Blog

Sticks and Stones Exhibition at the Carnegie Gallery

We are very happy to announce and share the Exhibition Joseph has been working so hard towards opening September 8th at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas Ontario. Please come and see the creative new work that incorporates my fathers love of experimentation, local materials and the nature that surrounds our home in Simcoe, Ontario. There will be a mix of both functional and artistic pieces that help tell the story of my fathers continued love with clay, fire and the woods and fields around him.

The actual Opening Reception will be on Friday September 15th at 7 pm with an artist talk on Sunday September 17th at 1 pm. We hope to see you there!

Back on the Wheel

It’s been over 3 months since I’ve had a chance to sit down and throw some pots. A little rusty, a little out of sync, but enjoying the process of getting back to work. Of course, I’m coming back to creating things I love, making pottery designed to accentuate and compliment drinking coffee. Here I am making pieces for pour over drippers based on the Kalita wave 155 dripper and filters, and also cups which will match the drippers as a base, while also trying to funnel and channel aroma’s through their shape. Hoping these will make enjoying our favourite morning addiction a little more pleasurable.

The Results are In!

We finally finished our latest wood firing, months and months in the making. What was originally supposed to be a pre-Christmas firing turned into a … March firing :D

Sometimes life and all its unexpected surprises makes firing very very difficult. But, even with all the delays, the results of the firing were wonderful. We tried a lot of new glaze tests, did some experimental pieces and overall were thrilled by results. Here are some pictures of work, hope you enjoy them!

Here are photo’s of my fathers work:

My father also put in some very experimental pieces. These are older celadon glazes fired in an electric kiln, now covered with slip and refired in the gas kiln. We didn’t know what would happen and the chances of them working out was completely unknown. I for one actually thought the slip would peel off and they would leave glaze all over the shelves. Luckily, my dour prediction was wrong and actually the pieces came out very interesting. The slip peeled a little and cracked, but remained on the pots, creating an almost second skin. I think they remind me of snake or lizard skin. What do you think? You can see the initial pot in the kiln in the first pictures, and then the finished results.

I won’t make a prediction about when we’ll fire again, but hopefully it will be soon. My father has over a 100 sanity mugs that need to be fired, so it won’t be long.

In the next post I’ll share photo’s of my newest work.

Thanks for reading!!

~Peter

Big Changes!!!

Amidst all the chaos, uncertainty and burn-out from the lockdowns, quarantines and Covid-19 in general, I’m sure everyone could use a nice relaxing drive in the country side, enjoying some fresh open autumn air and beautiful scenery. Luckily, the Norfolk Studio Tour is on this year, and we are lucky to be part of such an amazing group of talented artists opening their doors once again. Please come by and see our newly renovated studio and gallery space. This is a big change for us, and I know my father has been working incredibly hard to create a new, brighter and more welcoming space.

Norfolk Studio Tour: September 26th and 27th, 10 am to 5 pm

You can visit the studio tours website HERE or their facebook page HERE They have interactive maps and lists of all the artists

Shawna Valoppi

We would love to see you and we will also be hosting a guest fiber artist, the talented Shawna Valoppi, in our studio. Come by and see her amazing work.

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Funny that the roof looks blue in this lighting when it’s still definitely red :D

Big Changes: Renovations

So while the world continues to exist in turmoil and people struggle to find new norms and ways of getting back to work we have been starting some rather major and big changes.

By we, I mean my father Joseph. I’m still living in Bangkok where life has returned mostly to normal. If you’re curious about what Covid 19 has been like in South East Asia, you can check out my blog where I sometimes, rarely post HERE or for other posts HERE

So, the entire studio/showroom are getting redone. Our studio was basically inherited from an old glass workshop, and previously before that, an oil distributing shop. There is a lot of space, and we’ve always felt there was a lot of potential in the studio, but we never really made full use of it. This means my father has a blank slate and the ability to redesign the studio how he wants.

You may be wondering what a new studio will look like, and to be honest, so am I!! I have this beautiful image in my mind of a spacious, minimalist, well organized studio. Open air, everything in its place, with tons of empty space to help stimulate creativity and make the entire studio feel relaxing. Now, being realistic, and knowing my dad, that may not fully happen, but its still a very exciting idea! Let’s keep our fingers crossed and look forward to a new, brand new space.

Probably most exciting though is the amount of natural light we will be able to get into the studio. Having sunlight trickle in, especially in the late afternoon, always creates a special, magical atmosphere to work in that I love. Oh, and also actually having the walls insulated! Just imagine, walking into the studio on a chilly winter morning and not having to feel the deathly grip of the freezing cold creeping through the walls! I’m excited :D

Here are some photo’s of all the work in progress, I’ll keep updating as the project comes together.

Take care, I hope everyone is safe and dealing with things as best as possible,

Peter

Norfolk Studio Tour 2019

My father and I are busy getting ready for our biggest event of the year, the Norfolk Studio Tour, which will be on September 28th and 29th. As always, the tour includes an incredible selection of local artists in a wide range of different art forms, showcasing the best of the Norfolk area. Come down for a beautiful weekend drive and stop in at some of the studios. For all the information and maps, please visit the studio tour website; https://www.norfolkstudiotour.com/


We are especially excited as we will have new work from our newly renovated and hopefully improved kiln!

We're Back! :)

Coffee has been keeping me alive in the studio!

As the winter chills thaw out from the studio, and it starts to feel like spring is here, I think it’s time to start contributing and writing once again. I spent the last year teaching in Malaysia, so the website unfortunately suffered and fell by the way side. I have been home now for almost 2 months and the gears are finally turning again. Slowly we’re back in the studio, work is being made, new glazes being tested, and my father and I are both eager, anxious and exciting to be creating again. With that renewed enthusiasm and time back at home, I’m hoping to also be sharing more about our process, what we’re up to, and also be reaching out more to people who enjoy our work.

Some of our goals in the near future include:

  • setting up an online shop (probably Etsy) to help customers have access to our work (we know its not easy to drive out to the middle of nowhere)

  • posting regularly on our methods, motivation and also struggles as craftsmen

  • participate in more local sales and shows in the GTA

  • develop new and exciting forms and styles to push ourselves artistically

A new vase with local crushed rocks, one of my father Joseph’s new designs

I know my father is also eager to share more of his insights and reflections on close to 40 years as a potter, so that’s something to look forward to as well.

In the meantime, I’ve started our Instagram account, which seems to be the easiest way to share small snapshots and updates, so please follow @panaccipottery on IG.

Thank you for your time and continued support!!

Sincerely,

Peter

The Annual Norfolk Studio Tour

Our biggest studio tour of the year is upon us, and we invite you to visit our studio, and the other amazing artists on the tour, to see the best of Norfolk's Artistic community. We completed several firings over the summer, with many sleepless nights, building up an inventory of our best work of the year. Our copper reds and reduction glazes seem to have gotten better over time, and we are quite proud of the work we've produced recently. We hope you'll drop in and see what we've been up to.

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So enjoy the early fall weather and come for a drive, with 39 artists at 26 studios, we're sure you'll find something to love and cherish.

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Maps and more information can be found HERE, at the Norfolk Studio Tour website. We will be open from 10 am to 5 pm both Saturday September 16th and Sunday September 17th.

Work for sale

Although we haven't set up a real online shop, with a functioning cart and checkout, (it's a lot of hassle when you're not dealing in mass produced items), what I have done is uploaded some pictures with descriptions of my newest work, and I will be selling these individual pieces if anyone is interested. Here are a few samples from there:

To be honest, the biggest detractor for us selling consistently online is both the amount of time it takes to individually photograph each piece, measure it, and post it online (something my father won't be able to do once I'm not here), as well as the cost and risks involved with shipping. A standard mug, shipped in Ontario, is roughly between $10-$12, for shipping alone, which is half the cost of the mug!! Porcelain is heavy as a shipping object, requires A LOT of careful packing, and is still extremely fragile, so it's not the best method for us. However, as I am here for 1 more week before leaving, I thought I would try an experiment and put some items online and see if there was any interest.

These are more items for friends and family to have access to, and they are each one of a kind. 

So please check out the shop section I've added, I'm slowly updating more and more items. If you are interested in any of the pieces, please e-mail me directly, panacci.peter@gmail.com, and I can work out shipping and logistics and give you an accurate price for what it will all cost.

Backroads Artisan Tour

If you've been by the studio recently, you know it's been a complete mess (even more so than usual!). We've been busy digging through everything and trying to get ready for this weekends Backroads Artisan Tour. Similar to our other studio tours, this weekend features some amazing local artisans, shops and destinations that make for a great outing. We're open 10 am to 5 pm, both Saturday June 3rd and Sunday June 4th. We'd love to have you come by, and there will also be some live wheel throwing to demonstrate how some of our pieces come to life. 

You can get all the information HERE, as well as a map of all the locations on the tour, and you can also find the information on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BackroadsArtisanTour/

Un Super Size Me

In the land of milk and snow cold

   I love my coffee and tea hot

 in moderation

not super size burst your bladder

extra large double double trouble.

 

 

   Just one good cup will do

    in moderation

please

    UN SUPER SIZE ME

        by - Joseph Panacci

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Every Morning

Every morning I see you,

but I don't know you.

Among others waiting to be noticed,

the kettle boils.

 

I see you, I need you,

the comfort, the joy, the ritual.

Holding you in my hand,

makes you mine.

 

I see you, I know you,

your strength, your warmth, your soul.

Every morning,

my favourite time with you.

~by Joseph Panacci

A little Norfolk Under your Tree!

Well, it's a little late notice, but this weekend is our annual Christmas Open House, alongside with other local artists and artisans, showcasing some of the best work and local products in the Norfolk area. We hope to see some of you out as we'll have our newest work on display, some snacks, and the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit a little early (and despite the wonderful warm weather).  Doors open at 10 am, and we're open until 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday (November 14th and 15th.)

Our latest (and greatest) firing

So two weeks ago, I was home for my reading week, which was the perfect way to get back into some potting. With the busy Christmas and Holiday season fast approaching, and guild sales, open houses and everything else mixed in, it was important we got another wood firing in. 

Focusing just on glazing, I wanted to try a lot of new designs and colours this time around, to try and break up the style of work I had been doing. Here are some pictures of the glazing process, including a before and after view of the spray booth that desperately needed to be cleaned.

The firing itself was a little long, around 15 or 16 hours, but it was definitely one of our best. We loaded the kiln a little looser this time to encourage more air flow and heat distribution. I was worried since all my pieces had copper red on them, one of the hardest glazes to do consistently in a wood kiln. The fluxes and changes within the kiln can wreak havoc with the finished piece, especially as you're trying to keep a constant state of reduction over many many hours.

We didn't finish until sunrise, but it was definitely worth the long wait. A few days later and the results were wonderful. This was one of our best firings to date for colour and consistency. Here is the opened kiln, as well as some photo's of how my new pieces turned out.