potter, leather worker and illustrator, was born on 15 June 1913 in Townsville, third of four children of Andrew John Baxter McMaster and Maria Frances Maude née Kennedy. Her father established a series of properties in central western Queensland as well as a wool scour before moving his family to Brisbane in 1922. Val was educated at Somerville House. Aged eighteen, she enrolled in the full-time art course at the Central Technical College, Brisbane. She took up pottery under L.J. Harvey as an elective in her third year and became his most enthusiastic pupil, working many additional hours and cutting other classes to do so.
Val showed pots at the annual student exhibitions in 1933 and 1934 (and probably in 1935-36). She exhibited with the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland in 1933-36 and was also the most successful prize-winner at the Royal National Agricultural Show during these years; in 1933 she was awarded six firsts, two seconds and two highly commended prizes, in 1936 eight firsts and two second prizes. She also exhibited black-and-white work and pottery with the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland at Toowoomba in 1932 and 1934.
Her uncle Sir Fergus McMaster, one of the founders of Qantas, purchased pieces from Val for official company gifts. In 1937-41 she worked for William Bustard at R.S. Exton & Co. painting Bustard’s designs onto stained-glass panels, Owen Maguire, the head artist, adding the final details. Although continuing to produce ceramics at Exton’s, she largely ceased her exhibiting career at this time. In the war years she joined the Women’s National Emergency League and worked as a driver for the 5th USA Airforce. Pottery was no longer a major concern, but she produced prodigious quantities of pokerwork to distribute at Queensland Country Women’s Association and political fetes. Virtually nothing of this survives.
Val McMaster cared for her mother for several years before she died in 1948. Three years later, Val married Edward Potts, a chartered accountant. Hitherto, she had had a surprisingly productive career for one of Harvey’s 'social’ students, and even after this late marriage she learned to throw from Jack Breedon at the Kitty Art Pottery, Albion, and to decorate pottery similarly. However, because she travelled extensively with her husband for most of her married life, she produced little other work.
- Writers:
- Cooke, Glenn R.
Note:
- Date written:
- 1995
- Last updated:
- 2011
