CALLS FOR ENTRY

Circle Craft 19th Annual Christmas
Market Juried Craft Show, at Vancom.
ver Trade and Convention Centre,
Novernber 11-15, 1992. contact Paul
Yard, Producer, at (604) 737-9050,

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DON REITZ AT NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE

The February 29th weekend was a busy one for many people. In addition te the
Ostermann workshop at ECCAD, Sarah Coole gave a demonstration / presentation
at the Burnaby Art Centre, and the American ceramic artist Don Reitz was guest of
the Comox Valley Potters Club at the newly opened North Island Community College
facilities.

I was fortunate to get over to Vancouver Island with Jackle White of the Downstairs
Potters to take In the two days with the Comox, Courtenay group and Don Reitz.
It turned out to be a most amazing session. observing the highly physical and
energetic presentation of someone for whom clay has been a life-long fascination
ars obsession. It's not everyday thal someone wedges 25 pounds of clay on the
concrete floor in front of you and procecdes to persuade the clay om the wheel,
whining In Its discontent, into a 24 Inch tall form, which later would be part of an
assemblage that stood close to five feet tall. Don strongly suggested very early on
that the “No rules, only concepts” philosophy is the one he lives by; that in our
repression in “nol doing things’, we suppress what we know, He acknowledged that
most of his work has to do with “putting parts together", whether it be clay parts,
or clay and coloured slips and engobes used as “painting” parts. His approach and
need is to physically discover the spiritual /intellectual “end* of his creative work.

Don kept Alan Burgess and other members of the Comox Club ninning to keep him
provided with freshly pugged clay; in that first day, he produced the parts of at least
eight quite large formes: open platter and slab forms on which he would lay down
surface decoration; lidded, thrown vessel forms with pulled handles; jar forms of
thrown two-ptece walls; 2 foot Uhbrown pitchers with pulled handles; and the finale,
the five foot tea pot, assembled from parts rolled, thrown, cut, panded, squished
(literally], and generally handied tn his very unique style.

Don lives near Sedona in Arizona on the edge of a large natural wilderness preserve,
and in his description of his lifestyle there, which Includes involvement in the firing
of an anagama kiln, he seems to be a part of his surrourdings, definitely larger than
life.

1 felt that for the majority of us in the audience (close to fifty rapt observers), the
exposure to such an energy would not be something we would casily experience
again, and | thank Lynne Johnson and her Comox Valley Polters Club friends for
giving us the opportunity for that experience.

Jan Kicinie

The Club is also indebted to Greenbarn Potters Supply for their donation of the clay
for both the Don Reitz and the Jim Etzkorn workshops. Thanks, Dave.

MINO ‘92 - the 3rd International Ce-
Tamics Competition in two categories:
ceramics design and ceramic arts. For
further information, contact office at
683-9623. May 31 entry deadline.

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The Vancouver Craft Market is now
accepting applications the the 1992 shaw
dates aa follows: Novernber 6,7, & 8;
November 27, 28, & 29; December 11,
12, & 13, and December 19 and 20.
Contact Simone Avram at 65-40 Demorest
Dr., Richmond, B.C. V7A4M1., or phone
(604) 275-2724.

April, 1992