The last two artists who painted plates for the Western Front’s Gala Auction are WF resident and founding member Eric Metcalfe and WF curator Jacquelyn Ross. Eric, of course, organizes these ‘Raids’ to Port Moody and invites the artists. But this time he decided to let the other four come out without him, and Jacquie, although invited to participate in the ‘Six’ had to be working that day. So I sent two squarish plates each back to the Front for them, and a selection of underglazes, and they painted them in their own time.

Patrons who attend the Gala will recognize Eric’s familiar designs, but this time painted on the new squarish plate, one on a grey slip background and the other on a Naples Yellow slip background.

In the same firing there was an earlier platter which he’d painted in his studio and which will be a presentation at the Gala, and another of his usual oval plates for his own collection. There must be over twenty of those now.

Jacquie is a painter but she has been taking pottery classes as well so I feel she has an understanding of the medium. Her two contributions to the final selection of six are both strong work, one mysterious and the other more of a predictable but delightful design. I wonder which of hers will be chosen.