Corner Chair

In the last pwo months | have boet three
feisty feminine friends. They weren't
potters, but each went through 80 years of
life with an optimistic joy in life. This is for
Lucille, Helene, and Edna.

Epitaph of a Lady Who Ran a Pottery
Shop
(Found in a Church at Chester, England)

Beneath chis stone lies Catherine Gray
Changed to a lifeless lurnp of clay,

By earth and clay she got her pelf
And now she's tumed to earth herself.
Ye weeping friends let me advise
Abate your tears and dry your eyes,
For what avails a flood of tears?

Who knows but in a course of years

In some tall pitcher or brown pan

She in her shop may be again!

Linda Doherty

Letter to the Editor

Hi! K. Auman here. While surfing the net
for things of Clay and Canada —I came
across you. Enjoyed the newsletter and
hearing abour che catalogue project. |
suppose | ama mini-test market for such a
publication. My husband and [ are
currently exploring the possibilities of
moving to Vancouver from Florida. The
Caralogue is something | would purchase as
an introduction to che BC clay community.
[c sounds fabulous!

There are some chings thac chis mini-test
market would hope to find included. |
would hope to see a listing of the Centers
for the Arts, as well as the Guilds, chat
seem co be everywhere. As was reading
the Newslecter’s listings of workshops and
exhibits, over a half dozen were mentioned.
Fora fee, che Cencers could

subseribe to the Directory section of the
catalogue. Also, it should include a
listing of various craft and art museums.
Hmmm, and what abour a few pages
devoted to a calendar of events. If
nothing else, the annuals.chat everyone
looks forward to. OF course, you would
charge a fee for the listings which would

help defray expenses as it wouldn't cost as

much to add che extra pages. This may
alter the vision of the finished product,
however it would expand the
marketability of the finished product. If
yOu aspire to a stunning singular editson
which is keen for the grandchildren to
have a copy of, sortofa Who's Who in
Canadian Clay, then the markecabilicy is
considerably reduced.

[ would also hope thac chis publication
would be advertised in something like
Ceramics Monthly, as well as Sourhern
Living. Ceramics Monthly because ]am
having a hard time finding source
material on clay in Canada. Oh, there is
the occasional article on a Canadian, but
nec much with a broader brush scroke,
And it seems the Pacific Northwest all to
often stops in Seartle!!! Tourism may
smile more kindly on chis activicy with
these inclusions and outlets... and whar
abour making it available cheough

AAA (seems halfof America plans things
through chem),

We moved from North Carolina where
some would suggest that clay was in fact
invented! There we built our case for
funding support by having someone write
to the Srace of North Carolina's Office of
Tourism. They professed their interest in
discovering North Carolina pottery from
traditional to contemporary. Shall we say
what they sent cooked their own goose!!!
I'd be delighted to kneeck on doors with
inquiries and lee you know what | gather.
An address for the Office of Tourism
would be a start. As someone actively
trying to discover Canada Clay, pour
project would be a for sure purchase!!!
De ery co design it in an update-able
format even though it may mot be your
intention now. The hardest go is when
you have to start from scratch all over
again! [s chere a publication like
Ceramics Monchly chat lists suppliers and
such? Tam crying to find out what brands
of clay are available and at what price. |
used to use Highwater Clay while in
North Carolina. The move taught me

page 3

the folly of being attached to a clay bady,
Buc still icis convenient. Standard
Ceramic Clay is everywhere in the U5, |
find it to be somewhat lifeless, Still no
time is lost refining glaze fit if the body
stays the san.

Currencly, | am wanting to get into
porcelain and am deciding between an
“olf the shelf clay body or one of my own
design. ['ve been inspired by some old
articles by John Reeve (apprendiced with
Leach, BC porter, but on loan to Nova
Scotia at che cime he wrote the article for
Scudio Potter). [f you've heard of John
Reeve could you put me in couch with
him? Do you know of a clay body thar
meets his guide line of 64% - B0% Silica,
16% - 29% Alumina, and 3.5% - 6.5%
fluxes. These he called Witimate a
Composition.

“Whar about your raw ingredients? Who
are your suppliers? How dear are the
prices! Oh gosh, | have to go metric!
Oh, and do | have eo live in Canada to
join the guild?

Enough. [ hepe you can find time to
answer any of these. ‘Wann regards,
thanks for all you are doing to serve che
clay community.

K. Auman
Auman[SMTPrauman(figte.net]

Thank you, K. , for your suggestions
regarding the catalogue. They bring up some
miteresiing promis. Ay bo your Questions
regarding suppliers, Greenbarn we the biggest
supplier in BC, the E-mail address és:

www. greenbarrcom

Your best ber for a publication char covers
Canadian Clay is Contact, a fall colour
magezine that i published in Alberta, but es
Canada wide mits scape. Check it

at; berp:/fweb.idirectcom/-contact

You don’t have to live in Canad to join the
guild, you need only send us your address and
a check for $40 (Can) for a calendar year. If
you send uy et letter for John Reeve, we wll
forward it onto him,

Karen Opas

*1¢'s mot too late to be in the
book."** [f you don't have the entry
form and information, just give a call to
(604) 669 - $645 and we'll send or fax

you the information.