December 2020
Issue #003
Hello Potters
Finally December’s here – time to crack open the festive spirits, that is, once all the gifts have been organised. Don’t want to get too jolly, too quickly!
Like the weather, the kilns have been running hot these past few weeks – so don’t forget to check the firing shelves for your finished work. Hopefully your pieces have survived and now just require wrapping for the big day.
If you haven’t done so already, have a look around the new website. Don’t forget to bookmark the site and come back often to see what’s new.
We want to see more of our talented members’ work, so upload your pics to our instagram or facebook page, or email them so they can be included in the website.
We are also always looking for information, workshops, exhibitions, news, stories or useful tips. So if you have some, just send them to the editor here.
Ed Trost - newsletter editor
www.shorncliffepotteryclubinc.com.au
Hi everyone and Welcome to our last newsletter for 2020!
We’ve had another big month at the Club which started with our first General Meeting for members on Saturday 7th November. I’m very happy to announce that at that meeting our new Secretary was voted in! Thank you to Caroline Schleimer for volunteering to take on this very important role, the committee is very grateful and the Club will benefit from your experience.
Do you know how to use Excel and would like to help the Club? Then do I have an offer for you! We are still in need of a volunteer to take on the role of Treasurer. Our Vice President, Ken, has been performing this role (in addition to his VP role) for the last month, and while he’s been doing a wonderful job we really need someone dedicated to the role. As the old saying goes - Many hands make light work! So if you are a Club member, know how to use Excel (or are willing to learn) and would like to help keep us running smoothly then please let us know by email to shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com.
As Ed mentioned above, we’ve had lots of items going through the kilns - so a very BIG thank you to the Kiln Team for all their hard work to keep them running with little to no down time between loads! Just a reminder to members to keep an eye on our Facebook page for advice on when the shed will be open extra hours for drop off and collection of items.
We’ve also had a busy month helping members increase their skills, not only from the advice that our volunteer supervisors can offer during our open hours but also from a slip making workshop and a three week hand-building course. We would like to thank Linda Douglas for all her expertise in tutoring the workshops and courses we were lucky enough to hold in the second half of this crazy year. Our Workshop Team are busy working on our 2021 workshop / course offerings, so please keep an eye out for that!
And finally, four committee members met with SAS Art in mid-November to discuss the Christmas party (see further information below and don’t forget to RSVP ASAP!), the annual Easter Exhibition held at St Patricks College and our traditional Expressions event held in October each year. We will provide more information about these events as it becomes available, but in the mean time, when you’ve finished your Christmas creations please turn your creative minds to what you can produce to go into these 2021 exhibitions!
We wish all our members, subscribers and your families a safe and happy Christmas and New Year period and we look forward to 2021 being bigger and better!
Cheers and happy reading!
Tamara Vitale – President, SPC Inc
Christmas is here
The kilns are being stacked fatter than a Christmas stocking. So, you need to be quick, to make the Christmas firing cut off.
‘3 Santas’ pic
courtesy Anna Hale
Thursday and Saturday mornings
9.00am—1.00pm
Thursday evening
6.00pm—9.00pm
SESSION FEE — $7.00 per visit, payable to the club either by EFT to the club’s bank account, or via the Square system using your debit or credit card on the day. (We are aiming for a cashless club to make managing finances easier for you)
Please let us know via email if you are intending to come to the club so we can maintain Covid-19 regulations on numbers working in the shed.
Firing Update
Well people, we have had an eventful month with our kilns both under firing and over firing – needing some major work on them both.
Our number 2 kiln won’t reach stoneware anymore and we are in the process of replacing the elements. There was a stoneware load that underfired and to refire we tried to push Kiln 3 to stoneware which it normally does not like. It let us know and alarmed, and then stopped, luckily the slow ramp up and heat worked - all the glazes matured and the cones showed we made temperature. All going well Kiln 2 will be repaired and we will be able to stoneware before we have our next load ready to go.
UPDATE: Kiln 2 rewired
Gus has solved the problem with Kiln 2 and it is back firing up to Stoneware again.
Well done Gus! – legend
Keep an eye on what clays and glazes you are using to help with looking after the condition of the shelves. We will have a working bee to clean and batt-wash the shelves coming up soon.
Gabriel and Catherine have done a great job adjusting the glazes to have the specific gravity correct. They are working on the club glazes and bringing them back out when they are ready. Good news on the buttermilk glaze – we hope to have it back soon due to many requests, the small batch test came out very promising.
And don’t forget to put your maker’s mark on your piece before bisque firing, otherwise it is impossible for the kiln firers to know who belongs to the piece.
Kiln team Gus, Linda, Tamara, Clare and Roz
Pottery Club Library
Are you in need of inspiration for a new clay project, or more pottery facts?
There is a free library for members that has many publications available for you to borrow. It's the bookshelf at the shed near the kitchen, next to the sink – you will have passed it on your way to make a cup of tea.
All you need to do to borrow a book or magazine, is to make your selection and fill out your details in the loan notebook. You will find the notebook tucked in the shelf at about shoulder level – it is distinctive with its red, yellow and blue stripes.
The running of the library is based on an honesty system, so you can determine how much time you need to read the item.
Grab a book when you are next at the shed, and be inspired to start a new masterpiece in clay!
Clare Houston, committee member
Membership Note
Our club membership now stands at 54 plus 4 life members. This makes us a viable club, however every new member increases our strength. Forms for joining can be left at the club for collection, scanned and emailed to the membership secretary, or posted by snail mail.
The email address for the membership secretary is shorncliffepotteryclubincmembership@hotmail.com
The postal address for membership forms is PO Box 85, Petrie. 4502.
Payment can be made using a bank transfer. Our bank details are:
BSB: 064 124
Account: 10518225
Reference: ‘your name’ SPCI Mship
This information is also on the membership form.
Member benefits
If you are still waiting to join, do not hesitate, as the newly incorporated Shorncliffe Potters Club has much to offer. Our workshop is clean and well laid out with tools and equipment such as plaster moulds, slab rollers and wheels to get the beginner started. A firing service is available as well as access to club glazes which have been tested for use. A range of clays is available and is sold at the wholesale cost rather than the single block retail rate.
While there is still much to do to secure a permanent home for us, the committee is planning an exciting year for 2021. New and exciting workshops are being planned. More information will be coming in future newsletters, but it is members who will have first options for any workshops that will be on offer.
Ann Gillespie, membership secretary
Don’t forget to join the club!
You need to become a member of our new club to access our facilities and be first to join in the workshops.
Urgent Request
The Committee are asking all members if they could donate a non-perishable item for the Christmas Hamper Raffle 2020. Wine, biscuits, trinkets, a yacht - whatever you can manage. Please email the club with details of your donation if you can help, asap.
Thank you.
A Big Thank You
SPC Inc. would like to give a big thank you to Carmela Anile for donating a small pug mill and some moulds. They will definitely come in handy for all of the potters. Thank you Carmela.
Hurry RSVP to this email: info@sandgateart.org
SPC Inc. Christmas Hamper Raffle
Spoil yourself rotten if you win one of two decadent Christmas Hampers*,
and help the club raise money at the same time.
Tickets are only $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00
There are two draws for two hampers containing such goodies as wine, port, cheese, crackers, cheese board, Ferrero Rocher, Tim Tams, shortbread, glass pendant, candle, bag of clay, Lindt chocolates plus other fantastic products including gift certificates from Two Mad Sisters and Sandgate Coffee Club. Prizes valued at over $200.
purchase tickets in person at the club
or
direct debit to the bank account then
click here to email the club to record your ticket purchase
Raffle is drawn 20 December 2020 at the Xmas party
and you don’t have to be in attendance to claim the prize
so get in quick for your chance to win big
All proceeds go to Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. to run the club and maintain equipment
*sample image only – actual products may differ from photograph
There are currently no workshops planned for the next month. But don’t stress, we will update you well in advance, as to when the next workshop is going to happen.
If you would be interested in doing a particular type of workshop, please contact us on our email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
Bookings are always essential.
We’d like to feature your work in the Newsletter so don’t forget to take some photos of your current project or a work in progress.
Send your photos to Ed at: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
DIY Banding Wheel
This homemade turntable is easy to make, inexpensive, and works really well. PVC plumbing closet flanges can be purchased at many hardware stores for about $10. Just match the inner diameter of one – to the outer diameter of the other, so they overlap. Cut two squares of plywood – the bottom piece approximately 50mm wider than the PVC flange, and the top piece should be bigger, but not greater than 50mm. The plywood should be 25mm thick and sealed to handle wet clay (Tip - use marine plywood). Centre and screw each flange onto the plywood. Add a little WD40 for lubrication where the flanges touch and there you have it. It’s that easy.
Courtesy Dennis Allen
On this weekend!
Finish the year on a high note and support local artisans at this fabulous Christmas Design Market. Featuring ceramic works by local artists.
Location QAGOMA store
QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY | GALLERY OF MODERN ART
Stanley Place, South Brisbane
Gold Coast Potters Association
An annual event with 30 stalls of handmade craft, food, music and pottery demos throughout the day.
173 Ashmore Road, Benowa, QLD, Australia 4217
Sunday, December 6, 2020 from 9 AM – 2 PM
New Sandgate Gallery Opens
The new Reason Gallery has just recently opened to the public.
The art gallery & studio is operated by Catherine Reason Macauley, a dedicated artist with a passion for beauty, love & whimsy.
Reason Gallery @ 133B Deagon Street, Sandgate.
Open Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon, 10am–4pm
to view ceramics, artwork, jewellery & more.
Contact: 0401 332 549
Naracoopa Gallery Christmas Hours
Naracoopa Art Gallery and Artist Studio will be open for viewing and sales leading up to Christmas on the following days or by appointment any time:
Sat 05 Dec 11am to 4pm Sun 06 Dec 11am to 4pm
Sat 19 Dec 11am to 4pm Sun 20 Dec 11am to 4pm
Call 0412 147 456 to arrange a visit at other times.
Enquire about Textile / Mixed Media Art Workshops
Covid Safe Gallery.
Located @ 60 Phillips St, Bracken Ridge
Kurinuki
Pottery in Japan is said to go back to the Neolithic Period – the end of the Stone Age, some 12,000 years ago. One ancient traditional method – linked to Raku and the highly ritualised tea ceremony is the kurinuki or “carving out” technique which values as a shape, the geometric outside of a vessel and, in a Zen way, the balance between stark outside and curved inside.
Examples of the kurinuki technique below, are a teapot and vase (the teapot would often use a rectangular, rather than circular, bamboo handle). A kurinuki master traditionally uses a wide flat blade and paddles to form the shape.
The beauty of kurinuki is it is neither hand-building nor wheel-throwing. It uses the negative space of sculpture – carving out rather than building up.
There are plenty of YouTube videos on this, and if you listen to podcasts then Episode 652 of the potterscast features a Singaporean potter exponent of this technique.
2020 Hurford Hardwood Art Prize
Ceramic artist Antoinette O'Brien was named as the winner of the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Art Prize with her bust of Helen Deravenchecko. I went to the gallery as I was also a finalist in the exhibition and there were some amazing portraits by very creative artists. However, there wasn’t a lot of ceramics, so it was inspiring that a ceramic piece received the main prize - as judged by Abdul Abdullah.
If you like portraiture, I would recommend a trip to the Northern Rivers to see the exhibition. It is on at the Lismore Regional Gallery from 7 November 2020 to 31 January 2021. Check the gallery website here for opening times or view the exhibition through the online catalogue.
Review by Ed Trost
First Prize – Helen Deravenchecko by Antoinette O’Brien
Clay: Thick and Thin exhibition
The NSW North Coast Ceramics exhibition at M|ARTS in Murwillumbah, entitled Clay: Thick and Thin starts this Friday. This exhibition provides an opportunity for you to see some of the NSW North Coast’s most practised ceramicists display their best pieces in a Gallery setting. Opening is on Friday December 4th at M|ARTS
Just 90 minutes from Brisbane it is perfect for a day trip over the holidays.
It runs until 16 January 2021.
This is a curated show and most items will also be for sale.
While you’re in the neighbourhood have a look at the recreation of Margaret Olley house at the Tweed Regional Gallery and see how she lived and worked as an artist.
4 Ways to Prevent Your Pieces
Exploding in the Kiln
1. ‘Air dry’ pieces for as long as possible.
As Brisbane is a humid climate it can take weeks for greenware (freshly made clay pieces) to really dry out, ready for firing. So, how can you know if your piece still has too much moisture inside?
Here are two quick tests:
Put the greenware up to your cheek. Is it colder than room temperature? It still has too much moisture in it. Let it dry for longer.
Place the greenware on a sheet of paper. Does the paper wrinkle? If so, there is still moisture trying to escape the piece. Keep on letting it dry.
2. Ideally don’t build thicker than 25mm.
For most projects, less than 25mm of clay thickness is a good rule of thumb. It lowers the risk of having pockets of air and moisture deep within the piece. Your pieces will dry faster and be less heavy after firing. And it will be cheaper too.
3. Make a hole for steam to escape.
This is crucial when you build hollow pieces – you need a hole for steam to escape. Otherwise a hollow piece without a hole is like a grenade in the kiln. While the clay is still leather hard, use a needle tool to make an inconspicuous hole somewhere on the piece. If you forget and the piece is already bone-dry, just use a drill bit to drill a hole. Make sure the hole is large enough, so that when the clay shrinks the hole remains big enough for steam to escape.
4. Finally, kiln fire using a long preheat.
This is a kiln process that is taken care of by our tremendous kiln fire team. For more information on this, simply ask one of the firing team.
Maybe you have a pottery tip you’d like to share.
Send to Ed at: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
MR + MRS JACK FROST
These cute little guys are dead easy to make. While it mightn’t be snowing outside it doesn’t mean we can’t make ceramic snowmen and snowwomen, does it? These would make a festive salt and pepper set, don’t you think?
Merry Christmas from SPCI
President: Tamara Vitale
Vice President: Ken Bull
Secretary: Caroline Schleimer
Acting Treasurer: Ken Bull
Committee Members: Gus Saunders, Linda Rosenthal,
Clare Houston & Ann Gillespie
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
Contact: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
