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Meghan McCrone | Episode 627
Meghan McCrone currently lives and creates in the mountainous, oceanside town of Squamish British Columbia. Muddy Marvels Pottery is a bright studio nestled into Meghan’s beautiful garden. Over the past 5 years Meghan has invited budding potters to assist her and learn the full spectrum of what it means to be a potter. She herself was an apprentice in Whistler for Vincent Massey and feels it is her turn to give back, encourage and inspire those just starting their pottery journey. Meghan graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Ceramics and since then has participated in countless shows, markets, and galleries. Meghan continued to UBC and obtained her BEd. She has been teaching art in schools throughout BC for over 15 years and currently is teaching at the Squamish Waldorf School. In addition, Meghan also offers regular month-long pottery workshops in her home studio. She loves to collaborate with other creatives and encourages inquiries for special or wholesale orders.
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When you describe your work what are the words you like to use to express what you make and the feel of what you make?
I have a bunch of things going through my head right now. It is more of the feeling that I want the people to have who are using it. So like that sense of comfort, that sense of partnership, the sense of your daily domestic rituals. Like just elevating those. Sure you can go to a dollar store and get a mug for a dollar and you can use it and it works well, it’s not going to spill, it holds your coffee, your tea, but does it do anything for you? Do you open your cupboard and think, Oh, yes! That’s the one I want today. I want them to be able to go to their cupboard to make a cup of tea and think, That’s the one I want. And just hold it, it creates that intimacy of those little moments that we have in a day that are so easily by passed. Just to bring that intentionality, comfort, awareness, to those special little moments we have every day that can mean something.
I noticed your work is mostly functional. Why do you like the idea of being a functional potter?
I want my things to be used. I want my things to be interacted with. I want my things to be quite literally functional. I want them to function in somebodies life on a daily basis. I took drawing and painting and photography and all of those things and I love them, but I was drawn to pottery for the functionality. And I only have so much wall space. Right? We only have so much wall space and I want my things to be interacted with. I want people to feel that art is accessible and personal and can be made that intimate relationship with.
From your perspective, why is it important for you to have your work in stores?
As opposed to just selling on my website, you mean?
Yes, or selling just at fairs?
Just to be out there. So that it is accessible to people. I just feel like I want as many people to use as much handmade things as possible. Pottery included.
So you are a local artist who sells work to tourists. Do you like the idea of your work being spread abroad?
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I do the same thing when I am traveling I look for a local handmade things to bring back with me as well. But I also think a lot of people here in Squamish, I have quite a good little group of Squamish people who support me as well. I just think anybody who could use handmade things in their life as possible-we are all better for it.
Do you ever collaborate?
I collaborate a lot. It is my hearts passion. I love it. Right now I am just finishing up a collaboration with Natasshia Neary. She is an illustrator and calligrapher in town here and I make the work and she puts her beautiful illustrations on them. And I love that. I love that so much. That I do my expertise, my passion, my creation, and I literally hand it off and she adds to and does her thing on it and in the end it is more, better than either one of us could have done on our own. So I do that with her and I do workshop collaborations as well. A couple of times we have done workshops where we make candle votives and we go and learn about aromatherapy and pour candles. Or people have come and we have made oil diffusers and then they go and blend their own oil for their own purposes. So yeah, it’s this coming together and sharing and lifting and being more than just one.
When you are alone, what is your favorite part of the ceramic process?
The making. Right freshly made. When it’s still kind of glistening. That’s my favorite.
Why do you think so many young people are coming to ceramics? Like it’s a thing. Why is that?
Yes, definitely, it’s on an upswing. I have been thinking about that. I love it. I love that it has become this spotlight on ceramics and it’s not just..it’s like fashion. It’s coming back around. I think it is because there is a big draw towards handmade and that these are all the same but they are a little bit different. Kind of like us. I am on that wave. The more potters doing their thing,the better.
Book
The Potter’s Place by Gail Gibbons
Contact
Instagram: @muddymarvelspottery