June 2021

2021 newsletters

31 May

Written By Ed Trost

Tuesday Mornings 9:00am—1:00pmThursday + Saturday Mornings 9:00am—1:00pm Thursday Evenings 6:00pm—9:00pmSESSION FEE — $7.00 per visit, payable either in person using your debit or credit card or by EFT to the club’s bank account. Account name: Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. Bank details: BSB 064124 Account number: 10518225Please let us know via email if you are intending to come to the club so we can maintain Covid-19 regulations on numbers within the studio. — Tuesday Mornings
9:00am—1:00pm
Thursday + Saturday Mornings
9:00am—1:00pm
Thursday Evenings
6:00pm—9:00pm
**SESSION FEE —** $7.00 per visit, payable either in person using your **debit or credit card** or by EFT to the club’s **bank account**.
**Account name**: Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc.
**Bank details**: BSB 064124
**Account number**: 10518225
**Please let us know** via email if you are intending to come to the club so we can maintain Covid-19 regulations on numbers within the studio.

From the Kiln CornerAs usual we are loading and unloading constantly. The kilns seem to be working well. Gus has adjusted temperature a few times as cones indicated kiln 2 was actually going too hot. But in general they are hardworking workhorses.As soon as we load the bisque you potters fill up the shelves for another load. So we are kept busy, which is great. We have a very productive group of potters. This month we will have additional pots produced due to the Jackie Gasson wheel throwing class. They are still drying and needing trimming so we are yet to see how many pots will come in. We have been working at rehydrating some clay that is in back room soaking up water. It is a mixture of clays which will need to go through the pug and be packaged. It will be available at a nominal fee. As it is a mixture of clays it will only be able to be fired at Earthenware temperature. We will be looking for volunteers to help with the process as it is quite a job. So if you are interested in recycling drop us an email.Catherine and Gabriel continue to focus on producing glazes and testing them. We are trying to be more proactive in terms of using sacrificial plates under pots in an attempt to save the kiln shelves. We have a few spots where old glaze, even though ground off is coming up through the shelves and causing pots to stick to the shelves. Also, be aware of need to only hold pots in glaze for three seconds as otherwise it is too thick and tends to drip or crawl onto the shelves.We now have BRT but some clays are not yet available. There has been a mass shortage of clay supplies and we have got what we can, when we can.Keep up the play with clay.Greg, Linda, Catharine and Gabriel — From the Kiln Corner
As usual we are loading and unloading constantly. The kilns seem to be working well. Gus has adjusted temperature a few times as cones indicated kiln 2 was actually going too hot. But in general they are hardworking workhorses.
As soon as we load the bisque you potters fill up the shelves for another load. So we are kept busy, which is great. We have a very productive group of potters. This month we will have additional pots produced due to the Jackie Gasson wheel throwing class. They are still drying and needing trimming so we are yet to see how many pots will come in.
We have been working at rehydrating some clay that is in back room soaking up water. It is a mixture of clays which will need to go through the pug and be packaged. It will be available at a nominal fee. As it is a mixture of clays it will only be able to be fired at Earthenware temperature. We will be looking for volunteers to help with the process as it is quite a job. So if you are interested in recycling drop us an email.
Catherine and Gabriel continue to focus on producing glazes and testing them. We are trying to be more proactive in terms of using sacrificial plates under pots in an attempt to save the kiln shelves. We have a few spots where old glaze, even though ground off is coming up through the shelves and causing pots to stick to the shelves. Also, be aware of need to **only hold pots in glaze for three seconds** as otherwise it is too thick and tends to drip or crawl onto the shelves.
We now have BRT but some clays are not yet available. There has been a mass shortage of clay supplies and we have got what we can, when we can.
Keep up the play with clay.
**Greg, Linda, Catharine and Gabriel**

Do you know anyone that shows an **interest** in your pottery?

If you do, why not invite them to **come and** **try pottery** for themselves. The first session is **free** and you know that once you have made something with clay… **you’re hooked**!

If you haven’t already – don’t forget to join the club!

Remember you need to be a member of our club to use the facilities and have first access to join the workshops.

shorncliffepotteryclubincmembership@hotmail.com

JOIN NOW

Being Respectful, Feeling Safe

The club’s Code of Conduct was written to guide the safety and respect of members. Developing friendships, being co-operative, sharing ideas and skills and being respectful to each other in words and actions is something in which the club takes great pride. When members are working in the SPC Inc studio or interacting with other members via electronic means, everyone has a right to feel safe and not harrassed.

The Code of Conduct can be found in your membership documentation or you can request a copy from the Membership Officer here or you can read it here.

Help Please

The newly incorporated Shorncliffe Pottery Club has been running with a core committee of seven. Within this committee the members have multiple roles. These roles are ongoing and necessary for the smooth running of the club for its members. There are other initiatives and opportunities available to the club, but we would like some more assistance to make these happen.

In the day to day running of the club Gus and Linda are doing a great job managing the kilns and firing, keeping the club clean and the storeroom well arranged. They make sure that everything that members need when they arrive at the club is there for them. To enable the club to be open on more days and to give our two hard workers some time for other things some assistance in the day to day operations of the club would be greatly appreciated.

Tamara our president is currently also doing the role of treasurer. There are many things that Tamara does on behalf of the club especially in making phone calls and making contact with members of our community for assistance and this has been very noticeable in organising the Expressions Exhibition, liaising with SASArt for the Easter Art Show, and in making contact with the Brisbane City Council to secure a lease for the premises.

We are urgently seeking a member to take on the role of treasurer on a more permanent basis. The system we have is very simple, no MYOB or specialised software is involved.

There are many opportunities for clubs to access Grants, such as the Gaming Fund. These funds allow clubs to purchase much needed equipment and to expand and renovate their facilities. There would be a huge benefit to the club if we could gain funds for a new kiln. The committee has also identified other items which would make things easier for the members and Grant funding could cover these items. Thanks goes to Caecelia Skipsey who has volunteered to help write the Grant proposals. Her experience in successfully preparing Grant applications for the girl scouts will be greatly appreciated. If you hear of any Grants please email the committee to let them know to pass onto Caecelia.

Over the Easter break a combined exhibition with SASArt and Shorncliffe Potters was held at St Patrick’s College. The preparation for this involved collecting and painting the plinths before they were delivered to the hall at St Patrick’s and then the removal and return to our shed afterwards. The committee, along with the help of some members, achieved this, but it is many hands that make light work.

It has been a yearly and much anticipated event for the Shorncliffe Pottery Club and SASArt to hold the Expressions Exhibition. However, it was after the Easter Exhibition that the committee members realised that for Expressions to be successful many more volunteer helpers would be necessary. To be able to continue to hold exhibitions, the committee seeks the assistance of some members to form a sub-committee to manage the Expressions Exhibition and exhibitions into the future.

For members, if you find that you can help in any way please contact us on the club email. shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com

Workshops

There will be further workshops as the year progresses and the committee is exploring other presenters who may be available to extend the members’ skills. Please let the committee know if there are pottery related skills you would like to learn about. Watch this space to see further workshop offers in the second half of this year.

Zillmere Library Display

Zillmere Library at the corner of Zillmere Road and Jennings Street in Zillmere has offered us a small cabinet, about 1 metre square to display pots/sculptures in, for the month of August. We are looking for members to send in pictures of pots/sculptures to our email so we can choose a few to go into the cabinet. It is only a small area so may not be suitable for larger pieces. Send your photos in by July 15th so that the committee can choose the ones to display: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com

Volunteer Recognition Morning TeaLinda and Ken went to a morning tea with Anika Wells, the Member for Lilley, at the Chermside Bowls Club recently. The morning tea was in recognition of volunteers on the Northside. Gus and Linda got recognition for maintaining the pottery shed and were elevated to Master kiln and pottery status. They had fun chatting with everyone and received a big thank you of appreciation on behalf of all of the volunteers and helpers in the club. — Volunteer Recognition Morning Tea
Linda and Ken went to a morning tea with **Anika Wells,** the Member for Lilley, at the Chermside Bowls Club recently. The morning tea was in recognition of **volunteers** on the Northside. **Gus and Linda** got recognition for maintaining the pottery shed and were elevated to Master kiln and pottery status. They had fun chatting with everyone and received a **big thank you** of appreciation on behalf of **all of the volunteers and helpers** in the club.

Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. has signed up with Containers for Change - an easy recycling system for your cans and bottles. So if you would like to help the club and donate the money you receive from recycling your cans and bottles, now you can.

It’s easy to do. Take your cans and bottles to a Containers for Change site and use our unique Scheme ID number to have the money go directly to the Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. bank account.

The club’s Scheme ID number is: C10465553

Save the scheme ID to your phone by downloading the Containers for Change app.

If the Scheme ID isn't working (argh technology!) and you get cash instead from the recycling, just pop the money in the tea jar in the club’s kitchen.

There is a Containers for Change recycle site directly across from the Club entrance. But they are all over the city – just check out their website here for one closest to you.

EASY as 1 2 3

Screen Shot 2021-05-21 at 12.06.13 am.png

$2.30

thank you!

‘Pushing the Boundaries’ ReviewMembers were treated to a wheel throwing workshop with Jackie Gasson on the weekend of the 23rd May. All reports were that everyone enjoyed themselves, including Jackie. Feedback has so far been ‘We would like more’ both handbuilding and wheelthrowing. More workshops with Jackie will depend on her availability and the responses from members to fill the classes. There has also been an interest in making glazes and we will follow up that request too. We do have options to explore other pottery decorating techniques and as the year progresses we hope to offer more workshops for our members.  Please let the club committee know what you would like to learn and we will do our best to accommodate your requests. click image to view larger — ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ Review
Members were treated to a wheel throwing workshop with Jackie Gasson on the weekend of the 23rd May. All reports were that **everyone enjoyed themselves**, including Jackie. Feedback has so far been *‘We would like more’* both handbuilding and wheelthrowing. More workshops with Jackie will depend on her availability and the responses from members to fill the classes. There has also been an interest in **making glazes** and we will follow up that request too.
We do have options to explore other pottery decorating techniques and as the year progresses we hope to **offer more workshops** for our members. Please let the club committee know **what you would like to learn** and we will do our best to accommodate your requests.
*click images to view larger*

Club Tuition for Members
by Members
Tuition could be in wheel throwing, handbuilding and glaze making. The rate is **$35 per session for up to three hours**, but could be less dependent upon session length. From this, the club will take 20% commission. All payments must go through the club.
The club **entry fee** of $7 will apply for the **beginning member**, but the tutor will be admitted as a **volunteer** for that session.
If this is something that you would like as a tutor or a learner please contact the committee using the club **email** : **shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com**

We caught up with Max via FaceTime, one Thursday night last month and found out more about his new circumstances. He is living just outside of Morpeth village right near Morpeth Castle which was owned at one time by Lord Greystoke, of ‘Tarzan’ fame. Max has already located 8 Golf Clubs in his vicinity but unfortunately his golf clubs and bag are still in transit – so he hasn’t been out on the fairway as yet. He is really enjoying being back in the UK and having some quality family time.