It’s been several weeks since I posted a new blog and now there are some items I want to mention.

The speaker for the October meeting of TriCity Potters was Port Moody Arts Centre’s Dan Severance. I think he spends every spare minute of his days, when he’s not at his regular job in a printshop, working in the clay department. He is the go-to guy for glaze-mixing, kiln loading and firing and all sorts of advice. For this evening he chose to show us his glaze experiments from having been the clay technician at MISSA (Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts) near Victoria. From being someone taking a class he has, after I think four years, become the person who is invited to please take care of firing all the kilns, mix glazes and generally help everyone who is working in clay as part of their art experience at this popular summer camp for mainly clay addicts. In return he can take any classes he wants so he has met some of the best artists and teachers in our field.

He brought samples of his work, fired in various kilns, and work by some of the instructors including Steven Hill. You’ll recognize his in the photo of Dan.

Of particular interest to me is the fact that MISSA has a salt kiln which sits unused all through the year, only being dusted off and fired over the two-week period of the Summer School. What a shame! Dan showed many tests he’d made and had fired in soda and salt firings. There was lots to learn. He gave out his recipe for making up his own underglazes but also mentioned that he’s found that Speedball underglazes can be fired up to cone 10, and that unlike some other brands, they do retain their intense colours. Laura Van der Linde had made up a funny little hand built rooster, painted it with these underglazes and had Dan include it in a salt firing. Wow! I’m impressed.

Then it became clear that several potters at the meeting buy their Speedball underglazes at Creative Children right here in Port Moody!

http://www.creativechildreneducational.com

I never knew this school/ play school/daycare supply warehouse outlet was here on Murray street. I guess that is because I haven’t been teaching or even talking to children for many years. That’s changing. When I popped in to the shop I was delighted with the huge range of school art supplies available right here and was told that they’ve been there fifteen years. Of course I purchased several bottles of their underglaze but I noticed that they sell other ceramic supplies too. Ysabella Choung of Spatial Arts on Clarke street tells me that she’s discovered that the shop will bring in and deliver other clay and supplies that she orders. I’ll be in that shop again, now that I have a grandson.