Potters Market May 30-31

I just fired up the kiln for the last overnight firing before packing up for this pottery extravaganza in Guelph this week-end.  It looks like this year's sale is even bigger, with potters coming from all over Ontario, and a few beyond.  I'm sure I'll come home with a few treasures myself!

The setting is the ruins of an old mill along the Speed River.  Apparently an episode of Murdoch Mysteries is currently being filmed there, so there may be a few period props around in addition to pottery.

Large vases in process

I just spent pretty much the whole day gardening on Victoria Day.  My little tomato bed needs a rest so I planted some daisy and aster seeds.  Hopefully I'll have some cut flowers to use from the garden for my summer craft shows.  I'll need alot to fill these guys....I made a couple of large vases last week (made in 3 pieces) and added some sprigs of lotus flowers.  The sprigs are a bit on the thick side for my liking and I'm still trying to figure out how they should be glazed.

Potters' Guild Exhibition

Here are a few shots of the exhibition at the spring Potters' Guild show.  Sorry, no photos of the juror, much respected potter/clay artist from North Bay, Keith Campbell.  

The seven pieces you see here are most of the prize winners. Click on photo to enlarge.

Each potter can submit up to 3 pieces or sets for jurying.  I was pleased to see that two of mine were included.  This set of 4 humble espresso cups made the cut, as did the greenish platter you can just see in the back on the left (see photo in previous post)

This tea set by Jen Drysdale won an award.  As Keith said, (I'm paraphrasing....) Jen makes pots for potters.  They represent a high level of skill that shines through in these wood fired gems.  Lovely.

New platters

Just out of the kiln--a couple of large, sumptuous platters with slip trail decoration

Ottawa Guild of Potters Sale at Landsdowne Park

The tulips are starting to bloom, and it looks like a great spring week-end ahead for the Ottawa Guild of Potters spring sale and exhibition, now in the recently renovated Horticulture building at Landsdowne Park.  I hear there will be Ikebana demonstrations during the sale too.