Once the early June celebratory time was over I got around to painting ten Egg boxes with underglazes so that I could get the most recent plates fired as well. ‘Snow’ white earthenware clay from Plainsman Clays has been recommended as a replacement for the Georgie’s Wonder White that I have been using for some years now. I need a white clay for my visiting plate painters. So this recent firing included quickly-made plates and two wee dishes to test the new white clay from Greenbarn Pottery Supplies.
First I’ll show you the finished plates that were painted by returning Raiders Renée, Monique, Eric and Karen. These first two large platters are by Renée. Exciting!
Monique painted a large serving dish and a smaller lunch size plate. So subtle..
Eric and Karen just came for the afternoon so only had time to paint one lunch-size plate each. It was so good to see Eric wielding a paintbrush once again.
The colourful Egg Boxes are a special request from Jonathon’s Gallery in London, Ontario. J first suggested I make some eggs to accompany my many birds and I’ve now made quite a few, but never this wildly coloured! I do enjoy carving them. Let’s see what Jonathon has planned for this batch. You’ll see wee wads under the lids. I really didn’t want the lids to get stuck where I’d painted underglazes.
My other job to do before I could get these fired was to quickly roll out another slab plate with the new ‘Snow’ white earthenware clay. I needed to reassure myself that my coloured earthenware slips, underglaze and clear glaze would all fit properly ie marry without crazing or ‘shivering’. The inner circle was painted with a ‘peacock’ slip, the outer area is underglaze and then I sgraffitoed yet another startled bird.
Happily, the result is very good. I also made a couple of plates using both clays to check whether their shrinkage is the same, and then threw a little white dish and a tinier one with the mixed clays. Carving came along too. I’m very pleased with the new clay so far and can now plan to make more plates for future ‘Raiders’.
This has been a somewhat mad couple of weeks because I realized I hadn’t really left enough time to make my two cubic feet of stoneware pots for the soda firing this week. In record time I now have those pots bisque-fired, ready for liner glazing and wadding tomorrow and a trip with them to Shadbolt Centre on Wednesday.
That will leave Thursday to prepare my studio for Friday evening’s return of Port Moody’s ArtWalk/Solstice SHUFFLE. We haven’t hosted our local version of a Crawl since 2019 so are excited to show folks what Art-making looks like here.
The event is just for one evening, Friday June 23rd, and our studios will be open from 4pm until 9pm. You can see a larger version of this map here. https://www.pomoshuffle.ca
If you click on ‘venues’ you’ll see that my studio is #1 on the brochure. I’m looking forward to seeing you that evening. Some members of TriCity Potters, at venue #2, plan to share a table or two on the lawn by the Arts Centre. You will find other clay artists in the Arts Centre/PoMoArts venue #3 including the solo show of current clay artist-in-residence Max Yang and work in the Blackberry Gift Shop. Further along on your SHUFFLE you’ll find four clay people at venue #15 at Spring Street Studios. Finally you will find the work of Clive Tucker at venue #20 as you wind up your SHUFFLE on Brewery Row.
I’ll have to skip helping to insert soda into the Vault kiln that day, but I’ll be at Shadbolt Centre next Tuesday to help unload and clean shelves. Can’t wait!
Fabulous Gillian as always!!
Wonderful to see such delightful efforts by the Raiders. Thank you Gillian.
All the best,
Deborrah Krutzmann (Eric’s sister)
Victoria
When do you sleep, Gillian. Congratulations on your heroic task well done. I to am curious as to why Jonathon wants bright coloured egg boxes? Good luck with your studio tour