Last Wednesday Al and I went in to Vancouver. I had made a late-afternoon appointment to drop off a new selection of work at Circle Craft. If you pop in there you'll see that I left jolly earthenware jugbirds and several special soda pieces. Before going down to Granville Island we stopped in at Pulp Fiction Books so that I could deliver the 'Constructivist Yunomi'…
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…
I booked myself a glazing spot for noon at the Potters Guild of BC gas kiln last Saturday. Four pots were already glazed in my studio so it didn't take long to dip the last one in the guild's Malcolm Davis shino. It seems stupid to join the firing for so few pots but I fancied a Vancouver day anyway. Next Saturday I'll see how…
We were all sad to learn that the Herman Venema studio would be closing after operating in the Fraser Valley for 50 years. Herman has been an inspirational teacher to area potters, offering classes in a large well-equipped studio, with the use of cone 10R glazes and firings in a huge gas kiln. He built an elegant retail gallery on the upper floor of the converted…
After leaving Roberts Creek we headed North-West towards Sechelt, hoping to fit some more studios into our day. Just before Davis Bay we turned up Whitaker Road and found potter Laurie Rolland's studio. I've been aware of Laurie's work for many years, admiring 'vessels' and other sculptural forms in local shows at the Gallery of BC Ceramics and even here in Port Moody at the…