Ryan and Gail Wilen were born and lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario until they moved in 2007 to the Sunshine Coast. The natural beauty of the BC coast reminds them of Lake Superior and the boreal forest of Northern Ontario.
Together they are fascinated with the natural world and spend a great deal of time exploring woods and waterways always eager for an encounter with wildlife.
Both intuitive artists, they share the artistic style of dog river pottery. Their art arises from the inspiration and passion for animals, birds and other wild creatures that inhabit the Canadian landscape. Their interest has further developed into a desire to help in the conservation of wildlife and their habitat.
"By creating wildlife we hope to inspire people to be more aware of its' existence and would be delighted if our work evokes pleasant memories of your own past encounters in the natural world."
Gail apprenticed in a well-known pottery shop, Strawberry Hill Pottery, for eight years where she discovered her abilities as a studio potter. She established dog river pottery in 1994. Ryan's artistic abilities were integrated a few years later incorporating his own abstract style to the creations.
To further their knowledge of each subject they study behavior and anatomy. But their objective is to convey the inner spirit of each piece by capturing the movement and the emotion being portrayed.
The figures are created by the manipulation of modeling clay, sometimes utilizing an armature for larger pieces. Once completed a master mold and working molds are made using rubber and plaster techniques. The mold making, casting, decorating and firing are all completed in their studio, which assures the attention to detail and quality.
Interested in sharing their skills, they have taught mold making workshops at Lakehead University for Ceramic Art students for several years while living in Thunder Bay. It is customary for new designs to be created annually.
We hope you enjoy our catalogue!
