A Circle Craft customer requested a Stellar’s Jay jugbird and a Crow so my version of each were in my recent earthenware firing. There is already lots of my work in the Granville Island Co-op shop but staff said they’d like these two brought in. The sun began to emerge so I opted to drive in to town and give myself a change of scenery. Unbelievably, we hadn’t been in Vancouver since December .. why go when you can’t meet friends or safely visit galleries or eat out?
On the Island I found that there were lots of people, all wearing masks and avoiding each other, but obviously the current free parking is hugely popular. Circle Craft, in the Netloft building, wasn’t crowded and I was delighted that part-time staffer Jackie Read was on duty today. We’ve known each other for quite a while. She pointed out several shelves where my work is displayed and a cupboard where there are more.. so if special plates or jugbirds are in your Easter plans.. there they are.
On a little wander in that building and in the nearby market, I found some fabric printing stamps from Maiwa Supply to squish into clay, a scraper from the kitchen shop for wheel-throwing, a new T-shirt and mask for Alan from the Wickaninnish Gallery, a taco and a latte for my lunch and meat and vegs for supper.
Not wanting to make my expedition into town a one-stop trip I drove home via Hastings street and finally had time to visit Laura Van der Linde in her studio of the past three years. Back in the nineties her studio was in the same building as the one I shared, at 5th & Yukon. Yesterday she showed me (her sole visitor that afternoon, so safe) her perfect space. There are five wheels (only three ‘members’ who come to practice, no students pro tem), a slab roller, a huge table, lots of display shelves, good plumbing and a well-ventilated area for two electric kilns. Her studio mate is painter Jeanne Krabbendam.
I purchased one of the potters’ aprons she has designed and which are made in Alberta. It has a split front so that both knees are covered as you throw.. I should have bought one long ago. $100 incl. shipping. For more details describing these aprons go to ‘shop’ on Laura’s website and click on ‘accessories’.
Laura had also prepared a number of useful items for potters in preparation for the cancelled Clay Symposium. She gave me a little slip decorating bottle with various sized nozzles and showed me jars of ready-made white terra sigillata. Now there’s something that folks would find really useful. She coats the bottoms of her ware and they’re deliciously smooth. Contact Laura for these and other handy tools.
https://www.lauravanderlinde.com/contact
Here are photos of Laura’s ever colourful work. I love her choice of lime green here and there. You can visit her studio with a prior phone call or find lots of her pots in Circle Craft shop and Crafthouse. Instagram name: lauravanderlinde
A day of errands and some conversation was a treat! Thank you Laura. I shall try not to take so long to visit again.
