Tuesday’s Gogos ‘Soup’s On’ event went very well. All the volunteers made sure things went smoothly. Soup was delicious, appies, bread and desserts were good. There was a no-host bar and lots of silent auction items. We were entertained by an excellent teenage singer and I don’t have her name. One of the Gogos who has been to Africa gave a slide show of the work that is supported by this sort of fundraiser. I’m very happy that TriCity Potters contributed to such a worthy cause.

The very next morning I received an email from Hazel Postma to ask if our next community contribution might not be some candlesticks for an Amnesty International evening in the Fall. Why not?

Later that day fellow Port Moody potter Clive Tucker phoned to ask if I intended to attend a NW Ceramic Foundation lecture at ECUAD so I was pleased to have company for the drive in. Speakers were husband and wife ceramic artists Thomas Aitken and Kate Hyde from Ontario. They met at Cardiff while studying for their Ceramics MAs and now operate a studio and gallery in rural Ontario. They fire to cone 6, in oxidation. His work is skilled and functional, glazed in pleasing colours. Kate draws on paper and fabric and on pots that he has thrown. It is a delightful combination for their customers.  Thomas and Kate were apparently working with current ECUAD students this week. For more information on them check their website       http://www.thomasaitken.com/samples2.html

I mentioned to Thomas that he and Kate must live quite near my Medalta buddy Brenda Sullivan. He was delighted to tell me that he had written her letter of reference for her residency! He and Kate were at Medalta in 2009 when Vancouverites Gail Carney and Amy Gogarty were residents there. Soda changes their work quite a bit! Thomas had seen my salty jugbirds on Granville Island and said the same thing of my work. Now I have more people to visit in Ontario…

These well-attended lectures are always a fun chance to catch up with other potters. I was pleased to connect with Sally Michener to give her a box of masses of my glaze tests. She had put a call out to BCPG members for shards to cover her latest sculptures and was pleased that her old students helped out. It’s great to find a good use for those colourful slip, underglaze and glaze test tiles rather than using them as landfill!