AJAX-- Transforming a chunk of clay into a three-dimensional piece that can be used or just admired is how Deanna Jones explains her love for pottery.

Jones has been a member of the Durham Potters Guild since it was founded more than 20 years ago, joining with a few of her friends because of their shared interest in pottery.

The Greenwood resident finds her inspiration from a variety of places.

"Over the years it has grown from people's input to other potters' work, although you cannot copy their work but you get ideas from it," Jones said.

She is part of the Guild's upcoming Christmas Show and Sale on Nov. 8 and 9.

Although the Guild started with sales at the Pickering Recreation Complex, it soon expanded and moved to its current location, the Ajax Kinsmen Heritage Centre.

Jones has shown her work in shows such as the Guild's Spring and Christmas shows, the One of a Kind, the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, the Toronto Outdoor Arts Exhibition and the Unionville and Markham festivals.

She is proud to say her work was chosen to present to former Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander at the opening ceremonies of the Pickering City Hall complex.

"I'm a full-time potter; I've been involved in pottery for over 30 years," Jones said.

The pieces are shown and sold in her studio workshop, Barn Swallow Pottery, at 2530 Concession 6 in Greenwood.

The time needed to complete a work "depends on the size of the piece," said Jones. "If I were doing a mug it takes up to a couple of weeks."

The process involves moulding, decorating, trimming, drying, glazing and firing the piece twice.

"I work on a variety of functional pieces and a few decorative pieces as well," Jones said.

While the majority of her creations are of a practical nature, Jones also had the chance to create whimsical teapots for a show at the Durham West Arts Centre.

Her work is in private collections across Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia.

Jones can also be found at the pottery studio in the Pickering Recreation Complex, where she teaches a class for youth on Saturday mornings.

"There is usually one or two students who picks up on pottery and wants to get fully into it," Jones said.

Her work is available at her studio workshop and at the twice-annual Guild shows, including the Christmas Show, which features the work of many artists in the group, including Leanne Jordan, an active member for the past two years.

"I moved to Whitby three years ago where I met the chair (of the Durham Potters Guild) who suggested I join," said Jordan.

Creating in clay has been a passion of Jordan's since she took an interest as a girl.

"It went back to when I was a child," she said. "I attended a summer camp where I first tried pottery."

She attended The Ontario College of Art and Design where she worked with the medium after changing her major to ceramics.

"It's a good outlet because all of the potters get together for the meetings that are during the month," Jordan said of her membership in the Guild.

The meetings allow members the opportunity to share their ideas while providing a social meeting place for local potters.

Like Jones, Jordan also owns a home-based studio, in Brooklin.

"I run my own business; my studio is called Leanne Ryan-Jordan Pottery," she said. "I've had my studio since I graduated from college."

Her pottery includes a functional line of porcelain and stoneware in yellow, green, blue and brown glazes.

"Everything I do is functional while each piece is also a decorative piece," Jordan said when asked how to classify her pottery.

The forms are simple and refined, allowing her to use creative surface effects, something for which she is known.

"A lot of my inspiration comes from nature and also Japanese-type pottery," she said.

Jordan uses details like stamping, carving and pressing objects such as leaves into her pieces to add uniqueness to her work and to give it a Japanese feel.

"The simplicity of Japanese style; it's simple and beautiful but has a purpose," Jordan said.

Her work is created on a potter's wheel, with some pieces formed from rolled out slabs of clay.

Jordan also explained how the completion of a project depends upon the piece.

"I usually make sets, 10 or four to a set," she said. "I can make 10 little pots in a half an hour. But then there is the process of drying, trimming, firing it twice and glazing that makes the completion of the set take a month to finish."

Jordan's work is high fired, causing it to be strong and durable for everyday use.

Her work has been shown in a variety of exhibitions, including the Guild's annual shows, the Scarborough Craft Show, Showcase of the Arts, Fairy Lake Artisan Show, Brooklin Art in the Park, Art Naturally and Jubilee Art Craft.

Jordan's upcoming shows include the Potters Guild Christmas Sale, Fusion Pottery and Glass Sale 2008, and the Scugog Showcase of the Arts 2008. For more information on Jordan, visit her website, www.leanneryanjordan.com.

The Durham Potters Guild's Christmas Pottery Show is at the Ajax Kinsmen Heritage Centre, 120 Roberson Dr., Ajax. It's open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat. Nov. 8 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sun. Nov. 9.

For more information or for a map, visit www.durhampotters.com.