What a week it’s been! As you saw we emptied the soda kiln last Tuesday. On the Wednesday I took better photos of each pot so you can get a better look at the varied slip surfaces that appeared. I’ve also made another reel which shows the back of our house and then inside the kiln shed, where I have my light box, and a short look at my pots. I wonder if the same people who saw me carving grooves will now see them finished.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7vBmIDPlQ_/
Here are the groovy pieces: a luscious carved vase for your summer flowers, a practical pouring bowl and a ‘reamer’ (old name for a lemon squeezer).
I must have been thinking about the wild flower seeds I’ve scattered on the ex-lawn area as I made several flower vases for this firing.
One is the particularly tall Bird Vase. He is made from five wheel-thrown sections. Making these is my idea of fun!
Two more largish pieces are my now signature jugbirds. One has a beak which was painted with red underglaze. The other’s beak was coloured with ochre slip.
I used this smaller pouring bowl to experiment again with underglazes in soda firing. Some retain their bright colours and become glazes but the red and pale blue ones are altered when soda hits them directly. The resulting grey is OK too.
One yunomi was left at the kiln to be re-fired. I had painted underglazes on this one too and it’s now yummy with pale yellow glaze inside. The recent firing included two more of my yunomi. The little guy has dimples for your fingers and the other is decorated with paper resist star shapes.
Finally, I included two generous mugs, each sprayed with a rather pale Hamlyn blue slip and a titch of titanium dioxide. Inside one I have ‘white salt’ glaze and the other has copper red glaze.
If one of these pots should take your fancy do let me know soon and I can reserve it for you. These and the earlier earthenware pieces will be on display in my studio for the Shuffle, June 14th, 4 – 9pm.
Back to the busy week.. On Wednesday evening after I’d taken these photos I popped down to the Arts Centre to listen to the Leanne M Christie talk which I mentioned in my last blog. Do see the show!
Thursday was our 54th wedding anniversary so Alan and I took ourselves down to the Boathouse in Rocky Point Park for a seafood lunch. The evening was already reserved for attending the 25th Anniversary celebration of PoMoArts Society. It was great to reconnect with the people who’ve been involved with the beginning and ongoing events associated with our Arts Centre and to see a slide show. It included an old-fashioned ‘tea’ with goodies. Teapots were lent by members of TriCity Potters, including yours truly.
Friday included my attending a tour of the current show at Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre, ‘unearthed’ which features the splendid desert-coloured sculptures by Mitra Mahmoodi and painter Jamal Tabasinejad. I may need to post a blog with pics of those pieces.
The day ended with a gathering of local artists in Mackin House. We discussed our hopes and plans for projects, events and venues in the Tri-Cities. It was good to meet artists who work in media other than clay – dancers, singers, writers and more. Thank you Helen, Greg and Rose.
And for family and non-clay friends who faithfully follow my blogs, Saturday was my birthday. I invited https://www.lenscatering.com to bring supper here. It was a small, happy gathering with family. Here is one photo taken by d-i-l Jen of grandsons excitedly giving me a gift of a Lego bird kit! Couldn’t be more perfect for this old lady. You might spot some of our pottery treasures on the shelf behind me.
Now I need to spend a day or two tidying up the studio for visitors.
You got some beauties from that firing!