Ashleigh Kasaboski

Clay & Ash Ceramics

Ashleigh Kasaboski has managed CLAY&ASH Ceramic Studio for the past seven years.

Her work began in Toronto, Ontario, where she was a member of The Shop, led by Michelle Organ. She then expanded her skills in Haliburton under Lisa Barry’s mentorship, and further honed her craft on Vancouver Island at the Nanaimo Ceramic Arts Studio alongside Arundel Ceramics. It was during this time that she shifted her focus to teaching ceramics.

Currently based in Deep River, Ashleigh is actively involved with the historic Potter’s Guild, which is celebrating its 70th year, teaches at Bumpy Roads Studio in Pembroke, and is creating a new line of ceramic home decor in her home studio. Her work is available at the Valley Artisan’s Co-op and various retailers and galleries across Canada.

Contact Ashleigh

Karen Shewchuk

Pottery & Charcuterie Boards

I grew up on a beautiful hobby farm just outside of Markstay, Ontario.  My parents, sisters and I enjoyed the many opportunities country living had to offer.  On our property we had nature trails, a small rock quarry to explore, snow mobiles to ride, and many animals.  My dad was a mechanic at INCO Mines, just outside of Sudbury (Nickel Capital of the World).  My dad, and many of his brothers, played guitar and sang, so holiday get-togethers meant lots of food, lots of relatives and lots of music and singing.  My mother was a stay-at-home mom.  She sewed a lot of clothes for my sisters and I (we sometimes looked like triplets wearing the same style and colour of dresses).  My mom had a lot of talent when it came to fiber arts and she taught me some fun things to do with yarn and scraps of fabric.  I remember her bringing me a basket full of fabric that was cut into strips.  Together we braided the fabric until it was very long.  Then we hand‑sewed it together in an oval shape until it turned into a rug.

My mom’s mom was the artist of the family when it came to visual arts.  I remember spending afternoons with my grandmother drawing together.  I would watch her draw beautiful ladies with straight-cut dresses and hairstyles that I’d never seen before.  The length of the dresses were below the knee and the ladies wore headbands with feathers in them – I thought it was strange, but I was intriged by the colours and styles.  I still have some of my grandmother’s drawing of ladies from the 1920’s.  As I grew older, I continued to draw, sketch and paint.

Although I had artistic talent, I chose the administration field in college instead of a program in the visual arts.  I wanted to do art in my spare time for enjoyment and not my 9-5 job.  I graduated from Cambrian College and worked as an office clerk at Bell Canada in Sudbury.

In 1982, I moved to Pinawa, Manitoba where I met some wonderful people I soon became friends with and I found many clubs and groups to join.  The club that was most interesting to me was the Pinawa Ceramic Club.  I also took a portrait drawing class which taught me some amazing techniques.  Life got pretty busy for me during the next few years, running a household and raising my daughters.  I worked at AECL in Pinawa and, eventually, at CNL in Deep River.  While in Deep River, I learned how to snowboard and I joined the Deep River Players and the Deep River Choral Group.  Somehow, I switch from visual arts to performing arts.  How did that happen?  I always thought performing arts was something I would never do (because doing anything in front of an audience was scary for me); but, I tried it, and discovered that I liked it.  Years went by and every once in a while I would ask myself “when are you going to do visual arts again”?  Hopefully I will find the time when I retire.

I retired from CNL in January 2021 and I have enough time now to still be involved with theatre and choral group as well as lots of visual arts.  After finishing up a few home renovation projects, I found myself wanting to do something creative with clay.  I saw the beautiful pots local potters were creating and I really wanted to learn how to do that.  In January 2023, I joined the Deep River Potter’s Guild.  They provided me with lessons and many opportunities to take workshops.  Now I’m having a such a fun time creating some very interesting pieces.  This past year, my husband and I started making charcuterie boards together, as gifts for friends and family.  I loved how my bowls complemented these beautiful wooden charcuterie boards.  Some of the boards were designed with a space for a pottery bowl.  My favourite so far is my octopus bowl in the centre of an American hard maple charcuterie board.

I’m a grandmother now and my grandbabies call me Nana.  They keep me young with lots of playtime and, of course, we spend some afternoons together drawing, painting and playing with clay.

Contact Karen