Loon Whistle, Hand-modelled Stoneware, 11.4 by 7.5 cm
The magic of the Loon Whistle is it’s beauty. It sits comfortably in ones hand. The glaze is a deep black and the sound created is reminiscent of a loon’s call. A sound that is both haunting and compelling.
The Loon Whistle was one of Reed Weir’s centre piece in her ceramic production work through out the years she was working in ceramics. The development of the Loon Whistle was initiated while living in Ontario and working at Loon Studios, her parents art studio and art gallery. Loon figurines were common as were loon calls. Weir came up with the idea to put the two together to create a “Loon Whistle” that when blown would sound the call of a loon.
The progression of how the loon whistle was made developed and changed over the years.
The first were thrown on a potters wheel creating an enclosed shape that was shaped similar to a large carrot. The loon’s head was pulled from the thick end in the same method as a mugs handle is pulled from a wad of clay with the carrot shape becoming the body where the whistle was whittled.
The next stage and what became the on-going method used a two-piece press mold. A most simple mold shaped with the head and body as a unit. The clay was pressed into the mold leaving a open space in the body cavity to form the hollow that would become the whistle. The clay was removed from the mold when it was still wet and the edges were cleaned with a fettling knife and the head moved left or right. At this point there were no eyes or smile. These forms were kept under plastic for up to three days allowing the clay to semi-harden to the consistency of a hard cheddar cheese.
This is when they were each whittled to form the whistle, the hole was put in the back to change the note and the eyes were pressed in and the smile placed into the beak.
Each Loon Whistle was hand modelled and hand whittled by Reed Weir. Each is unique. Side by side the variations are noticeable. Reed created and produced the whistles however the glaze was developed by her partner and fellow potter Brian Banfield.
Reed Weir 