April 2022
ISSUE #019
Hello Potters
The SAS Easter Art Show and the BlueWater Festival are both on in a couple of weeks. I hope you have got some good pieces for the SAS exhibition. Don’t forget to come along even if you don’t have any work showing. It promises to be a great event.
Plus there are some useful pottery tips further down that may make your creative pottery life much easier – so read on.
We really want to see our talented members’ work, so upload your pics to our instagram or facebook page, or email them for inclusion on our social media.
Ed Trost - newsletter editor
club email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
Hi Everyone and welcome to our April 2022 edition.
I hope March treated you well and you found time, You time, to play and create with clay and got lost in the process. And if not, then I hope you make time during April. It’s good for you, I promise! :)
Now, on to important news:
Working bee 9th / 10th April - volunteer now by email to help!
Our next working bee is over the weekend of Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April to finish cleaning up outside the shed and to fix the plinths (washing them down and/or sanding and painting, as required) that were damaged by flood water. With the SAS Easter Art Show coming up in a couple of weeks (see poster at bottom), and our Expressions exhibition in October, we need to ensure our plinths are in tip-top condition for displaying art work on. Please email us now to let us know if you can help.Expressions 2022 Organising Committee - volunteer now by email to help!
Expressions is only 7 months away and we need members to volunteer to help us form an organising committee ASAP. Last year we had a great response from members, it really lightened the load and ensured a successful event. It would be great to have the same response this year, including a volunteer to lead the organising committee. I do not have capacity to take on that role this year.Our black Club t-shirts are back in stock at the shed, in a variety of sizes, for $30 each. Chat to the volunteer on duty or email the Club to grab yours before they sell out again!
Membership gift certificates are now available and are the perfect gift for someone you know who would like to try pottery, or for someone to give to you for use to renew your membership in October!
Simply email us to arrange purchase and we will email the certificate to you. Easy. (see example of certificate further below.)Members, We want to hear from you!
Later this month we will be sending out a member’s questionnaire to canvas your views on a number of topics, including how the Club is run and how the shed is set up, amongst other topics, along with inviting general comments/views. We will also hold a Member’s General Meeting in May to discuss the feedback received and agree on what changes should be made, in light of the feedback, and to hear from members in person. So keep an eye on your inboxes for that!
(Remember you can email the Club’s committee at any time if you wish to raise any concerns or have suggestions.)
Finally, just a reminder, that the SAS Easter Art Show is on again from 14 - 16 April, at the Callan Centre, St Patrick’s College. Don’t forget if you’d like to enter you need to do so online by Monday 4 April,
Cheers and happy potting!
Tamara Vitale – President, SPC Inc.
Tuesday + Thursday + Saturday Mornings
9:00am—1:00pm
Thursday Evenings
6:00pm—9:00pm
SESSION FEE
$7.00 per visit, payable at the time by debit or credit card at the shed.
From the Kiln Corner
Hi all from the Kiln room and ‘out the back’. Over the past many months, we have been having to get work done in the back of the shed at the request of PCYC to have it bought up to standard. This has caused significant disruption to how we have been working. Now that we have done all we can we need to plan how we are going to use the space and have it set up to the best advantage for the club. In the past I have suggested moving the kilns out the back and making where the kilns are now a glazing room. There have been other ideas raised that we keep the kilns where they are and have two work areas so we can have courses running and have people working in the club at the same time. Please let us know if you have any suggestions to help us in moving the club forward.
Unfortunately, we suffered some flood damage and a closure, where there were several unidentified pre-bisque items on the lower shelves that were destroyed. We also lost some equipment but with the help of members cleaning up, we are up and running again.
The kilns are up and running at set temperatures confirmed by our cones after our latest issues. Please include the clay name, firing temperature range, glaze name and firing temperature range on your firing request form to ensure your work is put in the correct firing.
Remember treat all work as “greenware” when moving it and only if you have to. We have had a few unexplained breakages out the back. Breakages happen, I know I have been responsible for some but if an accident happens please put a note with the item and/or let someone know so the owner can be notified to give them the opportunity to repair the item.
The Glazing room did suffer water damage and some raw materials were lost in the rain event. Gabriel and Catharine are going through and continuing their fabulous work maintaining our club glazes so be patient if your favourite club glazes are not there as testing of each batch needs to be done with new raw materials before they can be put out.
Looking forward to seeing more of you coming back to the club
From the outback
Gus, 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!
Flood Clean Up
Sending a huge thanks to the members and former members who came along in the heat to clean up the shed after it was flooded in the torrential rain incident at the end of February - Ann, Clare, Gabriel, Gus, Jenny, Kath, Linda, Nicole, Sian, Susanne, Tamara, and Toni, as well as Susanne's super helpful boys - Liam and Joel, ‘local legend with a gurney’ Zoltan, and member Jen for bringing down some cut up pineapple with mint to get us through the morning.
We're happy to advise the shed re-opened successfully the following week after the electrician checked all of the electrical equipment, including the pottery wheels.
We will be holding another working bee Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April to finish the clean up outside, and rearrange things a little inside. Please email the club if you can help. The more hands the merrier.
Gift Certificates Now Available
The SPCI Gift Certificate is now available for purchase from the Membership Officer. If you would like to purchase this wonderful gift contact Ann Gillespie here at: shorncliffepotteryclubincmembership@hotmail.com
Club Clay Options and Details
These are the current clay bodies that we generally have in our store. If you have another clay that you prefer, speak to Gus or Linda to see if they can get it in for you.
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 as well as being respectful to each other in words and actions is something in which the club takes great pride. When members are working in the 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 document or you can request a copy from the Membership Officer here or you can read it here.
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. has signed up with Containers for Change - a simple recycling system for cans and bottles. It’s easy to do. Take your recyclables to a Containers for Change site and use our unique Scheme ID number for the money from the recycling to go directly into the Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. bank account.
Club’s Scheme ID Number: C10465553
If the Scheme ID isn't working (argh technology!) and you get cash instead from the recycling machine, just pop the money in the tea jar in the club’s kitchenette.
$137.71
thank you!
Workshop Updates
The six week wheel throwing workshop lead by Clare has received very positive feedback and there is interest already for another one in the same format to be held in the near future. The six week hand building workshop lead by Gabriel will be following a similar format and is currently running along nicely.
Early notice of upcoming workshop
Keep the date in your diary open for Sunday 5th June. We are planning a workshop on decorative techniques on clay with Helen Davey. Helen is inspiring and will show us some really interesting techniques. There will be some hands on for this workshop. See more about Helen: www.australianceramicscommunity.com/listing/helen-davey/
This will be a full day workshop and will suit hand builders and wheel throwers. Watch your email inbox for a newsflash soon for more information and costs.
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 3 hours, but could be less dependent upon session length. From this, the club will take 20% commission. All payments must go via the club.
The club entry fee of $7 will apply for the learner 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
2022 Biennial North Queensland Ceramic Awards
ENTRIES CLOSE SOON : 5pm, Friday 15 April 2022
EXHIBITION: 22 JULY – 25 SEPTEMBER 2022
The biennial North Queensland Ceramic Awards has long aimed to increase public exposure to a high standard of pottery from around the nation. A showcase for both well-known and emerging artists, this competition displays the diversity of ceramic art currently being produced in Australia.
The City of Townsville Art Collection Award of $10,000 continues to provide both opportunity for artists to become a part of one of the nation’s most significant ceramic collections, as well as ensuring the continued growth of this important subsection of the City of Townsville Art Collection.
Ceramic Artist: Mahala Hill, Armoured Mist Frog, winner 2020
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
25 New Terracotta Warriors Unearthed
The 25 pottery figurines newly unearthed from Pit 1 of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, home of the Terracotta Warriors, are of great significance for understanding the military arrays of the pit, said Chinese archaeologists.
Among the unearthed relics, one figurine is of a General and another one of a medium ranking Officer. The 25 painted pottery figurines are in good condition, and are being stored in the museum’s restoration room to ensure their safety.
Located in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the museum covers the burial site of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). The 3 pits consist of about 8,000 warriors, 100 chariots, 400 horses, and more than 100,000 weapons. The tomb took 39 years and 700,000 workers to reach completion. It had pearls embedded in the ceiling to represent the stars, and rivers and lakes were modelled with liquid mercury. The Terracotta Warriors, are now listed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World." Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb has not yet been opened.
Story courtesy Global Times
To all our valued members who are having a birthday this month, we hope you have an exciting day and are spoilt rotten by your loved ones:
Christina Allen, Brooke Lucas, Toni Secombe, Heddy Shears
If we have missed anybody, our sincere apologies – drop us an email so that we can include you next time!
The BGS Art Committee is excited to announce the date of the 53rd Annual BGS Art Show. The premier ticketed Gala Night will be held on Friday 6 May, with the exhibition continuing through into the BGS Open Day on Saturday 7 May 2022.
Connect and celebrate with the BGS community at the Gala Night exhibition for the opportunity to experience and purchase works from our outstanding curated collection of emerging and established artists.
2022 Immanuel Arts Festival
19 to 22 May
Entries close Tuesday 19 April
The Immanuel Arts Festival is a celebration of fine and contemporary art and is the largest of its kind on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It has showcased the artistic talents of the region for over 40 years and draws more artist entries and visitors each year. The Festival proudly promotes visual, creative and performance art, including ceramics, within the Sunshine Coast community.
Can You Re-glaze Pottery?
Sometimes a glaze or firing does not produce the desired result - the colour is either too bland, the texture is not found, or there are too many errors. Pottery can be re-glazed and re-fired up to another 2 times. After the 3rd or 4th time, the pottery starts to become brittle and weak, but that’s because of the firing, not the glaze.
Following are 5 ways to prepare your glaze fired pottery to be re-glazed and re-fired.
Sand – You can sand a glazed piece but REMEMBER always wear a dust mask. You don’t have to sand all the glaze off. Just enough for the new glaze to adhere to the old glaze.
Heat – Heat up your piece with a heat gun, or microwave for 30 seconds, or even in the oven. Then apply your glaze.
Glue – Brush on glue, like Elmer’s glue - a PVA glue available at Officeworks or Bunnings. Let dry and then apply your glaze.
Starch – Spray on starch, let dry and then apply your glaze.
Hair Spray – apply a coat of hair spray and let dry for at least an hour, then apply your glaze.
Note: Don’t apply too much hair spray, glue, or starch. It may do the opposite and prevent the glaze from sticking.
Applying ‘Touch Up’ Glaze
Did your pottery come out of the kiln with the glaze not covered the way you thought it should? Don’t worry, you can glaze again to touch up. But before you do that, look at the problem you have to determine the strategy required:
If little pores have formed in the glaze, means you have applied your glaze too thick, or you’ve fired the pottery for too short amount of time. Sand your pottery before re-glazing.
If you have crawling, means that your glaze was either too thin or wasn’t adhesive enough. Use heat, glue, starch or hairspray to add more glaze on top of the existing glaze.
If you have patchy glaze, means your glaze was applied too thin or you missed an area. Use heat, glue, starch or hairspray to add more glaze to the pottery.
(see image below)
Courtesy www.potterycrafters.com
President: Tamara Vitale
Vice President: Ken Bull
Secretary: Caroline Schleimer
Acting Treasurer: Tamara Vitale
Committee Members: Gus Saunders, Linda Rosenthal,
Clare Houston & Ann Gillespie
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
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