45 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,N ovem ber 21,2019 insidehalton.com For over 15 years, our lawyers have helped accident victims recover fair compensation for their injuries. Call us today for a FREE consultation 905.337.9568. INJURED? I N J U R Y L A W Y E R S NOOO HST* *ON SELECT APPLIANCES. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS one day only! doors open 8 am!VIP SALE! FRIDAY NOV 22 8AM! $20 DELIVERYNOOO MIN. PURCHASEIN QUALIFYING AREAS. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS WHY WAIT FOR BLACK FRIDAY? Pottery was a hobby for Oak- ville's Emily Schneider 20 years ago. While she worked full-time on scientific publications, the ce- ramic artist in her had to settle for part-time status. Flash forward to several years ago, when she decided to turn her hobby into something more. Now, she's got her own studio hoping to provide a place for oth- ers to discover their inner pas- sion. Schneider is the owner and in- structor at Beyond the Bowl Pot- tery Studio, which offers classes to the young and old alike. It's a place where people can enjoy learning, growing and really pushing to the next level. That's something that's diffi- cult to find, as she discovered, and the reason she opened Be- yond the Bowl. A ceramic artist, it's fair to say Schneider, 40, is well beyond wheel throwing mugs and bowls. She's creating groundbreaking works that will change the land- scape of contemporary ceramics. Her hand-shaped pieces and innovative approach to clay and its many possibilities have gar- nered her many awards, but she didn't like the limitations. "My work stems from how play can influence creativity," she states on her website. "Much of my inspiration stems from childhood and nature, those imagined worlds and the things that live within them. I strive to keep my work fresh, raw, textur- al, and provoking the need for storytelling." But her life started off on an entirely different path. She earned a bachelor of science de- gree from Trent University and for 15 years was a scientific and technical editor. A busy mom of three daughters, she had a suc- cessful career, but her creative brain was challenging her to go beyond the basics, and she kept running into a brick wall. "The answer was always no to what I wanted to make," she said from her bright, naturally lit, four-person studio in her home near Trafalgar Road and the QEW. "Kilns are expensive and they don't want you doing that in their studios - when I was pushing to the next level." So she opened her own space. It's steps from Sheridan College's campus, where her husband works, and where she graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Crafts and Design in ceramics, winning one of the college's most presti- gious awards - the outstanding achievement - upon graduation. It was a difficult decision to make - going back to school mid- way through life, she said, "turn- ing to 18-year-olds and saying, 'I don't know how to do this.' "It was incredibly hard," she admitted, but called Sheridan the "candy store of ceramics in Cana- da." She said they do everything to help students figure things out. If she had an idea but no tools to make it happen, Sheridan would take care of that. "It was a really fun four years to go back as a mature student. I went in with a big grin on my face." Schneider said she attended the Korean Masters Fusion Glass seminar in Toronto recently, where five Master Potters led a one-of-a-kind workshop. She found it invaluable and learned so much that she's inspired to teach others too. Beyond the Bowl has several different classes to choose from, including adult, children and sin- gle-visit workshops (even mak- ing holiday ornaments and a small holiday platter). Participants will learn about firing the clay in a kiln, located outside her house. Beyond the Bowl Pottery is able to provide workshops at var- ious locations as well. BUSINESS OAKVILLE CERAMIC ARTIST INSPIRED TO OPEN STUDIO Emily Schneider took her passion for pottery and opened her own studio. Beyond the Bowl offers a variety of classes out of her home in Oakville. Julie Slack photo JULIE SLACK jslack@metroland.com HOURS Flexible times Tuesday and Thursday evenings CONTACT beyondthebowlpottery@gmail.com www.beyondthebowlpottery.com Phone: 647-502-9316