As I headed into my fifth day of having no voice due to a nasty case of pharyngitis I still had stuff to do today. I know, 'drink lots and rest' are the rules. I emptied my bisque kiln on Sunday and then on Monday managed to wax some plates and glaze all but knew I was too tired to get the loading done carefully…
My favourite piece to come out of my two recent glaze firings is the Pileated Woodpecker Jugbird. In early January I posted a photo of his beginnings and here is a photo of him being painted later. He has a wheel-thrown body, head, legs and neck. Those parts are carefully fitted together and I add his jolly crest, a slot for filling and pouring and a handle, and…
Last Fall I took myself for a little walk behind Port Moody's Rec Centre to Noon's Creek. Salmon return from the ocean every year, swimming all the way past Vancouver and many miles inland to the end of Burrard Inlet where they fight their way up Noon's Creek. For a long time now volunteers have enhanced the gravel beds and put in 'ladders' to…
The scheduling of a clay-related event at Vancouver Art Gallery led to a standing-room-only crowd of pottery folks in the Annex workshop on Saturday afternoon January 14th. I got to the room quarter of an hour early and found one of the last empty chairs. Al and I took the new skytrain line from Port Moody Centre station and strolled over from the Bay exit. It's so…
I've been noticing the quietly elegant mugs, teapots and pouring vessels made by Sarah Pike for a while. The pieces are well-thought-out and uncomplicated. At first I thought they were wheel-thrown, but no, they are all fabricated with slabs, impressed stamps and hand-built additions. Her glaze palette is restrained and remind one of the ancient rocks in her surrounding environment in Fernie, BC. On my…