Birds nesting..

Gillian McMillan — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:37:38 +0000

It may be because Spring is finally here and we’re noticing woodpeckers drumming for a mate, goldfinches cavorting at the feeder and hummingbirds dancing nearby, that I found I’d made a good number of jugbirds for my recent firing, as well as another Egg box.

I see three of these around here but clearly not the Puffin!

I was determined to get a kiln load done by last weekend because I was expecting important visitors during the week. What a great incentive to do a big tidy-up of the studio and damp-mop the whole floor!

A Calgary friend has been very patient waiting for me to complete making a group of large plates and pasta dishes for her family of six, including two sets of now-adult twins! These are the last two pasta dishes with designs Sarah selected.

I often make plates just because I really enjoy throwing, trimming and decorating them. This one is my current favourite.

This firing also included the clear-glazing of pieces I’d made as part of TriCity Potters exploration of Sgraffito. I carved the black slip on the red clay cup during our meeting recently. Now they are ready to share at our next get-together at PoMoArts on Friday April 22nd. We will have an interesting presentation as well, to be announced on TCP facebook page and website.

My first all-yellow jugbird was snapped up right away so I made a couple more – and now one is flying to Langley and the other to Ontario!

The yellow-billed fellow on the right flew to Vancouver yesterday. It was a treat to welcome a pair of collectors who selected earthenware and salty pieces. Happy to meet you C & M.

Jonathon had asked me to make some more Red Cardinal jugbirds for his gallery. When his camera-man/gallery partner Brian Barnum Cooke was here with Michael on Wednesday the cardinals were part of the group of pots Brian selected for me to mail to Ontario. I am so honoured to have had such a knowledgeable collector here to really see my work, old and new, and actually read my related publications. Alan and I enjoyed lunch with the two guys in the Boathouse in Rocky Point Park.

Let’s see if this works. This is a first time downloading a video to my blog. Brian took this to commemorate Jonathon’s Gallery’s 22nd birthday.

Here, to cap off a very busy week, is a photo of the three parcels I’ve packed up and we mailed off to Ontario yesterday. When Jonathon opens them you’ll be able to see what Brian chose for the gallery. Now I shall poke some more perennial plants in my new patch of brick-framed garden and watch for more birds nesting.

Happy Easter! Our family plan to fish out the kit for decorating eggs Ukrainian-style. I must buy some white eggs instead of my preferred brown ones.

For those who are registered to receive my blogs as an email I am sorry if you are notified of a new blog, twice. We haven’t found a way to turn off feedburner, and the new MailPoet system gives a black image. Oh dear.. technology!

clean studio – Gillian McMillan — Rara Avis

Birds nesting..