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/