Best Kind Mud Shop
Lisa Batten, Owner
Lisa was born and raised in Newfoundland but now lives in Three Fathom Harbour with her husband and dogs. Lisa has a PhD in psychology and over 20 years of clinical research experience studying interventions for depression, PTSD, and ADHD. None of this helps her throw, but it does create a pretty decent space for trauma dumping.
Lisa fell in love with pottery a few years ago and has gone ahead and made it her whole identity. Her favorite thing to make is anything with a rat's tail or a butt.
Instagram: @Lisa_is_really_cool
Email: lisa@bestkindmudshop.com
Website: www.lisabatten.com
Reuben, Lead Pat Receiver
Reuben has previously worked as a "psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy assistant dog" which primarily means he cuddled patients after they completed their therapies. He doesn't have any formal training in retail or otherwise, but is willing to do pretty much any task for a treat. His only pottery piece so far is the paw print on his shop bowl.
Meet the Team
Instructor
Elsa Brittin
Elsa Brittin is an emerging ceramic artist working out of her studio in Head of Jeddore, Nova Scotia. She has been passionate about visual aesthetics from a young age, where she began by assembling collected items into pieces of art. She followed this passion through secondary and post secondary visual art programs in the form of sculptural ceramics, and has now been teaching professionally for the past 8 years in bothprivate studios and non-profit institutions. A graduate of NSCAD University with a BFA in Ceramics, Elsa worked as an instructor and studio technician at the Dundas Valley School of Art as well as at Creative Insight Pottery as an instructor. Her previous role as Public Programs Manager at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery helped to strengthen her bonds and understanding to the rich history of ceramics and helped her teaching practice grow as a whole.
Having been featured in exhibitions nationally, Elsa aims to incorporate dynamic lines and form, exploring the relationship between function and sculpture. Her work often features playful sculptures as well as more traditional functional forms.
Instagram: @Elsabrittin
Instructor
Meggie Richards
Meggie Richards is a queer, interdisciplinary artist from Waverley, Nova Scotia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University. Richards has had solo exhibitions, a residency at the Centre for Craft, multiple group-shows, and teaches at multiple facilities in the HRM.
Richards’ work is bright, colorful, and abstract. Her work delves into the symbolic and functional aspects of vessels, examining how they reflect and relate to human identity, emotion, body, and experience. Richards has a passion for teaching and sharing her technical skills. It is her belief that everyone has the ability to create and to find the power within that act.
Instagram:@blushingpolarbear
Instructor
Jess LeMoine
Jess is a ceramic artist and carpenter from Nova Scotia. She graduated from NSCAD University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Ceramics, in 2011. Jess has been teaching pottery to both beginners and advanced students for many years. While she especially loves teaching throwing techniques, she's always thrilled when a student discovers joy in the creative process.
Instructor
Inayah Patel
nayah Patel is an emerging ceramic artist and craftsperson. Recently having moved to Kjipuktuk (Halifax), she is currently pursuing a BFA in Ceramics at NSCAD University. Inayah has an Integrated Design Diploma and Ceramics certificate from the Haliburton School of Art + Design in Ontario, where she learned to harness and refine her creativity. While her primary focus is ceramics, she enjoys interdisciplinary art and likes to combine fibre, metal, wood and other sensory elements into her work. Inayah is passionate about mindful living, and finds the practice of creating to be a meditative and healing process. She intends to use her passion for craft and design to help facilitate safe spaces for others looking for a similar outlet.
Instagram: @in.tel_studio
Instructor
Darren Rowles
Born amidst the lush landscapes and verdant valleys of Wales and now living in the heart of Nova Scotia, Darren brings a unique blend of cultural perspectives and artistic innovation to the local ceramic scene. Darren embodies the spirit of resilience and creativity that defines the ceramic artistry here in NS.
Living in Dartmouth, Darren's journey into ceramics is marked not by formal degrees but by a passionate pursuit of knowledge through self-study and various ceramic courses. He is the current sitting president of the Nova Scotia Potters Guild and is an artist propelled by a vision for the potter community. He furthers his expertise through teaching beginners at HRM community centres and mentoring new potters in a life of clay, reflecting his dedication to mastering the craft.
At his home studio, Cymraeg Ceramics, located in Dartmouth, Darren transforms humble lumps of earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain into both functional and intricate decorative pieces, exemplify the triumphs of human creativity over the raw, natural materials of the earth.
Instagram: @Cymraegceramics