It’s four years since I last flew across the Atlantic so I’ve planned a brief solo trip, starting next week. I have oodles of exciting plans, which include galleries, studios, trains and most importantly, family, in London, Cambridge and Salisbury.
Earlier this year Jeremy Waller, owner of Primavera Gallery in Cambridge, emailed to ask if I planned a trip over with more jugbirds soon. Since August I have concentrated on making jugbirds which are mainly English species, although you may be surprised to see Jeremy’s requests for a more European Eagle, an Osprey and even an Emperor Penguin! Now I’ve packed most of my new flock into a sturdy cardboard box, ready to be my carry-on luggage. Below are photos of the fourteen jugbirds. The seagull found its new home already.
Jeremy also requested some of my cheerful plates so I hope to squeeze in a little set of playing card ones as well.
I’ll be taking the train from London up to Ely to visit Jeremy and Sheila Waller’s College Farm and sculpture garden before Jeremy drives me in to Cambridge to unpack the pots in the gallery.
Here in Canada I was delighted to notice that Jonathon’s Gallery in Ontario decided that this is the month to feature my work. This post appeared on Instagram the other day. I see that they have some of both my soda-fired pieces and jolly earthenware ones.
Now I have a few days to finish packing, make a Thanksgiving meal and maybe do a little gardening. Today I enjoyed the rare treat of burnishing an admittedly wheel-thrown pot, after listening to famed primitive-firing potter Laura Wee Lay Laq’s talk to TriCity Potters last night. I hope it can be included in the group sawdust firing workshop she’s leading while I’m away.
There’ll be so many stories to tell when I return but for now you’ll get a break from Gilli-blogs.
Happy Thanksgiving fellow Canadians!
Love your flock of birds. Do you use coloured slips or underglaze to decorate them?
Hi Christy. Glad you enjoy the jugbirds. They’re painted with my own coloured slips when leather hard, except for red and bright orange, which are underglazes. After bisque I just use a clear glaze.