I do enjoy the drive out to Matsqui Prairie for these occasional salt firings at Herman Venema’s country studio. The mountains you see to the North as you drive over the Pitt River bridge, reflected in the river, are spectacular. And further on, near Ruskin, there’s Mount Baker, seemingly just across the Fraser River.
When I arrived Herman and Dave were ready to start work, and by the time Nora, Jana (Zylich) and Cathi drove in from Vancouver we were clearing shelves ready for us all to unload our ware.
Ted Driediger joined us and had a small group of pots to add to the firing. He had been invited to demonstrate some of his throwing tricks to Herman’s pottery students this evening. Most people had some glazing and wad application to do, so with chatting and painting the kiln shelves with kiln wash suddenly it was time for lunch. Joyce’s kitchen greeted us with the smell of umpteen freshly baked cookies!
We took most of the afternoon to load the 30 cu’ kiln, with its three-deep 24″x12″ shelves. As usual Dave did the lion’s share of positioning the posts, with Cathi rolling ‘worms’ of wadding to stabilize the posts and the rest of us bringing the right height pots for each shelf. We have lots of mug-height work in this kiln and only Cathi had brought taller pieces so it’ll be interesting to see how the salt gets distributed all through the ware.
Another visitor was Arlynn Nobel. From Thunder Bay, Ontario. Arlynn was an artist-in-residence at the Shadbolt Centre last year, working next to the Ombu kiln. She gives classes there occasionally, and today drove out from seeing the salt firing happening there today. Some of TriCity Potters have work in that kiln. Why don’t I join firings there, much nearer to my home? I’m afraid my experience is that there won’t be enough salt introduced and thus, not enough orange peel. I am hoping that our firing tomorrow will produce surfaces that make us all happy. Cathi has her work on the front upper levels so that it will receive somewhat less salt which is her preference.
Arlynn was invited to put one of her assembled, energetic forms in our firing too. The photo shows Arlynn holding it. Her forms just beg for luscious wood or salt finishes.
By about 4pm we were done, the cone packs and draw-rings were in place and Cathi and Herman closed the door. Suddenly I realized that we had been working virtually outside all day and that I was cold! But it was a treat to work alongside other potters and discuss all the things we like to do, comparing our methods of making, glazing and firing. Can’t wait for salting tomorrow and opening the kiln on Sunday.
Cathi will stay with Herman and Joyce until Sunday, spending Saturday giving her workshop there.
