What a fine way to spend a 75th Birthday! Last year it happened to be Eric’s birthday when a ‘raid’ was scheduled and he decided that passing the day with like-minded artist friends was what he’d like to do again.

I had opened the glaze kiln on Saturday so there was a collection of all the plates from July’s raid all ready for the ‘raiders’ today.

Yesterday Al and I drove out to the airport and to Granville Island to deliver all my wildly overdue jugbirds and today the raiders took all their previously painted plates home. Photos of plates and jugbirds can be seen in my next two blogs – when I have time.

Today there were various new bone dry plates and the usual selection of underglazes all ready for Eric, Mina, Renée and Monique when they arrived at around 10am. Such concentration begins, and conversation flows.

A summery potluck lunch of tomato quiche and potato and tomato salads, cheeses, cold cuts and bread was perfect for a warm day.

Later in the afternoon, after Marlene had also joined us, we took another break for tea and Mina had brought a wonderful Cream cake from Whole Foods for Eric’s birthday celebration.  

When they had all left I found that they had completed some wonderful pieces. Now they will have to wait for me to get new work done too to fill the kiln. Renée and Mina had me help them make some new shapes with slabs, using a thrift store plate find and an old square electric frying pan. I can’t wait to see how they’ll be painted. One of Renée’s pieces today was a large platter formed inside an old metal lamp shade.