It’s two weeks since the most recent Raid took place. Because Philippe used wax on bisque-fired plates I decided to re-fire everybody’s work, including two Rhytons that Eric had painted, so that there would be no smudging of underglazes. Then, with my participation in the soda firing for much of last week, it was a minor miracle that I found time to glaze and fire all the plates again. Eric had painted a platter especially as a donation to be given in thanks to a Western Front board member at their annual Gala dinner last Saturday. I JUST got it out of the kiln that morning! Luckily Al and I were taking friends in to Vancouver by Skytrain to see ‘Great Bear Rainforest’ at Science World’s Omnimax theatre so Eric walked down from the Front and met me there and took the platter and his two other plates back home. Phew! He tells me that the recipient is thrilled with her platter.
So, the other four of you Raiders, your work is here. We’re thinking of coming in to Vancouver again on Saturday to attend the opening at Equinox. Raider Philippe Raphanel is one of four artists featured there this month in a show of drawings. Perhaps we can meet up there – Mina, Marlene and Kate. I’ll try to get down to Circle Craft too, although delivering work on a Saturday isn’t ideal.
I had made an extra long platter for Philippe and he applied lots of colours, some wax, and then covered all with grey. I think he’ll like the way the under-colours appear through, especially the blue streaks. His other two off-square lunch plates use the same method – colours, wax in circles and then white over. Neat!
Marlene Madison painted a platter that day. It is a stormy ocean with various shades of blue. Two little round dishes were also hers.
Meticulous Kate Metten painted two large round plates with her characteristic geometric shapes, and also completed two little triangular dishes.
Mina Totino finished two biggish round plates, using the sky blue underglaze as background for swirly shapes. Then there’s a bold orange lunch plate and two tiny dishes.
Several of my guests left half completed pieces in my cupboard so I imagine I’ll be invited to host another Raid before long. These gatherings have been happening for about ten years now and there are plans afoot to show some of the plates to the public. Actually I was made aware that Raider Pierre has gone on to use round ‘plates’ in his current show (that blog soon…) and I spotted a plate painted by Renée at Shadbolt Centre the other day. I’m glad that Fine Art world people are delving into the world of functional ceramics, bringing their own ways of applying images, colours and ideas to our sometimes structured expectations for how a plate ‘should’ be ‘decorated’. But it is clear from Instagram that clay artists are comfortable with doing this nowadays anyway. Certainly working alongside people who paint has encouraged me to remember that my first loves, before clay, were drawing and painting.
