Curly sheep .and = scraggly
goats sport whimsical expres-
sions when they come out of
Judith Gurr’s kilns. ‘‘The
bodies are there to hold up their
heads,’’ the Ardmore sculptress
Says.

By JULIETTE PROOM
Review Staff Writer

‘Her. animal figurines often
look like children who know
they’ve been naughty. The
sheep, goats and otters seem to
be caught ina moment of fun.

The polar bear series is more
sedate. Most Gurr bears are
_ Spread- -eagle on a rock, sunn-
ing.

Samples of her work may be
seen at the Saanich: Peninsula
Arts. and Crafts Show at

Sanscha Hall this weekend. It’s:

open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

and features many of the Penin-

sula’s finest amateur artists and
craftsmen.

‘I’m. basically an impres-
sionist,’’ Gurr says. ‘‘On good
days, 1’ll-try to do.realism. I’m

‘bone idle,.and such pieces show

- Lactually can do realism.’’

There is no evidence of an
idle nature in her studio.
Buckets of clay are lined up
along one wall: Four or five

pieces sit ona shelf. in various

stages of drying. A few. are
ready for glazing.

small Dalrymple salmon: swim-.

“*Pve. just got. back to” my

sculpting,”’

she says.. Gurr. took’.

time.

Gurr picked up her first
clump of clay after giving her
daughter 50 pounds of the
material for Christmas. ‘“‘l
made a little goat that was, kind
of cute.’

A neighbor encouraged her to
sell some pieces. ‘‘I went down
to the Handloom in. Victoria
and said Mrs. Lansdowne sent
me, thinking that if I: mentioned

her 1 might have more credibili- |

ty. Much to my ‘surprise, they
bought two figures and asked
for more.”’

Lansdowne, the mother of
famous bird painter Fenwick, is
an artist in her own right. .She
sculpts and paints lifelike birds
perched. or walking. in their
natural habitat.

Gurr’s first pair went for
$12.50. ‘‘Since then I’ve sold
things at Handloom for over
$1,000.’’. Her work: is: often
displayed in the store window.

Although she was a novice

eight years ago, Gurr worked

hard to learn: about. clay and
sculpting. ‘‘I’ve taken half a
dozen classes. at least and
countless:-workshops.’’
Neil’ Dalrymple is a hero.
‘*He knew everything there is to
know: about. clay.’’ Gurr has a

ming on her living 1 room coffee
table: :

Glazing has also presented
‘challenges to.Gurr. ‘‘l knew ab-

she tries to sketch an animal
with a particular posture, it
looks more like a mess of lines.
‘Tt have to get to the work right
away, before I forget when I
meant.”’

Someday, she says, she'd like
to take a>class ‘“‘if someone
teaches a class in) drawing
animals.”’

Decifering the

ficult part of ‘Gurr'’s work.
“Every. batch: is different.
Sometimes it’s too wet or too
dry. You never know until you
try to work with it.”

She used to make - woolly
coats for her sheep by hand,
rolling out strips of clay, then
twisting them around a pencil.

“*Now [use an extruder to make -
But iv still not”
_ easy with the machine.”’

the speghetti.

She’ perservers: ‘*According

-to Neil, you can do anything if

you have enough patience.’ >

A heavy clay filled with grog
and a.delicate brown are: her
favorite clays. ‘‘l .experiment

~ with others: I have to constanudy

keep exploring.”’

Gurr prefers to be called a
sculptress. ‘‘I think it’$ a pret-
tier word. It’s not that I’m anti-
feminist —: it’s just that -1 like

. the language.”

She sells her work-out.of the
Village... Gallery - on “Beacon

--Avenue and Handloom in Vic-

Vagaries of
‘clay. is perhaps the most dif-

OFF SEASON SPECIAL

WINDSHIELD WASHER ANTI IFREEZE

toria. ‘‘I’d like to go intoa B.C. |
Wildlife Show.. I. was-in “one
once, and jit was: great. They
haven’t- had one since.”’.. 0)

Meanwhile, Gurr expects. her
larger pieces to become more.

a few years out to work as a_
nurse while her husband David.
- wrote some books... With recent
.. publication ‘of. Ringmaster, . a -
~novel.which earned David Gurr...
a nomination. for a Governor- *— firing for the last time. | realistic. “PH always do-some -
_- General’s award ‘last year, she’. -“‘I find it annoying not being
‘has. returned: to_ her: studio-full). >

7 Of the: impressionistic: ones. I
a able to draw.’’ Gurr says when”... think they't re funny.”

solutely nothing about it.’’ Now
: she sometimes applies a glaze, .
_ then wipes it off gently, leaving ©
*. glaze -in crevices and. folds.
'’ She’ll.add.a second glaze before

eee

“ ~ WE'RE SPRING CLEANING OUR of
| wr PW iL whl - wean — ‘YOU'LL CLEAN PO on |
SALE PRICES EFFECTIVE UNTIL SATURDAY, MAY 14 OR WHILE STOCK LASTS. | { i
: & SHOP EARLY FOR BEST SELECTION. WE ne as 19. LIMIT QUANTITIES, a eS an}

i & "PINE!, PINE! PINE! 7
Paints and Stains Sama ‘ No. 1 PINE SHELVING ‘ i =
: oe | A 1x6 ecpevece ONLY 30° FT. “1x10. eceetee ONLY ca oh
i PAR NT ALL IN- STOCK | ANB ss. ONLY, AS Ini, cress ONLY 94 FT. a ;
ai ~ SEM TRANSPARE op
ot SOLID COLOUR tii FIXTURES and CEILING FANS: © 2x10 WATERBED PINE ..2.ccccccc0c0 omy Wry. I
{ OLVAAPIC STAIN $50,000” INVENTORY _

~ RESAWN FIR-HEMLOCK SHORTS |

Ideal for Economical Fence Boards -

STAINES

aie ALL STOCK 4 LITRE
re] oo Ob

ek

—— ¢. a 15°

i - oe “1x6x6" veces ONLY: 69.. “1x10x6"" vel ONLY 15.

|) TeaNspaRent SALE 1x06"... OnLy 89°... 28... siuss ONLY de
L cs | ~ KEYSTONE PRESSURE TREATED —

LUMBER — BROWN

eo 7 85g

| §TOCK UP NOW!
ie “peek STAIN WEATHERSOREEN

4 LITRE

FLAT qvEnCOAT

i 4 LITRE HA LITRE , an
18,88 _  $19.80- © ; oe $10.88 - . : : iy si

[eta wasted eS AOR HERAT LE wet ainsecimumsaseo ncn ‘e pont once ea sc ah Ge

7 | “TAWNMOWER MADNESS ©

i

ROOFING! ROOFING! ROOFING! | FENCE LUMBER SPECIALS

“ain “ap.
RAR eS

‘| q@BINCKSDECKER| NOMA _

129"

a
‘ panne 1 CEDAN No. 1 No, FENCE x10 ‘ 18" wide cut —~ satat}
« ROLLED ROOFING | eee ee wegut aque | GUARANTEED Lowest
at os . ~ty6x4" ic ONLY 880 ge eseune ONLY yary ONLY 2.29. | handle. tor two-way PRICES! ALL arr te t
oi 0- | MONLY 19 See ONLY a OT aa6 th A ~ Mowing. Good 1 CANADIANA #0500 189 1.
i —-50- Ib. $8 9 Ab. ee j yo ae ONLY 1:90 Lf eee ae Neh BROWN TREATED ; , Value hates 3p, 19" cut reaees
k . ONLY. . oa een HAG vee ONLY 786 SQ ONLY ag 6 ony P69 4 BRUTE #B900M
oh 100-sq.-ft ‘oll vod sa il i nen es Caen ane aaa tiated 4 20" side. discharge 95
| QecBe FON NBG eT TO - ie, pat a mutchor 3.5 HP. 979°
of -~ — 2x4 CEDAR “CEDAR SIDING: SPECIAL ‘ MAK ENGINE cvicesccee
the “.. $deal for Fenco Rails 4x10 ie \e ve
i SHINGLES sa SM
}

TURBO ARBAGCEN f
MeNTSIOHP 3.5 HN, Pp, "389"
Aluminium deek | os

15-YEAR GLASSCORE -

ssoregeat

ane

eo a.)

OWLY ae . J00F oi

a

eee sip nang ele
Sa
SS

, 239"

__ FLOCK SHINGLES

eT,
oe

See GE

: i . _ FIBERGLASS SHINGLES. 49" CUT REAR fAGGER. { ~YURKO SELF: PROPELLED eh . o
a ~ BLACKC-OR GREY. hs AR CUT nea HANDI E oR NTETO.SP AHP, BE
oy eRe $8 Ry “gf BLACK AND DECKER'S MRAM BRUNER Get
¥ 7 at is MWe Ay: GEST.MODEL: ie 95 pais
sf . 4 ot
j Fa Oo ONLY Sv bie deersieg «a . 3
: a No. 1 ESSO. eS ee

eae, —
=

1 All Colours, Full warranty. The
i tf. Genuine srtiely om nal
re an interior. brand,
4 i ~ GHECK: and Com. TE9R fh K
oot PARE. Es60 TLOCKS FIA | | i
ya : Hi Crete eeyeesabeenves 8 ‘ : . . pom Te 4 wi . “
wa i t a ens + 4 % BONE A HR ORL SE Bia aH BA sobs onesie Kia 8 IO ei Mae Ries ae H sb rcciostsoin wend ot
a
it

=