photo credit: Verity Burley...As a team we seemed to gel instantaneously like a dragon-fly to the tongue of a bullfrog. Everyone in the team got on exceptionally well and we managed to exceed our quota for the Pilchuck Centrepiece Auction while having immense fun and working hard to achieve our aims. Setting the wheels in motion, project manager and Gaffer Jay Macdonell oversaw the smooth production. Two lead benches gaffed by Jeff Ballard and Martin Janecky were fed start up stuffed cups by Nick Davis, Granite Calimpong, Evan Schauss and Hugh Willa. People adapted accordingly along the way to avoid repetition and allowing flexibility within the team to gain technical insight.
In four days of intense production, 120 benefactor gifts were pumped out by Jette Bøge Sørensen, Jessie Bean Goodman, Michelle Rak, Ryan Marsh Fairweather and I. The pristine white cups were stamped with a small bird stamp made of graphite in the style of Jiri Harcuba; Centerpiece Designer and master engraver from the Czech Republic.
There was a good balance of muscle provided by Brad Smith, Jon Moreno, Tim Belliveau, Scott Graham and Ian Milligan in carrying the larger works to and fro the gloryholes. Carrie Grula, Jen Somerville, Armelle Bouchet, Sasha Tepper-Stewart provided the much needed colour appreciation society in starting up the stuffed cups that saw the subtle colour fade appear as if each piece was made from the light of sunset skies. Like angels guarding the gates to heaven, Leah Duperreault, Jamie Perian and Peter Wright made sure the gloryhole doors were at the ready for opening or closing when reheating the larger works on the two main gaffer benches. Phil Bandura fruitful entertainer and laughter instigator of the Bee Kingdom, well thats all he needed do really. Thank god for assistant project managers like Sue McDowell, who did the obligatory beer run on a daily basis for our hard earnt effort. Without each and every one of these people we wouldnt have made a complete team nor had such fun, woops I mean worked so hard!
But wait theres more! The finishing process was aided by a multicultural coldworking crew which depended largely on Kai Scholfield as co-ordinator and specially selected Karel Novák and Vojtech Starosta from the Czech Republic; Itzell Tazzyman from Australia; Pierre Camilien of French origin and a Mexican - Hector Flores who all ground and polished beautifully
."Burley, V. "Poleturners 2009". Contemporary Glass Society, UK. June 30, 2009. website accessed July 13, 2009. http://www.cgs.org.uk/NEWSmoduleASP/NEWSMOD_newsitem.asp?type=Articles&itemid=598
