Who is Night & Day Studio?

Night and Day Studio was formed in 1995 by Paul Kaye, after completing 3 years at Sheridan College's Ceramics Program. He began by designing and hand-crafting terracotta planters focusing on classic forms, with good function. This is still his main focus today.

In 1997, Paul formed a partnership with Elsa Mann, also a potter, but who was creating a very different style of pottery. She focused on “Raku” vessels; primarily decorative works. Together with Paul’s garden planters, the two styles were a great combination. They teamed up to form a working studio in a rural setting north of Guelph, and were married in 2003.

As Paul created new and interesting clay vessels for container gardeners, Elsa explored the raku firing process and began experimenting using raku tile to create home décor accents. She began tiling surfaces, utilizing the metallic sheens of raku tile to create dazzling accent tables. This exploration then lead to tiled mirrors, mantel surrounds and feature tiles. She continues to explore new applications, clays and techniques to expand the versatility of her pottery. Most recently she has explored hand sculpted jewellery and horse-hair raku pottery.

July 1st, 2000 Night & Day Studio evolved to include a retail store and showroom in the village of Elora, ON.

In 2001, the studio took a large step towards self sufficiency, as Paul refurbishing large clay mixing equipment. This allowed him to refine raw Ontario clay for use in making his planters. The rich colour and texture of Night and Day Studio’s own terracotta clay, compliments the various greens of container plantings.

In January of 2004, Night and Day Studio found a new home just south of Mount Forest. At this new location, Paul and Elsa have set up their home, a full working studio, retail location, and offer workshops and classes in pottery and tile making. The 4.6 acre property is surrounded by towering pines which create a dramatic setting for displaying their work and inspiring new creative ideas.

In the Fall of 2004, Stÿll ( pronounced “style”), a fine craft gallery, opened in Elora. This new retail location is a fabulous partnership, formed between 3 artisan couples. It includes the clay works of Night and Day Studio, metal art by Metallic Evolution, and mixed media/glass décor by Bibelot Design Co.

In addition to the Mount Forest and Elora locations, Elsa and Paul partake in various garden shows, art fairs and exhibitions. For a full list of when and where you might catch them, link to our Events & Classes.

If you think you may have seen these pots before, you're probably right. Their work has been featured in Gardening Life Magazine, Style at Home Magazine, Ontario Gardener, Canadian Gardening, City TV’s Cityline, The Gardener’s Journal , Calling All Gardeners, Just Ask Jon Eake’s and Sue Warden’s -Creative Decor.