Some time ago Port Moody Arts Centre’s Kelly Doyle approached me to ask if TriCity Potters would be interested in undertaking another ‘challenge’ for a good cause. Spoiler alert.. we have been asked to make pendants for inclusion in a ‘goody bag’ for attendees at the Arts Centre’s upcoming fundraiser,’Ladies Night Out’ in August.

We’ve already agreed to make flower pots for Amnesty International’s Fall fundraiser so this was just considered a fun, one-day social gathering for our members. I offered my usually cool studio for today’s workshop but in the end I wondered if anyone would want to come. Vancouver is enveloped with a smelly cloud of smoke from forest fires up the coast and on Vancouver Island, plus the temperature is up in the thirties centigrade. Three members contacted me with apologies for not coming, due to extreme heat, the smoke or just being busy. But at 10am and shortly thereafter eleven members showed up!

I had most of a bag of medium-temperature stoneware clay which fires white. I rolled out a reasonably thin slab and the group got to work. There were so many ideas and methods employed, and stories told! We stopped for a potluck lunch out on the patio, and then continued to dry the pieces and paint with underglazes – the time flew by, and I thought we’d be all done in an hour or so! But these kinds of occasions are probably the reason we belong to the group. We all have a love of clay-working in common, plus our fondness for life here in this beautiful province.

Linda is taking all the work home and I hope a couple of others will help her to apply glaze before they are once-fired. My photos show pieces before colour, and there are some that were finished before-hand so are already shiny. But watch for photos of all the fired pendants (and some brooches). I think they’ll be very jolly. Kelly tells me that she has a group who will add a cord to each piece. We all hope that the recipients will enjoy their surprises and appreciate that each one was hand-made here in my studio today!

Thank you to all the keen folks who came and for the varied and delicious lunch. I do enjoy hosting these kinds of events, and know I am lucky to have a studio big enough to welcome a group.