What About Collecting? Collecting started in childhood — stamps, books, marbles, cards of all sorts — the same as with most of you and I guess there's always been something I’m collecting. I never really thought of myself as a collector until my house started filling up with stuff 1 found. difficult to heave out. In the last 15 years more than 500 pieces of blown glass went through my place but I’ve given up that pursuit and there are only 3 rare pieces left that I haven't dealt with. The slack was quickly taken up with the search for studio pottery and in less than five years the collection has grown to well over 400 pieces. Yesterday was a good example of a collector’s day. There had been a collection of 50 or 60 pieces of Tommy Kakinuma’s work in a recent auction and even though I did manage to buy a few pieces I couldn't afford to keep bidding at the time. However, the good fellow who did buy most of the larger pieces I really wanted was someone I know, so I let him know I'd be interested in the future. Yesterday he came into my shop with a beautiful tall TK pot ready to sell or trade. The pot is grey blue with some green and white highlights. The shape is simple and strong but the decora- tion is so different from all the birds and animals and red-orange pots of Kakinuma I already have. It stands 14 inches high and is striped horizontally in the blue over grey. Down one side is a splash of volcanic-like white and green— not a strident green but a subtle sea green like you see when youre looking at the blue water but then it’s green. On the other side of the pot he scratched through the blue to the grey to draw two converging spirals that intensify the movement of the surface. I know many potters want their work to be functional, and while this pot will hold a good deal of liquid and could look great with a long stem flower or two, its greatest function for me is as a piece of art. We made a trade for something I had in my shop at a considerably higher dollar value so he offered to include a sculptural piece by Gordon James he had also recently acquired. I haven't held it yet but I’ve seen a picture and I’m quite excited about it. The full fig- ure of Elephant Man is 18 inches tall and appears to have a high gloss glaze in flesh tones and pink. I was given a catalogue of the 1980 retrospective of the guild and first saw pictures of a James sculpted head in there. Pve since wanted. to add something of his work to my collection and the day is soon to come. This was a good day of collecting. ’'m fortunate to have a shop because I can trade pieces back and forth from my studio to there and I have the opportunity to be offered pieces to buy. It is diffi- cult to say no to taking home a new pot if it’s by someone I dont know yet or someone whose work I'm particularly fond of. Come by and say hello at DoDa Antiques, 422 Richards St. or email a comment to jdis@telus.net John Lawrence 10 DAVID LEACH, potter, born May 7 1911; died February 15 2005 Potter whose independent style was built on the foundations of his famous father’s work. TransFormation Update The last time I saw David Leach was in Spring 2003 by chance in the Gallery of The Devon Guild of Craftsmen in England. David was setting up a retrospective exhibit of his work and that of his students. At 91, he still stood tall and straight and moved with easy grace. I wasnt sure he would recog- nise me - he was one of my teachers for 4 years when I was at Art College in England, but many years had passed and I had seen him only once between, when I visited Lowerdown about 25 or so years ago. “Ah yes, of course, Celia Wild. You'll have to speak up, I'm getting a little deaf.” He was the same quick thinking, thoughtful, consid- erate person I remembered. His work was very much grounded in his famous father, Bernard's traditions of the Anglo-Oriental sensibilities, but had. made a slow evolution towards being recognisably his own. In 1930 he started in Bernard’s workshop in St.Ives as a student, and later as manager and partner. He trained apprentices to be a team producing a standard ware of Bernard’s original designs. The ware was of an admirably consistent high standard, using glazes which were in total contrast to those used commercially in the frugal aftermath of the war. The idea of studio pottery was born, and has inspired countless potters to believe it was possible to make a living, At St. Ives they found it a constant struggle to make their idealistic dream a reality. David’s own pottery, set up independently in 1956 at Lowerdown, Bovey Tracey in Devon, was maintained on a smaller scale, training his son, John as his first apprentice. Latterly he worked alone on individual pieces, and spent part of each year travelling internationally to give lectures and demon- strations, seeing, himself largely as a teacher. He exhibited regularly in U.S.A., Japan and. Europe, and has work in many U.K. and. European museums. Celia Rice-Jones The Guardian's February 26th 2005 obituary for David Leach can be seen at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/ 0,3604, 1425659,00.htm! Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter There are a good number of appli- cations awaiting the jurying for the ‘TransFormations show. Applicants will receive a letter some time in April informing them of their status. Good luck to everyone.. Heather Cairns Made Of Clay New Dates JUNE 17th, 18th and 19th Same times: 10am to 6pm Same place: Performance Works Demonstrations, Raku U, Door Prizes Co-ordinator: Dale Delansen madeofclay@bcpotters.com Jinny Whitehead April 2005