Life seems to be ‘on hold’ today, mainly because the forecast snowfall is happening. We were warned.. yesterday was a gorgeous sunny cold day and I made good use of it. This week’s creations dried over the previous night and I carefully transported all the finished plates and my jugbirds out to the kiln shed. It’s a bit of a worry because there was snow on the slope and the pots would not survive a slip! I turned the kiln on low and trundled out to buy groceries and bird seed. It’s all a bit of an effort as Al and I are struggling with the flu/cough that everyone seems to have this year. I think I’m getting better but Al is still miserable and won’t be going anywhere soon.

While he was away last weekend, presenting a paper at an archaeological symposium on Vancouver Island, I had a productive couple of days. It’s been a while since I made a larger bird with several assembled parts so this was time to get on with it. In almost record time for me, this Rooster was thrown, put together and finished with red underglaze and terra sigillata and dried, along with seven other jugbirds. 

It turned out to be a good idea to cancel Wednesday’s TriCity Potters’ meeting. Snow had started that day and didn’t seem to be letting up. I think that members who live up the mountain sides in Coquitlam and Maple Ridge would have had difficulty getting home again. I’m hoping our invited speaker, Port Moody Arts Centre ceramic artist in residence Malory Tate, hadn’t set out from Vancouver and that she will be free to talk to us on another Wednesday soon.

My bisque firing was completed by this morning and I find myself watching, amazed, as oodles of large snow flakes blanket the garden. Spring? what was I thinking? I hope that the pots will cool enough for me to get on with the glazing tomorrow, but I still hope to get in to Granville Island for the big Gala Farewell Party/Fundraiser at the Gallery of BC Ceramics in the evening.

Silent Auction! Cash Bar! All Welcome!

INCREDIBLE auction items including ceramic work from Potters Guild of BC Members, and fabulous items from our sponsors:

Early Music Vancouver
Granville Island Hotel
Vancouver Theatre Sports
Arts Club Theatre
Arts Umbrella
Maiwa Handprints
Kroma Artist Acrylics
Granville Island Brewing
…and more!

If you can’t attend, please consider visiting www.galleryofbcceramics.com and making a tax-deductible donation to the Potters Guild.

Established in 1955, the Potters Guild of BC is a nonprofit BC Society that owns and operates a social enterprise, the Gallery of BC Ceramics. The Gallery of BC Ceramics opened its doors on Granville Island in 1986. We have had 4 financially difficult years and must significantly change our business model to cover our operating costs, which are no longer covered by retail revenue. In order to continue operating the Gallery of BC Ceramics, we must make urgent and drastic changes to our business model. The Potters Guild of BC is fundraising $25,000 to cover our costs to transition into a new business model that focuses less on retail and more on public workshop programming. The Craft Council of BC has generously set up a charitable fund for the Potters Guild of BC, and are able to provide tax receipts for any donations.

The Gallery of BC Ceramics is closing its doors at the end of February, and spending the month of March revamping our space and business model. We will reopen in April 2018 with an exhibition space available for our own programming and for rental, a reduced retail footprint and the majority of our space redesigned as a ceramic studio for public programming and member rental. Keeping our presence on Granville Island means that we can continue to contribute through out arts and culture events and programming for years to come.

Please consider attending our Gallery Closing fundraiser on February 24 from 6-10PM.

The Potters Guild of BC thanks you for your support, and for facilitating our commitment to serving the needs of ceramic artists, and educating the public about the ceramic arts.

Along with all the generous donations from Island businesses we members of the BC Potters’ Guild are donating special pots for the evening’s Silent Auction. My three include this zany Woodpecker mug, a green jugbird and one of my Abstract-style painted plates. These events are usually a great opportunity to add to your pottery collection as the pieces may go for a generous price but perhaps not quite as much as the usual commission/artist price. Come on out to support the Guild and its future plans, and meet lots of BC’s clay artists.

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Amelia Butcher has an intriguing collection of space ships and angry girls drawn on white hand-built forms.

Dave Dobie is introducing more and more colour to his mugs and bowls. They are fired in his gas kiln.

The wood-fired teapot by Courtney potter Maeva Collins is splendid!

We noticed the work of Port Moody potters Dan Severance and Clive Tucker and I took my usual snapshot of my own work so that I know what to take in next time.

Afterwards June, Linda and I took ourselves off to enjoy a light supper at nearby restaurant Cat’s Meow, and of course I was delighted by oodles of active goslings and their anxious mothers. Every Spring Granville Island’s Canada Goose population increases – but for a while they’re charming.