A memorable day.  Debra and I took on the task of loading the medium-sized gas kiln, having been encouraged to use it by Klari  who felt we had enough work to fill it and it is more cost effective.  It is literally putting all of  your eggs in one basket though as it does hold the majority of our work completed the last two months.  We woke up to a few hours of finishing our glaze work – of course it took more time than we thought it would and I wasn’t happy with some of my technique but there was no time to re-do so I’ll just have to live with the results or recycle. Continue reading →

A weekend of of industry – continuing to form molds, dry them in the drying cupboard (a fabulous invention I had not heard of before here) and seeing the magic of our forms after casting them – seemingly perfect (or more perfect than before)! My photographs are somewhat limited and don’t give the whole picture as I had to take my camera in for repairs – perhaps using it too much!

The workshop was a wonderful learning experience for me – it is one of those areas where I realize more “what” I need to know and also what a fine skill (and art) mold-making is and that it takes years to master that alone. Continue reading →

This week has been a busy productive blur from the first morning when five of us arrived to be introduced to mold making by  master mold maker, Ed Bentley (www.Bentleystoll.com).  Immediately, hands on demonstrations made the process accessible,  non-intimidating while engaging us all.  Continue reading →

I have many pictures of this place I have become fond of – it is hard to select those I feel best represent the “feel” of the place.  Even the work areas, or perhaps especially the work areas, hold special interest for me.  Walking from kilns to plaster room to studio to work or visit others, or to ask questions of Klari or Jakob, have endeared the place to me – it is a very special environment to be here and work in. Continue reading →

We were pleased with our first gas firing – so excited at the unloading of it that both Deb and I totally forgot to take any photographs – however, there are enough for you to get the general idea. Continue reading →

Whew – we are the busy gals – a bisque, salt firing and now a gas firing in the space of a week –

 Hard work all round on Friday with the salt glaze. Four of the young students stayed up through the night to stoke the fire. In spite of their best efforts, they couldn’t reach the required temperature for Jakob to work to increase the heat quickly as this kiln was meant to do. It was interesting watching Jakob when he arrived at 6:00 a.m. because he knew right away from the colour of the inside of the kiln as well as the smoke belching out that the kiln had many hours to go for this firing… Continue reading →

We worked most of the day loading the kiln with experts Klari and Jakob.  Each piece had to have clay “pads” placed under it so it would not fuse to the kiln shelves.  There was a sense of release (not relief) as our pieces were loaded into the kiln and handed the firing of the work over to those who know the kiln best.  Margaret has much riding on the successful firing of the kiln as she needs this work for an exhibit at the ICS Gallery in June and in Nanaimo in July. Continue reading →

More than half way through my residency in this wonderful setting – and I am feeling a sense of urgency that I am not getting work completed the way I would like to – even though I didn’t come here with the idea of completing lots of work! Such is the human condition – at least mine. I am learning so much, but not finishing or completing work of a calibre I think I should be or am capable of. But why would I think that after not doing much work for such a long while, that I would be able to slip into the creative groove so readily? I know that doing pieces that are worthwhile with a sense of longevity and purpose takes time. I have every reason to believe that nothing but good for my work will come out of this process but I need to be persistent and courageous. Continue reading →

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