CALENDAR OF EVENTS The Joys of Working With

February - March 2014
The Joys of Working With Clay
A wonderful opportunity to join with the
Hamilton libraries to showcase the joys of
working with clay came our way this year. It's
never easy to fill all the classes each term so
we were thrilled when the Hamilton libraries
said yes to our suggestion of holding
demonstration sessions amongst their book
stacks. These demos would provide both us
and the libaries a chance to show off what we
have to offer – wonderful books and learning
resources and great pottery and sculpture
classes.
Over a two week period, WSP members held 2
hour sessions at Chartwell and Garden Place
libraries and Bev McKenzie, who runs classes
at the University campus, demonstrated at the
Hillcrest Library (aided and abetted by
Yasmin).
We turned up with a wheel,
brochures, examples of work and our brightest
smiles, while the libraries displayed their
ceramic and clay sculpture books.
Fenella has a captive audience
The events proved very popular; the wheel
mesmerised youngsters and adults alike, handbuilding techniques were watched avidly,
questions flowed and brochures were handed
out. Not only were we happy with the result
but so were the libraries, and we have been
invited to go back and do it again soon.
Continued:
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 2014
March 2014
February 10: WSP classes begin
March 12, 1.30pm: WSP Committee
Meeting
February 12, 1.30pm: WSP Committee
Meeting
February 18, 7.00pm: WSP Club Night
(Details to follow)
March 18, 7.00pm: WSP Club Night
(Details to follow)
Coming in April:
April 12 & 13: Naked Raku Wor kshop
(See page 6)
So, if any members out there
would like to help promote the
joys of clay and encourage people
to come along to classes, we'll be
glad to hear from you. If we get
enough volunteers we'd like to do
the same again for Term 2. After
all, the classes are not only
beneficial for the people who
come to them but they provide
important revenue that allow us to
keep the Society vibrant and alive
for us all.
Cheers
Susan St Lawrence
Ellen Mulvenna took time to help out
From the President’s Pen...
Kia ora folks!
calligraphy on the prizes and the rather lovely
Richard at ArtsPost who put up with us
changing our minds a hundred times and was
still smiling at the end of the day!
Last December we
opened our 42nd
Annual Exhibition at
ArtsPost and I must
say that as President
of
a
wonderful
organisation I could
not
have
been
prouder to support
and launch such a
fantastic selection of our members’ work.
Special thanks go to Melis van der Sluis who
not only judged the exhibition but was also the
Guest Exhibitor.
The winner of the premier prize, kindly
donated by David and Wendy at Waikato
Ceramics was Tammy Kuypers, whose piece
is a divine exploration of paper clay and rich
metallic glaze in an amazing organic
formation.
It was truly an amazing sight to behold when
you walked in and tried to take stock of the
wide-spread talent displayed, which included
Fiona Tunnicliffe works in the adjoining
galleries.
The winners of highly commended awards
were Duncan Shearer, Jenny Taris, Greta
Cabrita, Trish Seddon and Janet Smith – well
done all of you.
I’d like to thank Trish for being her usual
supportive and organised self, in the wake of
me dislocating my shoulder and not being of
much help, Susan St Lawrence for the
mammoth task of selecting, along with Diane
Parker – and Susan who worked with Kate
Burchett setting up the exhibition. Thanks also
to David and Karen for transporting our
treasures, Kym English who did the gorgeous
I’m sure that three pieces sold on the night,
including Daniel Mullen’s “Stations of the
Cross” which has been anonymously donated
to the Cathedral.
Thank you all so much for your entries.
Kind regards
Wendy Thomson
Merit: Duncan Shearer - ‘Albaretti set of 3’
Merit: Jenni Taris - ‘Warrior’
Winner: Tammy Kuypers - ’Cocoon’
Merit: Janet Smith - ‘Tea for one’
Merit: Trish Seddon - ‘Octopus’
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Merit: Greta Cabrita - ‘Untitled’
From Your Manager...
Hello everyone and
welcome back after
the holidays! I hope
you took time out to
relax and enjoy a
break from your
work-a-day lives. I
used the down-time
here to get Duncan to
come and do some
work on the kilns and
ensure the place was ship-shape for the start of
classes next week.
Jacobson are from Hawaii and are touring
New Zealand, offering workshops on their
unique raku-firing method so we are lucky to
be able to offer this to you. See the details in
this newsletter.
On a more boring note we are doing our
annual bisque-shelf clean out – you will see
the pieces in the studio under the blackboard.
If you have work there please move it on or
take it home as anything left there by February
28 will be binned – we need to make room for
all the new stuff coming somehow!
We had a wonderful hands-on throwing
workshop last Saturday with tutor Ellen
Mulvenna showing the participants how to
throw and alter their pieces while they were still
pretty wet and pliable. Ellen is a wonderful
teacher and she guided both the experienced
and not-so-experienced potters through the
altering process. You will no doubt notice some
of their work on the firing shelves soon. Thank
you Ellen, for providing us with another great
learning opportunity.
And finally I want to congratulate you all on
the fantastic exhibition we had at ArtsPost
over December and January – we sold about a
third of the work on display which was really a
wonderful outcome, so get making and set
aside your best pieces for our 43rd Annual
Exhibition which will be held again at
ArtsPost from November 28 2014 to 5 Jan
2015. And a big thanks to those who
volunteered with the set up and take down of
the exhibition – many hands make light work!
Speaking of learning opportunities most of our
adult classes have filled up fast this term and
they start up next week. We are constantly
looking for new ways to promote our classes to
the wider community and thanks to the hard
work of Susan St Lawrence and some trusty
volunteers the WSP is being promoted in local
libraries with over the next few weeks.
Volunteers are demonstrating throwing and
hand-building techniques in the libraries and we
are handing out our WSP brochures. If you
would like to help out with this cool initiative
please
contact
Susan
St
Lawrence
(susanstlawrence@gmail.co). We offer fantastic
kid’s classes too so if you know any little
people spread the word please!
Cheers, Trish Seddon
We have an exciting ‘Naked Raku’ workshop
coming in April and no this does not mean you
raku with no clothes on (not only would this be
unsightly but highly dangerous…) but the
pieces are decorated with coloured slips
containing mica. Anyway, Kate and Will
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Ellen Mulvenna Workshop Report
American Potter Ellen Mulvenna held a great
hands-on throwing and altering workshop at
the clubrooms on Saturday 1st February.
Participants were at all levels of throwing
prowess and Ellen was able to ensure everyone
had a great time and was able to produce
something they were proud of!
Ellen has very kindly donated work she has
produced during her short time with us here at
the WSP. She has asked that these works be
sold and the proceeds used to buy throwing
tools to be used in our classes. Thank you so
much Ellen for your generosity with your time
and your donation of fired work! We hope you
remember your time here fondly.
Trish Seddon
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Naked Raku Workshop
A Naked Raku workshop with Hawaiian
potters Kate and Will Jacobson will be held
at WSP on April 12 and 13. (From 9.30am –
4pm on both days.)
In the two-day workshop, Kate and Will
Jacobson will demonstrate their methods of
wheel throwing and handbuilding vessel
forms. ‘We will also teach our process of
painting with mica infused clay, as well as
discussing various concepts for combining
two-dimensional imagery with threedimensional forms.’
The first day will also include Naked Raku
glazing demonstrations. On the morning of
the second day, participants will have the
opportunity to use the Jacobson's techniques
on bisque ware and receive one on one
instruction from Kate and Will. Check out
their work at: www.jacobsonartstudio.com
Honu Vessel
Workshop costings are still being finalised,
but a 2-day fee of $90 is being proposed.
Contact Trish if you would like to enrol.
Koi Pond
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Pottery Classes: Term 1, 2014
Class Number: 1
Monday Evenings Wheel Throwing Class:
6.30pm - 9.30pm
10 February to 31 March (8 weeks)
$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &
firing
Tutor: Fenella Fern – A beginners/
intermediate wheel throwing class taught by a
tutor who grew up in a working pottery in
England. An emphasis on functional work, but
any projects can be worked on in this class.
Tutor: Diane Parker - A class for students of
all skill levels that will be exploring a wide
range of making and firing techniques. Decorating and glazing your work is also covered,
so come and enjoy a stress-free escape.
Children’s Classes
Class Number: 4
Wednesday Afternoons: 3.30 – 5.30pm
19 February to 18 March (6 weeks)
$120 - includes clay and firing
Tutor: Yasmin Davis - A great chance for
your children to learn all about clay and all the
fun things you can make with it! The course
covers making, decorating and glazing. For 8 to
13 yr olds (we will consider taking children as
young as 6 yrs old if parent will stay with them).
Class Number: 2
Tuesday Mornings Master Class: 9.30am –
12.30pm
11 February to 18 March (6 weeks)
$120 + materials & firing
Tutor: Janet Smith – 6 weeks - 6 teapots! A
wheel throwing class for intermediate to advanced students, Janet will lead you through
making a different teapot each week.
Class Number: 6
Sunday Mornings: 10am – 12 noon
23 February to 30 March (6 weeks)
$120 - includes clay and firing
Tutor: Tanya Hollatz - A great chance for
your children to learn all about clay and all the
fun things you can make with it! The course
covers making, decorating and glazing. For 8 to
13 yr olds (we will consider taking children as
young as 6 yrs old if parent will stay with them).
Class Number: 3
Wednesday Evenings Sculpture Class: 6.30pm
- 9.30pm
12 February to 2 April (8 weeks)
$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &
firing
Tutor: Susan St Lawrence – Learn how to
sculpt in clay using the techniques employed
by the Old Masters. Classes are project based
and orientated towards producing figurative
works.
Play with Clay
Is still going strong on Tuesday nights from
6.30pm till 9pm and Wednesday mornings from
9.30am to midday. Only $5 for members. Both
sessions run continuously throughout the year
and are an excellent way of meeting other potters and learning tips from others that can help
your work progress.
Class Number: 5
Thursday Evenings Hand-building Class:
6.30pm - 9.30pm
13 February to 3 April (8 weeks)
$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &
firing
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Opening Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
PO Box 21183, 7-11 West Street, Hamilton
Free Phone: 0800 856 889 Fax: 07 856 8892
Email: Sales@potterysupplies.co.nz
www.potterysupplies.co.nz
Suppliers of clays, raw materials, glazes, stains and tools
Dave and Wendy Gardiner
Waikato Society of Potters
PO Box 9299, Hamilton Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240
Ph (07) 838 1950
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