Tobias Tomlinson

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Title: Chickasaw Shaman

Year of Creation: 2012

Glaze: Cone 6 lithium glaze with oversprays

Clay Body: Cone 7 Ckk6 Seattle Pottery Supply medium fire porcelain

Dimensions: Height 8 inches, Width 6.5 inches

Artist's Statement: I have been a working potter for nearly 40 years. I received my degree in Fine Arts from the University of Calgary. Some of my instructors include Harlan House, Hal Riegger, Jack Sures, Marilyn Levine, Roy Kiyooka, Santo Mignosa and Léopold Foulem.

I've recently discovered that my great grandmother was a Chickasaw-Cherokee First Nations woman. I've always found medicinal, ceremonial, food plants to be a staple of my for my artistic outlet, and have recently been working on a series of pottery depicting plant life important to First Nations people across North America.

Another of my inspiration is Mission Style and Arts and Crafts tradition from 1900 to 1925. My carved designs are reminiscent of William Morris, the Zanesville potteries of Ohio, and the Newcomb Pottery in New Orleans.