Audrey Durnan
Item
Maker Name
Audrey Durnan
Studio name
Shawnigan Lake Pottery
Biography
Audrey Durnan studied at the Canterbury College of Art (Kent U.K.), receiving a Dip.A,D. in 1968. She was an active potter for Chelsea Pottery of Chaney Walk, London.
In the late 60s she was chosen to represent British ceramics as part of a government promotion of British arts and goods in the US by giving demonstrations at various preselected department stores – among them, Gimbel's {Pittsburgh, 1967), Macy’s (New York, 1968), and The Broadway stores (Southern California, 1969 ) – of pottery throwing, hand-painting, and decorating. By 1973, she had moved to Shawnigan Lake, BC and established the Shawnigan Lake Pottery, selling in such stores as the Clamshell Gift Shop (Vancouver Aquarium), the Handloom (Victoria), and the Canadiana Shop (Woodwards Department Store). Both in England and British Columbia, she became known for plates decorated with natural themes such as flowers or butterflies.
By 1980, she had established herself in California, but continued to sell her work in Victoria and at the UN Gift Shop in Pasadena.
Since 1999, she has focused on silk-painting and has had some major shows in galleries, museums, and botanical gardens in the US. She was recognized with a M.S.P. from Silk Painters International in 2012.
In the late 60s she was chosen to represent British ceramics as part of a government promotion of British arts and goods in the US by giving demonstrations at various preselected department stores – among them, Gimbel's {Pittsburgh, 1967), Macy’s (New York, 1968), and The Broadway stores (Southern California, 1969 ) – of pottery throwing, hand-painting, and decorating. By 1973, she had moved to Shawnigan Lake, BC and established the Shawnigan Lake Pottery, selling in such stores as the Clamshell Gift Shop (Vancouver Aquarium), the Handloom (Victoria), and the Canadiana Shop (Woodwards Department Store). Both in England and British Columbia, she became known for plates decorated with natural themes such as flowers or butterflies.
By 1980, she had established herself in California, but continued to sell her work in Victoria and at the UN Gift Shop in Pasadena.
Since 1999, she has focused on silk-painting and has had some major shows in galleries, museums, and botanical gardens in the US. She was recognized with a M.S.P. from Silk Painters International in 2012.
First name
Audrey
Last name
Durnan
Career dates (start and end)
1968
Place of Birth
Britain
Studio location
Formal Education
Links to Further Resources
20th Century Decorated British Tiles: Craft and Studio Tile Makers (Chris Blanchett) pp57-60
Source
Allan Collier