Rooster and Chook
Two Chooks
Blue Penguins
Kingfishers
Morepork and Baby Morepork
Pukeko
Joyce Young
Pottery for me started a whole new world using clay as a medium for creativity, then wanting to build a kiln to fire the clay to permanency. my first kiln, built in the mid 1960s at Oaonui, Opunakewas a single chamber drip - fed iol kiln using fire bricks from local disused dairy factory boilers. Three more oil fired brick kilns later, in Opunake then at Oakura were replaced in 1993 by a Natural Gas fibre lined kiln. In 2008 I moved into New Plymouth from Oakura, where I have a natural gas kiln, art and pottery rooms.My pottery and paintings are inspired by the Taranaki landscape and natural environment. Rocks, sea, coastal and mountain images are common themes in my work, as are flora and fauna. Using textured surfaces, I make a variety of pottery pieces including garden sculptures, floral containers - but my speciality would be the small and large decorative wall panels I create. I have been painting landscapes in watercolour all my life.
I am self taught but made full use of the Opunake library service (1965 - 1980) to learn, grow in knowledge and better understand the art I love to create. Currently I am taking on the challenge of acrylic painting and using pastels.
While living in Opunake I taught pottery and art at Opunake High School and evening classes for adults, firing all the work in my own kiln - for nine years.
My town garden is open for the 2009 Taranaki Rhododendron Garden Festival, where my pottery will be on display.
I have received a great number of commissions over the years and have been exhibiting since the 1970s. Selected Exhibitions include: Taranaki Art Review 2000 - 2006, Kina Gallery, New Plymouth (2003) Riversdale in the South Island (2002), The Royal Easter Show, Taranaki Society of Arts, The New Zealand Potters National Exhibitions and The New Plymouth Society of Potters. I have won many awards for my pottery including being placed first in the Taranaki Art Review for my piece "Aspects of Opunake" and winning a Merit Award for Sculpture in the same competition in 2002. I received a Merit award in the New Plymouth Potters Annual Exhibition (2002) was the Royal Easter Show Winner in Auckland in both 2005 and 2006.
My work has been on show in Melbourne (2002), New York (2000) and Canada (2007). I exhibit regularly at the Real TArt Gallery in New Plymouth.
Please enjoy the images of my work you see on this site. Do note however, that no two pieces I create are exactly the same. Each piece is unique. I am happy to take commissions, please contact the Real TArt Gallery to register your interest.
