Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Still snowing...

Sunny, snowy, sunny, snowy, windy, cold. This weather is horrible.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

where did spring go?

It's -13 outside right now. It started snowing on Friday afternoon, and it didn't stop until Saturday afternoon. It started again Saturday night, and snowed until approximately noon today. Needless to say, not nice outside.
I had a CCAA sale committee meeting today. We met to decide what we are going to do, and how we are going to do it. So, it looks like we will have a non juried show that starts on Sept 5th, with the opening gala on Thursday Sept 4th. This is contingent upon our getting the gallery space that is currently vacant in Art Central
I went to the studio this afternoon after the meeting, and worked on some new altered forms. I am anxious to see how they turn out. I am concerned that there might be cracking or separation at the seams were I pinch and cut the excess clay away.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Latest News

Snow!!! AAAARGH

It isn't yet, but they say that tomorrow we could get 10-15 cm's of the white stuff, and it is going to stick around too. Oh well, it's Calgary, and as we all know, the weather here is weird. You could be golfing on New Years Day, and have a blizzard in July.

Now that I have that off my chest...

I started working at Ceramics Canada a few weeks ago on Saturdays to help them out while one of their staff goes on maternity leave. It's kinda like writing a physics test when you haven't even cracked a text book or gone to a lecture. I mean, I know stuff, but not that much (I only know what I read, I don't have formal ceramics training). People have all kinds of strange questions, requests, etc. Like last week, someone wanted to build a blast furnace, and wanted to know what kind of clay he should use to insulate the walls. Good greif, I don't know...:). At least he had plans, and wasn't asking me how to actually build it.

I am sure I will learn a lot working there though

Currently, I am working towards a couple of sales. One is for the Fairview Studios Sale on May 10, the next one is in the middle of July at Centennial gallery, and then the Calgary Clay Arts Association (newly formed) is trying to put a sale together for the first part of September at Art Central to coincide with the Calgary Art Walk. Art Central has an empty gallery space where Dashwood Gallery used to be, and the management of the space is offering the space up to individuals and groups that want to show somewhere for a short period of time. It is rent free, they just take 10% of all sales.

This will be a juried show (I think, will know more after CCAA meeting on 20th), so I need to start thinking about what I want to enter. It will probably be limited to 1-2 pieces per entrant.

That's all I can think of right now, and yay, it is almost time to go home (I am writing this at work – my bad)

Friday, April 11, 2008





Here are the latest pots. The glazed 3 part canister is the prototype, and the unglazd one is the 2nd one I have made. There was to be a 3rd 2 tiered box, but alas, it failed in the bisque. The lid, AND the bottom cracked. The celadon jar is just what it is, but has some interresting curlycues on top, and actually inspired the 3 part box set beside it.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Spring Pottery Sale


Here it is, the details for the upcoming Fairview Studios Pottery Sale!

Altered Pots (and other stuff_

It Snowed like crazy today, 8-10 inches in just a few hours fell this morning, and it was the heavy, wet and stickey kind. Then it got sunny, melted a lot of the snow, and then it snowed again. Right now it is clear, and mild, tomorrow it should be 10 degrees (celcius), and by Sunday it should be 21 degrees. This town sure has some crazy weather.

I will be taking some pictures tomorrow. My boxes were all in the kiln for a bisque firing over this last weekend, so I was unable to take any.
Taught a class this Monday, and my demo was tall cylinders. I have not thrown anything without altering it in some way in a while, so it was good to do it again, but I can see why I need the variety inherant in messing around with the freshly thrown pot, even if it is just squaring it off.
The Calgary Clay Arts Association is getting off to a pretty good start. We are planning a sale in September, and the e-mails are just flying.
The Airdrie Food Bank is having an empty bowls event in June, and in order to help supply some bowls, Galleria is hosting a "Clay-lympics" event. Various potters, the public, and hopefully some celebs will be on site to create some one of a kind bowls.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

just stuff

Well, it has been a while since I have posted anything, but I have been busy working, making pots, having shows, and attending meetings.
I am a member of the newly formed Calgary Clay Arts Association, and we have been working on getting registered, and thinking of things to do for our first event etc.
I also attended my first AGM for Centennial Gallery. This is the only true cooperative gallery in Calgary, and has been in operation for 34 years. It is located in Palliser Square, right next to the Calgary Tower. The major topic of conversation tonight was the fact that the gallery will have to vacate its space as of Aug 31st this year, as the building will be undergoing very major renovations that are expected to last over a period of 1o years. There is a new tower being built, and then each of the other towers will be renovated to bring everything up to date. The managemet has asked that we remain as a tennant, but move to a new location closer to the Calgary Tower entrance. Sooo. I have just started showing my work there, and I am faced with another gallery move (The Galleria just finished moving into their new space in March). I am starting to think it is me...:P
I am currently working on some new, and for me, quite a diversion from my regular style of work. I will take some pics and post shortly. They are multi layer boxes, ranging anywhere from 2-5 sections in height. The body is thrown seprately, and a thrown base is added to each of the sections. The lids are constructed from a slab that has been draped into the opening, turned over, cut to fit, and then has additions of clay around the edge of the lid to add more substance and interrest. So far I have only glazed one of them, and there are some refinements in the glazing technique that I have to do, but just minior ones. The glaze is adding a thickness such that the lid does not quite fit right. I know this does not make much sense, so I will post some pictures shortly.