Throw It In the Kiln!
When I first visited Kay Ogilvie’s studio, the diversity of her work immediately caught my attention. I loved the massive bats hanging upside down – as they would, of course – but what really stood out was how varied everything was. If you spread her pieces across a gallery floor without any labels, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were made by a group of different artists. In my humble opinion, that’s part of Kay’s magic.
Kay Ogilvie is a potter – and so much more. Her studio pieces range from playful platters to towering totems, made with a mix of clay, glaze, glass and whatever else the day inspires.
Kay tells me that although her body often begs her to rest, she’s a self-confessed workaholic — her mind is always ticking, full of ideas and energy to keep going.
And so she does. Inspiration hasn’t stopped arriving, even decades into her creative journey.
One themed exhibition gave her a poem to respond to, and years later, the influence is still showing up – in totems, pots, plates, and more.
She’s happy to share her secrets, too. When I asked about how she achieves the patterns, colours and textures in her pieces, she laughed and explained one of her favourite techniques: pit firing. “My wonderful husband made me a small portable kiln out of two laundry tubs.
I stack it with firewood and all sorts of ingredients — seaweed, Epsom salt, cow manure, garden fertiliser, copper wire, rusty metal — packed around low-fired pots. Then I light it and wait impatiently to see what magic happens.” The results, she says, are “wildly erratic, often wonderful, and great fun”.
That curiosity started back in 1993 during a design course at Tai Tokerau Polytech, when pottery was one of the subjects. “I was immediately enchanted by the feel of clay, the way it responded to every touch,” Kay says. “The heat and noise of the kiln being fired, the buckets of sludgy glaze that would transform – usually! – into beautiful colours. I’m as captivated by that magic now as I was then. Still experimenting, still learning, still loving it.”
Her current work often combines clay, glaze, and glass – a vibrant mix that she says she ‘stumbled on’ after a lot of trial and error. It’s become a recognisable part of her style, although in typical Kay fashion, she doesn’t try to lock herself into one direction. “I’ve always just made what draws me at the moment,” she says. “When I was at Polytech, the tutors kept wanting me to ‘find my direction’. I never have, as I enjoy all the directions.”
Kay’s playful side is also nourished by her grandchildren, whose fearless, colourful, and delightfully asymmetric clay creations have helped shape her own artistic perspective. “Their work has a spontaneous looseness, which is very appealing,” she says.
From her Wyuna Peninsula studio – appropriately named Gannets Nest – Kay creates everything from hand-built platters and tumblers to large garden sculptures like totems and planters. The sea views bring her joy, and that sense of beauty and brightness flows into her colour choices too. “I tend to just reach out to my glaze shelves and let my hand fall on one, and then the next one that goes with it,” she explains. “It’s a lovely feeling – as if the surroundings choose the colour.”
This past summer, Kay was one of the artists featured at Coromind ArtWorks. “Taylor, Leo and the whole Coromind team were so lovely to work with,” she says. “The displays were magnificent.” Pop-up galleries like Coromind ArtWorks, she believes, play an important role in giving people more chances to see and buy local art.
She’s also a familiar face in the Coromandel Arts Tour, where her open studio gives the community a peek into her world. “Feedback from the public is very useful and appreciated,” Kay says. “I hope visitors enjoy the visit as much as I enjoy them visiting.”
There’s something refreshing about a maker who’s just as open to surprises as her kiln. With every piece, Kay Ogilvie keeps discovering new directions – and making sure she enjoys the ride along the way.
Kay’s studio, Gannets Nest, is located at Wyuna Bay Rd in Coromandel Town. Give her a call or send her an email to book a visit!
020 4191 7611 or 020 4003 1399
Words by Leonardo Magri
