Yesterday I opened my latest firing. Along with my usual jugbirds I fired 3 oval plates and a larger platter for Vancouver artist Eric Metcalfe. He enjoys the change from his usual practice of 2D paintings with gouache. On bone-dry slab plates that I make for him he first draws with pencil and then applies 3 coats of two or three carefully chosen underglazes. I bisque fire them and then apply clear glaze and fire them to cone 04 along with my own pieces. Mine are all painted with coloured slips and I only use underglaze when I want red or a real orange.

This morning Eric persuaded his friend David Barnhill to drive him out to Port Moody to collect his latest plates and to have coffee with Alan and me. He’s very happy with the way the plates have emerged – bright, with a buttery finish. David decided to buy a chickadee jugbird as a wedding present and one of my older ‘Bloomsbury’ dishes for a friend.

Another visitor came yesterday. He’d found me on the web and realizing I’d just opened the kiln came right over from Burnaby. He selected a larger Flicker Jugbird with a matching sugarpot. Only after he’d left did I realize that he had pieces I’d made for another customer! Stupid mistake to make. Now I really do have to make some more and get them fired asap!