This is my last chance to take a look at my new bird friends before I wrap them and nestle them into a padded box for their long flight to England. Some of these are brand new designs so I’m glad to have a photographic record. That way I don’t have to re-think which colours go where to give my best interpretation of a particular avian fellow.

Most of these will fly away but if you would like a similar jugbird for a gift do let me know quite soon. Enjoy this little album .. there have been lots of other jugbirds over the years since they became my signature pot, but most of these are intended for English bird enthusiasts.

Mina’s huge round red plate is rather splendid. It needed a shelf all to itself.

There was an oval dish by Michelle and a tall, mould-made vase, painted with similar soft colours.

Renée brought out two round dinner plates that she’d painted at home with just black and white. Nice contrast.

One of her little sculpture maquettes features glazed and unglazed red and white underglazes. This is an interesting direction for her.

Monique’s only plate in this firing turned out rather sombre. It’s always an experiment to see how many layers will be just right.

My jugbirds are mainly repeats of earlier forms. I have changed the arrangement of black and white on the Pileated Woodpecker’s head.

For each one I paint I check a photo of a real one to see if I can make it as close as possible, even though a jug is not bird-shaped!

I enjoy throwing yunomis ‘off the hump’. They were trimmed and ready to paint when one group of Raiders was here. I like to paint them with my coloured slips when they are leather hard, and then I can use sgraffito if I feel so inclined. All of this work is earthenware.

Apart from one of the Western Tanagers, all of these pots have been taken to Eclectic Gallery in Victoria by guests who stayed with us this last weekend. Thank you Denis.

There are now more jugbirds and yunomis under way, waiting for spouts, handles, trimming and painting, but I work at my own pace nowadays. There will have to be a couple more firings before Christmas because I had some young visitors here, making plates for Grandmothers.

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