NCECA in Seattle March 28-31
Now that the Christmas season is over and other people are back at work or school I'm quite content to be back in the studio. I've read the same sentiment from several artist friends on facebook. We look forward to family and celebrating time but actually enjoy solo time doing our chosen passion just as much. 
My one photo was taken on Granville Island on New Year's Eve. Alan and I were there to take in a matinee of the show 'Blood Brothers' at the Arts Club. Did not join in the standing ovation.. Afterwards we enjoyed dinner with family at 'Whet'. Good food.
I am happy to have an ipad now and will have to spend some days getting up to speed on its capabilities. Probably typing on my MacBook is preferable but when we're travelling I shall be able to email and use the internet. I downloaded 'DerManDar' and shall enjoy taking panoramic images. And 'Draw Free' has already proven addictive. I see that David Hockney's upcoming show at the Royal Academy is to include some ipad drawings!
NCECA, this year in Seattle, is causing much excitement locally. I've already registered. This will be the nearest we've ever had the ceramic conference. I was able to attend it when it was in Las Vegas (cheap flights from here) and more recently in Portland. Now I'm happy to know that my Medalta friend Brenda Sullivan plans to fly out from Ontario to travel down to Seattle for the conference with me. Alan can't resist the chance to spend 3 days in Seattle too. He'll enjoy the museums, galleries and meet up with archaeological friends.
Meanwhile I've been able to unwrap several half-made jugbirds and a bird teapot and get spouts/bills and handles on them and start the painting of them. Poor Soly at YVR Crafthouse is fairly patient but I now have a deadline... asap!
Granville Island
Yesterday was my day to deliver pots. Even though it was raining really hard I drove to the airport first. Normally I park near a Skytrain station and use transit to get to YVR but this time I needed my car to get on to Granville Island as well. I'm glad to have the airport supplied again - they've waited too long! These heavy suitcases were lying unclaimed in US Departures..
On Granville Island I was so pleased to meet up with Margaret Hsu in the Gallery of BC Ceramics. We met in 1991 in a 2nd year Ceramics class (my first of three years there) at ECCAD. Margaret went on to specialize in making ceramic coke bottles entwined with Chinese dragons - East meets West. She was born in Taiwan, attended High School and Art School in Vancouver and now lives in Carmel, Indiana. Luckily for me she was holidaying in Vancouver with her daughter, staying with her sister. We ate lunch in Railspur Alley. Sadly for us Margaret is working on her other passion, web design, rather than ceramics for now. 
I gave the enthusiastic staff at the Gallery of BC Ceramics some of the new salt jugbirds and some salt and some terra sig. mugs.
On my way over to the market I stopped in at the Charles H. Scott gallery in ECUAD and enjoyed the current show 'Miscreants and Reprobates' Myfanwy MacLeod and William Hogarth. Myfanwy's large drawings and what must be a computer-generated sculpture of one of Hogarth's shady characters are set amongst big etchings of Hogarth's well-known images - not Rake's Progress, but 'Prentice's Progress. The message is to be a hard-working, loyal apprentice and you'll become Lord Mayor of London, if not you'll wind up dead. A similar fate awaits a woman of questionable virtue. It's always fun to see these historic etchings.
Further along Johnson Street I found the 'Revision 2011' show of sculptures made from recycled materials set up around Creekhouse. Bill Thompson (who has more than once won the decorated garbage can contest on Granville Island) mentioned the show on facebook. I'm so pleased I found it - I really enjoy outrageous sculptures made from unlikely objects, especially Bill's work. It must be my desire to recycle as much as I can. Here are some pieces that I could photograph. Some were behind wire mesh for safety. I believe the show will be there for some weeks so do take a look.
I didn't make a note of all the artists. If I am sent the names I will add them to this later.
Finally I took some new jugbirds into Circle Craft. The whole shop and gallery have been changed around and it all looks very elegant, ready for all the tourists there this summer. In the new gallery area I enjoyed seeing 'Material Bloom' which features the work of woodworker Peter Pierobon and jeweller Barbara Cohen.
SPOTTERY!
This weekend sees the opening of 'Spottery' at the Gallery of BC Ceramics. I expect it will be a colourful, lighthearted show for Spring, with work by well-known and not-so-well-known BC potters featuring spots, dots, holes, circles and knobs. Spotty/Pottery.. They say the weather will be sunny on Saturday and we need to know that May, the next day, will bring warmth too for the garden!
Venture down to Granville Island right away before it becomes crowded the following week with visitors to ECUAD's Graduation Exhibition. That opens to invited guests on May 7th, runs from the 8th until 22nd, 10am - 6pm, and is always a great time to see the most creative new art and design.
New Jugbirds for ArtWalk
When clouds weren't obscuring the lovely sun yesterday morning I dashed outside and photographed my brand-new jugbirds on a suitable tree stump or garden walkway, wherever a bird might happen to hesitate.
Later in the day I enjoyed a jaunt in to Granville Island. At Circle Craft I borrowed back half a dozen of my best salt-fired pieces to show to ArtWalk guests. And Vincent Massey and I were able to meet up so that we could transfer 3 boxes of my bisque-fired, liner-glazed and wadded pieces to his car. He is on the island on Monday evenings to take a painting class at ECUAD. He plans to fire his salt kiln at his Whistler studio in early May so I will be waiting excitedly to hear how that goes. Thanks So Much Vincent!
Joe Fafard
Yesterday Al and I drove into Granville Island to let the galleries have the few new jugbirds I have for them. Surprise! There was a new poster - fame at last!
Then we checked out some South Granville street galleries. One well-known Alberta/BC Gallery is showing Joe Fafard's new work. I always enjoy his huge bulls in city locations - Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto. In the seventies I took a workshop with him at Surrey Art Gallery. At that time he was concentrating on clay sculptures of Canadians and Van Gogh.
All the sculptures are bronze. This Emily Carr is nicer than the one in the street at Granville and 7th.
We were told that it took Joe 3 years to make this running horse. It is lifesize and fabulous!
Today was one of those beautiful frosty Winter days. Here is the view north from our house, the North Shore mountains, specifically Mount Seymour.
The other view is looking east towards Golden Ears with Port Moody's Newport highrises in the foreground.
Not a bad place to live!
Keith Rice-Jones’ show ‘Size Matters’
Yesterday Alan and I went in to Granville Island for the opening of Keith Rice-Jones' show 'Size Matters' at the Gallery of BC Ceramics. He worked on the ideas for these large garden pieces while on a 3-month solo residency at Sturt Pottery in Australia. The work looked fine in the gallery space, on plain concrete, in September sunshine.
As gallery manager Sharon Cohen said, it was a complete contrast to the previous wildly colourful show by Laura VanderLinde. September is a great time for a show there - I am remembering my 'Ornithikos' show which opened at this time 7 years ago. It launched my jugbirds and was a very exciting time for me.
Two guests were Ken (photographer and sculptor) and Carol (ceramics curator) Mayer,
Best wishes for a successful month, Keith.
Saturday in Vancouver
The other day we were in Vancouver to help our son celebrate his 35th birthday. We found him some Danish Modern chairs in a New Westminster 2nd-hand store. Mike's collecting that era furniture for his old apartment and seemed delighted with our find. There are 4 armless dining chairs to match.
Then we went down to Granville Island. People like the salty mugs at the Gallery of BC Ceramics. At Circle Craft I checked the display in their window. Some of my salty pots are there along with fun sculpture figures by Debra Sloan. 
It's hard to take photos properly through glass.
While there we took a look at the current gallery show featuring the work of Cathi Jefferson along with furniture makers Joe Gelinas and Sandra Carr. I was so impressed with the carefully considered collaboration between these craftspeople. Cathi has made special vessels and tiles to insert into or stand on shelves, mirrors and tables. The arbutus, gary oak and other woods are beautifully matched or enhanced by the toasty colours and delicate painting on Cathi's pieces. Collaboration is tricky and this show is well worth taking in to see how it can be done right.
It runs until Aug 31st. Go to the Gallery section of the Circle Craft website to see photos of the show and read an excellent review by Thelma Ruck Keen and friends.