The Process and Work of Darlene Pratt
Darlene began as a hobbyist in 1988 with a potter’s wheel and a penchant for functional ware. Between 2005 and 2020, life circumstances forced her to abandon working with clay, so she participated in a creative mentorship program with master ceramicist, Lesley McInally in 2020, rekindling her passion for ceramic art form and compelling her to explore conceptual sculptural forms. Darlene’s work feels familiar and alien, compelling intimate examination of the surfaces, visually and through touch. Animalian, yet reminiscent of plants, and of fossils, her pieces could be objects of the past, present, or future. She was awarded the 2024 Tucker's Pottery Supplies Ltd. Clay Supply Grant through the Craft Ontario Awards program, and Best Sculptural and People's Choice awards at the 2022 Fusion: Ontario Clay & Glass Association’s annual show. She has shown at Baltimore Clayworks, The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, Gardiner Museum Shop, Carnegie Gallery, Thames Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Burlington, and the Rails End Gallery; and her work is available in Canada at Gallery House SKWIRL in Bayfield, Coles Art Market in Huntsville, and Flux Pottery in London.