Rhonda Uppington

Trained as a biochemist, Rhonda's foray into clay began in 2007 when she took a Tiles and Extrusions course at the Haliburton School of Art + Design. Soon thereafter, she bought a small kiln to continue working with clay at home. Earlier explorations in printmaking, both relief and collagraph, are combined with her ceramic practice to create unique surface decoration.

 

Rhonda is drawn to the minutiae in everyday life, the delicate details created by the hand of man or Mother Nature that, in our hurried lives, are overlooked by many. From skeletonized magnolia leaves to bits of tatted lace, you will often find these details preserved on the surface of Rhonda's work. While she does make some functional work, Rhonda prefers to to create ceramic tiles as her canvas. Individual tiles may be mounted as works of art in their own right, combined into assemblages she calls Tile Quilts, or used to frame a mirror. She also mixes her own handmade tiles with commercial ones to create mosaics.

 

Rhonda has been a studio member of the Pine Tree Potters' Guild since 2014. She is also a member of Toronto Potters, Hamilton Potters' Guild, FUSION: The Ontario Clay and Glass Association, and Craft Ontario. Her work is available for sale in the shops at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo and Gardiner Museum in Toronto, and at Craft Ontario in Toronto.

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Website: rhondauppington.com

Instagram: @rhondauppington

Facebook: rhondauppingtonart

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NOTE:  Photo of leaf mosaic mirror by Dale Roddick. All other photos by the artist.