It’s exactly a year and a half since I’ve been able to welcome ‘Raiders’ to my studio to paint plates. Last Friday we decided to take advantage of warm weather and assemble a small group to work in the studio with the door open and to lunch outside.
Eric Metcalfe, Renée Van Halm and Monique Fouquet arrived together, bringing lunch. I had bisque-fired some more of the smaller white slab plates and there were some larger ones left from 2019 waiting in my cupboard. Renée had asked for a large one that hadn’t been bisqued. In no time the three were hard at work and for that day I was happy to take care of them while prying open the dozens of stuck underglaze containers and taking part in friendly conversation. What a treat!
Alan joined us for great lunch outside on the patio. Monique had baked us a crustless quiche, filled with produce from her garden, Eric brought a baguette and cold cuts and Renée brought cheese and, to celebrate Eric and Alan’s August birthdays, a huge lemon tart from Whole Foods!
That evening I loaded their work into a bisque firing right away, Eric’s one and Monique’s two for the second time and Renée’s for its first firing. Now, a week later, I have used their work to fill my next glaze kiln and all is successfully fired. The three artists have more ceramic art to add to their collections and I have completed this phase of my work. This week I have cleaned the red earthenware from my wheel and my tools and have my grey stoneware all ready to throw. I’m booked for a Shadbolt soda firing in October. I’ll post photos of my plates etc in my next blog.
Don’t forget to check the NorthWest Ceramic Foundations’s auction of ceramics. Eric and Renée have donated pieces and bidding is underway!
