Editor's Viewpoint

[ was lucky enough to be given a mckec co
the Lottery for Poceery night.
secure in the knowledge chat | would be

taking home a pot, but hadn't counted on

[ arrived

the gambling fever that swepe me, | waited
in a teeth-gnashing frenzy for my number to

be called, panicking a3 more and more
ficces On My choice list disappeared.
faced a moral dilemma when the ticker |
was holding for someone else (who wasn't
there) gor pulled im the first ten numbers.

Should | pretend it was mine and go for that

sushi sec, or be honest? Obviously -or |
wouldn't be writing about it- 1 stuck oo the

straight and narrow. So there | was, morally
chaste, but not quite able co still my regrets.
I

am happy co report chart, even though |

was pulled near the very end, [still managed

to get one of my top five picks.

The potter Beatrice Wood celebrated her
104th birthday on March 3rd. She is an
amazing character and is quite the
inspiration Co ripe. She started our as an
actress, accually living in Memereal for a
while (graruitous Canadian connection),
before becoming a potter. She began
sketching with the encouragement of her
lever, Marcel Duchamp. Later, when she

wanted ta turn skecches into 3-dimensional

objects, she did so in clay-

Incidentally, her affair wich Duchamp and
his friend Henri-Pierre Roche was the

[ alse

genesis of Franceis Truffaut's famous film,

Jules ex Jem,

Beatrice took her first wheel lessens from
Glen Lukens when she was past 40, and
later studied with Otee and Vivika Heino.
[f you've ewer read her autobiography, f
Shock Myself, you kmow char this is a
woman who grabs life by che gonads. She

still makes pots, applying the lusere glazes

for which she is renowned. She was 23
years old when che Garth ark soar

page 9
first represented her work. ['m willing to
wager that he didn't expect to be putting
on shows of her new work in L997,

Essentially, Beatrice Wood has led my
fantasy life; interesting lovers, a life-long
involvement with che arts, a great studio,
and fame & recognition when you are old
one to really appreciace it. | will be
thrilled if | undergo a tenth of her
experiences.

[recently hosted a studio visic from a
couple of members of the newly
enfranchised Burns Lake Pooter's Guild
fone of them was my mvorherc}. | hed a
fabulous time pontificating about surtace
treatment. | peck chem around the
studios in my area and was impressed by
their huge chirst for knowledge. The lack
ef porters in their area makes it very
difficult for them to get those little cips
that can make such a difference, the
things we often see our co-conspirarors in
clay doing when we casually drop by for a
visit. A picture in a book is no substiture
for picking up a piece, turning it over and
running your fingers over the surface. |
came away with a mew appreciation for
the plethora of potters in Southern BC.
Nor thar, just co be clear, 1 didn’r

appreciate you in the first place!

Karen Opas

- Potter’s Guild of B.C. Newsletter

Email: bepguildi@lintowch.be.ca

Lt
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