The best part of my job is that I get to experience activities I wouldn’t normally think of trying.
For instance, on Thursday I visited the Dundas Valley School of Art to work on my contribution to Celebrity Pottery portion of the school’s 42nd annual Art Auction on April 14.
It seems someone at the school believes a bowl or plate painted and signed by me would help raise money for the facility.
Obviously they have never talked to my high school art teacher, who exhibited great mercy in granting me a C in my Grade 12 art class.
To be honest, my artistic talent peaked in Grade 3, and I say this with some hesitation for fear of insulting any talented Grade 3 art student.
I believe the scientific term for my affliction is  artistically dyslexic – what I view and draw are polar opposites of each other.
I tried to explain this to the good folks at the Dundas Valley School of Art,  but they still insisted I try my hand at painting a piece of pottery.
When I arrived at the school  on Thursday, I was told to select either a plate or bowl and given the choice of two design techniques – dipping or painting.
I was tempted to try the dipping technique because it looked simple enough.
One celebrity ‘colleague’  had just left  after dipping a bowl’s lid partially into paint and letting it drip down the side.
I won’t say who the celebrity was, but I’m told his name rhymes with former U.S. President Richard Nixon.
Others dipped bowls or plates in two or more colours.
That seemed too quick, so I decided to make my visit worth the drive to Dundas, and opted for painting a scene.
I did have something in mind. Since, my name was going to be on the back of the plate, I decided to personalize my contribution by revisiting my roots with a prairie scene.
I had a vision of a fiery prairie sunset over a flat field of grain punctuated by a grain elevator.
About an hour later, and with the help of Heather Vaugeois,  of DVSA, I wound up with a plate that lies somewhere between my original vision and a  giant orange spaceship invading Dog River, Sask.
The final result depends on how the glaze turns out.
But I had fun and tried my hand at various painting techniques using a number of brushes and even a sponge.
To view the final result, you’ll have to visit the free previews for the art auction on April 12-14. You can even make a silent auction bid.
Or you can attend the Silent Auction event in the evening on Saturday, April 14.
More than 1,200 original works of art from established and new artists and estate items are up for bidding. Art works include oils, pastels, watercolours, sculpture, pottery and jewelry.
And, of course, there is the Celebrity Pottery auction.
Don’t forget to look for my plate. It’s the one surrounded by the artistic pots and plates.
Hamilton Community News Managing Editor Rod Jerred can be reached at rjerred@hamiltonnews.com or follow him on Twitter @HCN_editor.