A local artist is returning home to the Valley this summer. Brenda Lychuk of B’s Ceramic Studio is relocating back home to Minitonas and hopes to share the art of making ceramics with others. She recalls the first time she dabbled in making ceramic pieces.
“I first got interested in ceramics back in 2001, when I was working from home,” said Lychuk. “I happened to be reading the Star and Times when I came across an ad for Hogg Wild Ceramics that said, ‘Are you bored?’, and at that point, I was. So I called, signed up for a class, fell in love with the craft and worked for them for one Christmas season. Later on, I bought out Glenda in Minitonas and started B’s Ceramics.
“I learned how to make ceramics from Judy Hogg. We worked together at the Westwood Inn, so it was a couple of friends coming together. She was a great artist. I also took a few courses in Brandon at the Warehouse to earn certificates in working with specific products, as well as participated in some workshops to learn about different products.
“Back in those days, there wasn’t Google and Pinterest to do research and get ideas, whereas now the information out there is limitless when it comes to learning stuff,” said Lychuk.
This led Lychuk to open her own art studio in the Valley. Eventually, she opened one up in Flin Flon as well.
“I first opened my studio in Minitonas and started in a house I rented back in September of 2002,” said Lychuk. “My love for the craft and how I felt when I was working with the clay and the paint was truly my passion. It made me move forward, to put up a building in my yard where I worked for 12 years. The building is still standing and we are opening up again.
“I moved to Flin Flon for a period of time to spend some time with my husband. We had always worked apart and it was time for us to be in the same community. Flin Flon was so accepting of my craft and the studio.”
Lychuk loves the process it takes to make a ceramic piece of art. It’s quite a detailed process, but the finished product makes it all worthwhile.
“Creating a piece to be brought to life in the studio is what I love the most,” said Lychuk. ‘I love the process involved in making the piece. This is an art all of its own. I currently have around 6,000 molds, each of which is a different piece. There are mixers, so my clay starts in dry form, adding chemicals to get it to the proper consistency. Then it is transferred over to a table, where all my molds are lined up, and they are filled with a liquid slip.
“Depending on weather and temperatures in the building, and how dry the mold is from pouring, they stand full of clay for anywhere from half an hour to 45 minutes. Then they are drained and the molds are cleaned up on the outside and left to sit until the following day. Hopefully, by then, they will be dry enough to start opening them up. These pieces are then pulled from the molds, bottoms are cut out, and holes are made where necessary. They are put onto shelves sitting on chiprock, which helps to remove the moisture and the water from the clay. This helps them to become dry enough to be cleaned.
“When we clean a piece, the seams are cut back from when mold join, sanded and flaws taken out,” said Lychuk. “It can be scribed into at that point, and then the piece is put into the kiln, where the temperature reaches 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A full kiln will run for about six to seven hours, depending on how many pieces are in it.
“The kiln then sits for 12 hours to cool and the pieces are then removed. They are put on the shelves and are visible for artists to come and choose the piece they want to work on.”
B’s Ceramic Studio offers classes and events where people can come and make their own ceramic piece of art. Lychuk likes to keep up with the trends and is always adding new molds and processes into the studio.
“When I was in Flin Flon, I ran evening classes, consisting of an adult class, and I tried to do a Saturday afternoon one as well,” said Lychuk. “I’ve hosted birthday and pyjama parties. I once had a bridal party come in, and the bride liked all the different frogs, so the group got together and created these pieces. At the end, the pieces were gifted to the bride for her yard. I loved working in the schools and just finished working with a grade 6 class and McIsaac School in Flin Flon. I’ve also held classes for seniors and vocational schools. Anyone who can hold a paintbrush can make a masterpiece.
“I love new molds and try to keep up with the times. I love all the new pieces that are being created, as well as purchasing the new supplies out there. I have molds of just about everything, from wildlife to Christmas, and the retro Christmas trees, which have taken off again. I have planters and welcome ones. You name it, we pretty much have it.
“The projects can range from $5 to $120,” said Lychuk. “If you can dream it, I can try to find it if we don’t already own it. The other option is to take some pieces from other molds and create something special. I really try to make sure my customers are happy and able to create the pieces of their choosing.”
Currently, Lychuk is packing up and beginning her move home to Minitonas. She is looking forward to returning to life in the Valley and teaching classes out of her studio.
“Right now, I have two locations, one in Flin Flon and the other in Minitonas,” said Lychuk. “We are currently in the process of moving everything to Minitonas to move back home. We are in the middle of a massive move and moving 3,000 molds from a building. These molds are fragile, so you can’t stack them. We are hauling them load by load. My last class in Flin Flon will be June 30. We are giving ourselves July and August to get the studio set up in Minitonas.
“I’m looking forward to moving back, starting my ceramics and the next stages of my life. Moving forward, I am really excited to see what we can all create in Minitonas.”