June, Linda and I attended the opening of the latest show at the Gallery of BC Ceramics “From Ashes to Art” on Thursday May 4th. Luckily for you it will be up until May 27th but if perchance you can’t get in to Granville Island, take a look at some photos here.

Four artists who have been firing their work in Shadbolt Centre’s Wood kiln have assembled their best examples of this labour-intensive process: David Lloyd, Cheryl Stapleton, Dorothy Doherty and Fredi Rahn. The four work in very different ways to take advantage of the flame, length of firing and the ashes. I’ll just let you browse through my photos of pots in the show. I am adding artists’ names wherever possible.

I photographed two fine globular forms with beautiful rich colours, by Dorothy Doherty, at Fraser Valley Potters Guild show recently in Maple Ridge. So I recognized her pieces right away. There was also a juicy blue salt-like vessel which grabbed my attention.

David Lloyd was experimenting with adding chunks to his clay body when I first met him years ago and again this allowed me to know which are his. I can’t imagine throwing with that clay!

Fredi, a long-time Shadbolt Centre instructor, has worked in every type of clay and fired with electric, gas, soda and here, with wood. Her very functional ware is much enhanced by the wood firing, showing some random variation in the classic warm chestnutty colours.

And Cheryl Stapleton has been a ceramics instructor at various community centres and at Shadbolt Centre for a long while. Her delicate ‘shell’ yunomis thrown with translucent porcelain were a delight to us gallery visitors and she was happy to pose with one. Enjoy the show!

Last Friday evening three of us TriCity Potters, Linda, Ysabella and I drove over to Shadbolt Centre for another clay-related lecture. Jack Troy and Carolanne Currier of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania had spent the previous days leading firings of the wood and soda kilns respectively. All the participants were excitedly anticipating opening of those kilns the next day.

But while they waited Jack Troy had been invited to give a lecture as part of Burnaby’s Culture Days. I must remember not to bother trying to take photos of slide shows! But it was great to listen to Jack’s thoughtful presentation on his career and to hear a couple of his poems. He does made a good case for the sometimes gorgeous effects of wood firing and the related camaraderie of a group working together. I hope I shall be able to join such a group again one day soon.

I have a happy photograph of Jack holding two of my jugbirds. It was taken in 2010 when he was juror for that year’s Fraser Valley Potters Guild show.

Display cases were set up as part of the Culture Days. In the hallway outside the lecture theatre we had a chance to see a fine selection of work by Jack Troy and Carolanne Currier. I believe there was to have been a lottery the next day for the chance to purchase some of the work.

In the adjoining foyer there were displays of work by Shadbolt’s ceramic instructors. Here is the work of Jay MacLennan, Linda Doherty, Fredi Rahn and Arlynn Nobel. Arlynn’s main piece may be the one she fired with us in Herman Venema’s salt kiln a couple of years ago.

I’d like to join the group who will be firing together with Ruthanne Tudball prior to next year’s Clay Symposium, but I think all I can do is ask to be put on a waiting list for a possible cancellation! Fingers crossed.

The few results from last week’s atmospheric firings at Shadbolt that I’ve seen on Facebook look fine. Well done!

http://www.jacktroy.net/potter.html

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-artists/clay-as-a-second-career-an-artist-shares-how-she-found-her-way-to-pottery/

On Wednesday the train gang opened the huge train kiln at Shadbolt Centre. By the time I got there at 1pm all the pots had been arranged on three large ware carts according to whether the work was front, middle or back in the kiln. There was a fine warm colour to all the work and happy faces on the workshop participants.

I took photos of some of the work and stayed to hear the group critique of two selected pieces from each group member. It’s always interesting to listen to opinions on results like this, whether the form or the surface works, what were the intentions of the maker.

There was also a silent auction of the pieces Tony had brought for the firing. They’re typical of his particular style which has evolved to take advantage of the bold effects he can coax out of a wood firing. Pieces are glazed inside and the outsides often have generously applied slips which can enhance the ash and flame effects.

Tony gave me my choice of one of his three many-handled bowls in thanks for our hospitality. We’ll be very happy to add this distinctive bowl to our treasured ceramic collection.

When it was all over a tired man returned to our house and we three walked a few blocks to a nearby Craft Brewery, Yellow Dog, for a well-earned local pint. The we walked across the road to the ocean-side restaurant in Rocky Point Park, The Boathouse where Tony treated Alan and me to a fine seafood meal.

Billetting Shadbolt Centre’s visiting ceramic artists is something we’ve always enjoyed doing and this time was no exception. Tony and I had not met before and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his company. What else would you expect from someone who’s spent his whole life in the clay world?