Patrick Royle
Patrick Royle was born in 1951 in Banff, Alberta. In a high school art class, he was denied an opportunity to learn about throwing pottery on the wheel due to his "lack of aptitude." So his artistic career began after high school in his work as an aspiring pastry chef, and he moved on to the hotter temperatures of the kiln and the mystique of the clay. In 1976, while living in Victoria, B.C., he had taken a beginning pottery course at Open Space, but then he kept his hands out of clay for four years.
Patrick moved to Whitehorse in 1980, and he became a founding member of the Whitehorse Potters Guild. He furthered his training through workshops arranged by the guild as well as the Alberta Culture Series Program, held at Red Deer College in the summers.
It was Patrick's fireweed design that led him to becoming a full-time potter. He began developing that line in 1985, and in 1986 he was making enough sales that he could commit to making pottery full-time.
Today, Patrick has several lines, and the fireweed line is still his most popular. It is the quintessential Yukon gift. Seldom is there a wedding, retirement party, or going away party where there isn't a fireweed pottery gift. Collections of Patrick's pots exist all around the world. In 2001, the Yukon government commissioned Patrick to produce a 12-place-setting dinner set for the Royal visit of H.R.H. Prince Charles in the fireweed design.
Patrick has art pieces in the National Art Bank as well as the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. He is a founding member and vice-chair of the Yukon Artists @ Work Society. He is an active volunteer and makes numerous donations each year. Patrick holds an annual raku pottery party, where he invites the public to his home to decorate and fire small pots he has made. This event is his way of thanking the community members for their support of him.