West Ottawa Streetscape

At his studio in Burnstown, Ontario, Richard Gill mixed the clay for a massive new project—a 20-foot wall mural at the Hintonburg Community Centre. He wedged and pounded the clay into flat slabs, then pinched out the rough form of a west Ottawa streetscape. Over the next week, as the clay stiffened, Gill completed the trees, houses and people. When completely dry, the slabs were kiln fired to 1,800°F, cleaned and painted with glazes. Each piece was fired again, this time to 2,300°F. Finally, the pieces were fitted, wired and hung in a custom-built recess along the centre’s concrete ramp wall.