It's two weeks since the most recent Raid took place. Because Philippe used wax on bisque-fired plates I decided to re-fire everybody's work, including two Rhytons that Eric had painted, so that there would be no smudging of underglazes. Then, with my participation in the soda firing for much of last week, it was a minor miracle that I found time to glaze and fire…
While we busy ourselves with Christmas shopping and baking, gift-wrapping and good wishes-mailing, my artist friend Eric Metcalfe spends every day completing one or two extraordinary drawings or little paintings. He listens to Classical music, preferably Handel, or some of his vast collection of Jazz. But recently he was listening to news from South of here and became increasingly angry. The resulting drawings are of…
A reader of my blogs had wondered if the 'Raids' are workshops. No, they aren't. I trained as a teacher oh-so-many years ago, in London, but actually only taught in elementary schools for four years and then some time substitute teaching, but I have supplemented my pottery income by teaching wheel-throwing for decades. Then, when I became enamoured of painting with brightly coloured slips on red…
March 1st and it was time to make a quick trip in to Vancouver. First I took the last seven plates and platters out of the kiln and Al took his usual excellent photos. I dropped him off at his exercise class with the plan that he'd check out our new local sky train to get home. It turned out to necessitate lots of walking..…
http://canadianart.ca/features/art-as-childs-play-recent-art-projects-with-kids-in-vancouver/ Just over a week ago Ciara Phillips' residency at Western Front ended with a Saturday afternoon 'closing' event. Sadly I didn't get in to Vancouver that day, so didn't meet the children with whom she's been working or see the final display of their collaborative work. But on the previous Wednesday when I dropped off painted plates Eric took me in to…