colour and texture or by soda and wood ash which melt onto the surface of the clay forming glassy glazes with unique colouring. No two pieces are alike—each cup, bowl, and jar bears the imprint of a moment that cannot be replicated.