Artists are inspired by a variety of people, places and things. For the five women behind the exhibit Flight, inspiration was taken from a broken hip, busted arm and a pending retirement.

Given that Sheila Mcdonald, Bonnie Keats, Rhona Armes, Pat Hall and Megs Waterous lovingly refer to themselves as a bunch of old birds, a decision was made to continue the theme for the upcoming show.

“We’re interpreting the word flight in different ways,” Keats said Wednesday. “I am retiring, so my section of (the exhibit) will be called Swan Song.”

Keats is retiring from a career in pottery. About three or four months ago Armes suffered a broken hip and Hall broke her shoulder or, as she calls it, her wing.

Hall and Waterous ended up in Royal Inland Hospital at the same time, she said. Waterous was injured when she was thrown from a horse.

“It’s about injuries and how they make us change the way we work and look at things. How we take flight in new directions,” said Hall.

Flight opens Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Kamloops Art Council Gallery at the Old Courthouse. Those who attend the opening and visit the exhibit during the three-week run will be treated to various samples of the women’s pottery and clay work.

The women are current and retired members of the Thompson Valley Potters Guild and Courthouse Gallery.

On display are bird-themed masks, birdhouses, baskets and busts. Keats said the pieces will be old and new, and there will be a lot of them too.

“We’ll probably end up taking over the whole hall,” she joked.

As always, the art is for sale. Waterous said partial proceeds from sales will be donated to Bird Studies Canada.

For more on Flight phone the Old Courthouse Gallery at 250-314-6600. The exhibit runs from May 3 to 26.