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• www.muskoka.com/archives/dpotts.htm
• www.ywcamuskoka.com/2003_women.htm

Keeping the dots on the pots

No, Dotti Potts is not a real person. It just seemed like the logical name for a husband and wife team who create pots with dots on them

By Miranda Britton

Sandra and Gavin Silberman had always entertained the idea of living in the country, but when they moved to Muskoka two years ago, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

The two potters, who together form Dotti Potts, had been living in Toronto for just over five years, renting a downtown studio space and travelling back and forth to their apartment in Thornhill, when they decided that they needed a more integrated living/working situation.

After meeting a gallery owner from Huntsville at the "One Of A Kind" show, Sandra decided to consider looking at locations outside of Toronto. "I found this place called Bracebridge on the Internet and we came up here and started looking at houses," she recalls. "We had no idea it was such an artsy area - I think we chose the perfect place."

After a few visits to Muskoka, The Silbermans purchased a home and an adjacent lot near Skeleton Lake. Much to the surprise of their friends in Toronto, they relocated permanently to their new home in Muskoka and began constructing a studio on the vacant lot.

"Fortunately Gavin is brilliant with his hands. He did all of the plumbing and the electrics," says Sandra, adding that she spent a week shingling the roof on her own. "Dotti Potts was out of production for about three or four months while we were building the studio."

Originally from South Africa, Sandra and Gavin have never studied ceramics in a formal setting. Before immigrating to Canada, Gavin worked full-time as a cabinet maker, while Sandra worked in business.

"I think that because I haven’t had any formal education, I feel like there is no limit to my experimentation," says Sandra. "Because I didn’t go to school for ceramics, I have never been exposed to any limits."

This sense of freedom is apparent in the look of Dotti Potts ceramics. Bright colours, fresh shapes, amusing animal caricatures and of course, dots adorn everything from egg cups to backsplash tiles.

For Sandra, making people smile is the main objective of Dotti Potts. "It really gives me a thrill when someone’s eyes light up when they see our work," she says. "Something like a mug can become an intimate thing and I get a lot of pleasure when someone buys something and it starts a history of its own."

In the studio, Sandra likes to focus on decorating. "I love to sit and paint, whereas Gavin is the king of multi-tasking. He does slipcasting, slab work, makes forms and moulds, loads and unloads the kilns - whatever needs to be done."

Gavin also serves as an outside eye during Sandra’s design process. "I’m my own worst critic, so it’s great having him around," says Sandra. "I’ll make a mistake and want to throw something away, but he’ll convince me that someone will love it." He’s usually right too - many of these "happy accidents" (as Sandra refers to them) have become some of Dotti Potts’ most popular designs.

The Muskoka lifestyle is also beginning to have a direct influence on Sandra’s designs. A visit to the fall fair in Bracebridge resulted in a brightly coloured tile mural of a rooster. "I went into the hall with all of the chickens and I was in awe. I’ve never seen so many chickens and they were all so exquisite," she says with a laugh.

Although, the beautifully decorated pieces possess an element of preciousness, they are anything but. Function and durability is of utmost importance to Sandra and Gavin. "Sure they are pretty, but I want people to use our pieces, I don’t want to see them put away in a cabinet," says Sandra.

Working with a strong porcelain stoneware clay, Gavin and Sandra use a variety of techniques including slab work, slipcasting and throwing to create their pottery. All moulds that are used in the slipcasting process have been made from original pieces that have been pinched by Sandra so that the finished product has a handmade quality to it.

Finishing the work is only half the battle. Doing all of their own administration and marketing and selling their work both retail and wholesale, the Silbermans never seem to have any down time.

"Because the studio is in a separate building I can divorce myself from my work when I come into the house, except for the fact that our office is in here - I end up staying up all night working on the computer," says Sandra.

Despite what Sandra says, it is unlikely that she stops thinking about her designs when she comes into her house. In the living room, one wall is painted lime green, another blue and yet another a bright tangerine orange - almost identical to the shades of glazes that she uses to decorate her pottery. "I know, our house is starting to look like a giant pot," she admits.

Last summer and again this summer, the Silbermans are offering pottery lessons to the public. "Last year we had three generations of one family come in here to make some pottery together," Sandra recalls. "It was a lot of fun. I worked with the adults and Gavin took the kids out in to the forest to find leaves that they pressed into clay."

Despite their busy schedule, Sandra feels that she is getting a lot more accomplished by living in a smaller community. "When I go into town to do something, it takes no time at all, whereas in Toronto you would have to wait in a line forever," she says, adding that she loves the fact that shipping companies come right to her door to pick up shipments and if she wants to mail a letter, all she has to do is put it in her mailbox.

Sandra and Gavin Silberman will be exhibiting their work this weekend at the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Summer Show at Annie Williams Park and will also be participating in the Big Art Thing studio tour on July 28 and 29. For more information or to book a studio visit, contact the Silbermans at (705) 385-4053 or visit their website at www.dottipotts.com.