As I headed into my fifth day of having no voice due to a nasty case of pharyngitis I still had stuff to do today. I know, ‘drink lots and rest’ are the rules. I emptied my bisque kiln on Sunday and then on Monday managed to wax some plates and glaze all but knew I was too tired to get the loading done carefully enough.

So this morning it wasn’t a huge deal to go out to the kiln shed and check each plate for an even glaze coat and then arrange them on all the shelves I have to fill the kiln. Now that Raiders are asking for their work to be stilted (and thanks for all those stilts, Eliza!) there is less room in the kiln. I left the kiln to warm up while I packed up six pots. This little sign of Spring spotted on my way back in to the house warmed my heart.

Frederieke Rahn has invited some of us local potters who she knows collect pots too, to choose work by female artists in our collections to mark International Womens’ Day, shortly. She wanted us to choose pots that somehow relate to our own work – as we’re invited to show one of ours too. I have chosen a salty Jane Hamlyn jug, purchased at Candover Gallery in Hampshire, long before I took a making and a salt-firing workshop with her at Shadbolt Centre. Another piece, which appeals because I now make mostly slip-covered earthenware pieces, is by English potter Maureen Minchin, purchased while Al and I led the pottery tour in England and Wales in 2005. It’s a rooster (hah! cockerel in England) on a little jug. Another little teapot, made in a slip-mould by fellow ECIAD ceramics student, Georgina Brandon, reminds me not to take pottery-making too seriously. It is fun and we can show it. The larger, hand-built blue salt-glazed teapot is by Eliza Wang from Coquitlam, a fellow TriCity potter, who also enjoyed the delights of Herman Venema’s salt kiln in Abbotsford. And the final tiny teapot was made by Duncan’s Cathi Jefferson, fired in her salt/soda kiln there. It reminds me of our shared experience in Jeff Oestreich’s marvellous ECIAD summer class in 1992. My own piece is an English Green Woodpecker jugbird. 

I’m looking forward to seeing the group of pots from the other invitees soon.

Fredi had suggested I drop mine off today as the group at Shadbolt were going to be opening the recently fired soda kiln and she knows I’m interested to see their results. Here are a couple of photos of all the group’s pots in the little workshop next to the two beautifully rebuilt kilns – soda and wood.

Al and I took a short stroll down to Deer Lake and then checked out Hank Bull’s show at Burnaby Art Gallery. Galleries on both floors show a life lived in Art. There were many familiar references to the Western Front and his other wildly eclectic interests. Of course I noticed his pots.

Back at home I turned the kiln to high and trust it will finish tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed for excellent finish on all the Raiders’ plates, including two of mine.