June 26th, 2008
Welcome to Inside the Artisans Studio! In this multimedia feature, we will take our Thumbprint readers for a behind the scene look at some of the workspaces and studios of our One of a Kind Artisans. IAS will also include candid artist interviews, further illustrating the inspirations and aspirations propelling their creative endeavours.
In the first edition of IAS, we will be paying a visit to the studio of ceramist, David Camirand.
The audio interview (in French) was conducted on May 24, 2008 by Valérie Roy (She is our bilingual exhibitor coordnatior at OOAK Toronto) at David Camirand’s studio in Val-David, Québec.
Please click on the play button 
to hear the individual audio files. For an English summary of the interview, please refer to the text below each of the audio player listed.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is David Camirand. I currently live in Val-David, and I have been here for about four years. I was born in Montreal, grew up in Drummondville, and I studied at Maison des métiers d’art de Québec (MMAQ).
How long have you been working on your craft?
I have been a ceramist for almost seven years. This is the first year I have participated at larger craft shows (like the One of a Kind).
What is your earliest memory relating to art and craft?
From when I was four years old, I saw my Dad working with clay, and since then, my brother and I began playing with clay. My father was a self-taught artist, and he sculpted, and worked with this medium for his own pleasure.
One of the first ceramic pieces I have ever created was inspired by my fascination with the bowling balls from The Flintstones. The piece has since been demolished, so I actually do not have any evidence of my earliest work!
What are some of your creative inspirations?
For the functional pieces I create, I am deeply inspired by Kinya Ishikawa and his philosophy. I am also influenced by Japanese pottery and its aesthetics. In terms of the shape of my pieces, my inspirations come from everywhere, including the students that I teach. During the year, I hold introductory ceramic class (Initiation au tournage) in my studio for children and people with disabilities.
Can you tell us more about the particular shade of green you use in your work?
This particular shade of lime green came to me unexpectedly when I was doing a glaze test in art school. The colour glaze I created had a lot bubbles in it, and I really liked the texture. So, when I put my piece in the kiln, the glaze with all the bubbles went over its fusion point, and melted. And this is how the green colour is achieved. Although this colour was always at the back of mind, it took me a few years before I actually integrated it into my work. And I have been using this colour now for three years, and I do find this shade to be an electric colour.
Describe to our readers what a typical day at the studio is like for David Camirand?
The first thing I do is I put my music on, and I like to crank up the volume. I didn’t used to always create with music, and I find that I am not as creative or productive when I am working in an environment without music.
I like to put my music on loop, and I am currently listening to Patrick Watson (a Montréal band, who was also the recipient of the prestigious Polaris Music Award in 2007), and Karkwa (an indie band from Quebec). Music encourages my mind to create and to produce. I am really stimulated by its sound, the melody, and the poetry.
Usually, I begin my workday by preparing my clay, and from that point on, I proceed to spin my pieces. I like to make many pieces, and fire a large batch of them at once.
How has your background/education affected your work? Any classes you have taken you find particularly inspiring? As an artist, do you want your work to inspire others as well?
When I was a student, I was not confident about my creativity. However, one of my professors, Odette Théberge absolutely stimulated and inspired me. Thinking back, I think many of the classes I took really helped to direct my focus, and I learned to better channel my creative energy. My education definitely brought structure to my practice, and I saw school as a place that afforded me the opportunities to expand my potential, and to maximize my experiences.
My objective as an artist has never been about being an inspiration for others. However, if someone does find my work to be inspiring, I do think that is flattering.
How do you overcome creative block? What do you do to get through it?
I deal with creative block by engaging myself in a lot of research. I attend other exhibitions for inspirations; I also like to visit the forest to try to clear my mind and relieve stress. While self critique is important, however, I think too much of it can also be negative. I find it best to keep working, and not pay too much emphasis on achieving the perfect prototype the first time around. It is important to work through a design, and be open to its own evolution.
What do you see yourself doing in 5, 10, 15 years with your work?
I would like to move to a studio in a more removed and rural area, this is also inspired by my interest in Japanese pottery and its tradition. It would also be nice to be able to find my own clay, and work with a wood kiln. This would however, be a very demanding lifestyle to maintain.
Besides art and craft, what are some of your other interests?
I really like films and movies. My younger brother and I make videos together. I also like cartoon and animation. In the past, I mostly worked in sculpture. I would definitely say that sculpture is a more personal medium. I started creating functional pieces, because I wanted my work to be more accessible. I do want to continue to work on better balancing both the functional and the visual elementsof my work.
Any surprises we can expect at the Christmas One of a Kind Show?
I would love to be able to do more large scaled, sculptural pieces. [Can we expect to see those at the One of a Kind Show]…I really hope so!
