November 2022
ISSUE #026
Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser
Hello Potters
Well wasn’t Expressions 2022 a raging success. We had a great turnout of art and a lot of people through the doors. Congratulations to the winners of the various awards, and congratulations to all that entered as you are the backbone of the exhibition. Also a huge thanks goes to the organising committee for such a well run event and to the business sponsors and politicians who support us.
The 4017 Bayside Open Studios was also a big success. Thanks goes to the volunteers who set up and demonstrated for both weekends. Without you it would not have gone ahead. The open studio will bring in more members to the club for certain.
And, it is only 7 weeks to Christmas, so if you want to give pottery gifts or are thinking of hand made ornaments, you had better get going to make it in time.
There are also some more useful pottery tips from the ‘Creative Wisdom’ newsletters further down that may make your pottery life much easier. Plus we have popped all the tips, hacks and techniques onto a ‘Tips’ page on our club website so that you can refer to them easily.
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 social media.
Ed Trost - newsletter editor
club email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
Hi Everyone and welcome to our November 2022 edition.
Well, what a month October was! We had:
Expressions 2022
4017 Bayside Open Studios over two full weekends of workshops and demonstrations
3 snakes removed on the first Saturday morning of the 4017BOS, thankfully before people started to arrive
kilns running hot - with a momentary pause mid-month to fix a broken pyrometer
a lot of members paying their membership fee to rejoin (thank you!) and we welcomed new members, and
a big clay order from The Clay Shed picked up when Suzanne B. did a trip to the Sunshine Coast… it basically filled her little car. Thank you Suzanne!
You can read about Expressions, 4017BOS, the 3 snakes and how to join the club and pay your membership fees further below!
November, by comparison, is a much quieter month. We hope to have an easy month, opening for members to come into the shed to create or bring their pieces in for firing in the lead up to Christmas. What are you making that you’d like to have ready in time for December 25? As Ed said, you’d better get making!
We will also be preparing for the club’s Annual General Meeting to be held on Saturday, 3rd December. We would love to see some new faces on the committee this year and volunteering to help out around the shed - either as part-time open session supervisors or on the kiln team to assist Linda / learn the role (so Linda can take a holiday!). All committee roles will all be available to nominate for - if you have any questions please ask.
Cheers and happy potting!
Tamara Vitale – President, SPC Inc.
Tuesday + Thursday + Saturday Mornings
9:00am—1:00pm
Wednesday Mornings
10:00am—2:00pm
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
I think we are going, “WHEW”, as Expressions and the 4017 Art Tour are now history. Of course, now we have to look forward to “Jingle all the Bay.” Pretty sure we will get a booth. If we decide to, we will set up the shade tent on Dec 3rd from 3pm to 9pm down at the Lagoon. Let us know if you think it is a good idea to participate. If we do we will be looking for people to bring in pottery to sell and help man the booth. You will have to bring in your pieces and pick them up. We will work on the details soon and let you know.
With all the goings on we will be firing our 80th kiln load for the year. We are a bit behind as one of the kilns was under the weather. Gus saved the day, and came to show me how to put in the new thermocoupler. Hopefully by the beginning of November we will have caught up. And I will be ordering several new thermocouplers so we are prepared for the future.
If the firing shelves are full, please don’t start putting firing on other shelves or moving sticks, as it gets confusing. If shelves are full just keep your pieces to be fired on your shelf and bring out as space occurs. Or, if I am there talk to me about a safe way to find an alternative shelf. I know people won’t be happy if an earthenware pot gets put in stoneware firing, due to a mixup. Also, if firing ‘not paid for’ do not put it on the firing shelves.
We are thinking of providing underglaze at the scale for people to write their names on the bottom of pots. Do you like this idea? It takes me half an hour or more to go through paperwork to figure out who is the owner of unsigned pots. GRRRR. They are all supposed to be marked but many are not, or I am unable to decipher the mark as the marks aren’t deep enough.
I would like to thank all of our volunteers for their help. A special thanks though this month goes out to Doug who vacuumed all four rooms and mopped so we could start 4017 with a very clean studio. And may I add a studio that hasn’t hadn’t any snakes for two weeks inside. Woo Hoo. Outside there are still a few lovelies. One in the chicken coop and one hanging out of the possum house in back of the shed. Gus thinks there may be eggs in it. But I am not game to peer inside. If anyone wants to peek and let us know – go for it.
So until next month keep on potting and playing with clay and we will keep on firing.
PS. Presently the glaze room is a mess as visited by a snake or two. There are glaze materials spilled all over the floor and containers knocked over. So it will need to be cleaned up before more glazes can be made. So please don’t waste glaze and use just what is needed.
Gus, Linda, Jean, Catharine and Gabriel
Annual General Meeting
>
Annual General Meeting >
Annual General Meeting
All members are urged to attend this
important club meeting.
Committee selections will take place,
as well as other important topics that will
shape the coming year.
So to have your say in the running of the club,
put the date in your diary and don’t forget to attend.
It is YOUR club after all.
Saturday 3 December 2022
Time: 1.00pm
Location: The Shed
Annual General Meeting
>
Annual General Meeting >
EXPRESSIONS 2022 Review
Wow, what a great exhibition that was! To read the review, and the acknowledgement of our wonderful sponsors, please visit our Expressions webpage. I also have a huge Thank you to members Linda R, Ann G, Susanne T, Suzanne B, Jenny K, Roz A and Donna M for joining me to form the Expressions 2022 organising committee. Without this team contributing to the event organisation, sponsorship collection, social media and being hands on, like hanging banners around the suburbs, it wouldn’t have happened. And of course to Ed T for his graphic design contributions.
My next Thank you goes to the members (and their partners!) who volunteered their time over the Expressions weekend to assist the committee in setting up, staffing, and packing down the event: Jean S, Diane O’B, Shirley K, Diane H, Ruth H, Sarah S, Jenny W and Ken B.
Congratulations to all of the winning artists, there certainly were many fine pieces of art on show this year. Here are the winners for 2022:
Painting First Place: Wendy Cook - Field of Daisies
Painting Highly Commended: David Cross - Another Bushwalk
Pottery Hand Built First Place: Ann Gillespie - Hobbit Bowl (SPCInc member)
Pottery Hand Built Highly Commended: Tamara Vitale - Kaleidoscope Goddess (SPCInc member)
Pottery Wheel Thrown First Place: Lyndell Petersen - Blushing Couple
Pottery Wheel Thrown Highly Commended:
Elizabeth Hardcastle and Andrew Richards - Blue Budgerigars Dreaming
Sculpture and Mixed Media First Place: Karen Roberts - Come Away With Me (SPCInc member)
Sculpture and Mixed Media Highly Commended:
Mary Ann Martin - Orange Tipped Pug Monster
Photography First Place:
Kim McHardy - Ocean Racing - Brisbane to Gladstone 2022
Photography Highly Commended: Kim McHardy - Melaleucas #1
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc Encouragement Award: Edward Trost - Omicron (SPCInc member)
Jared Cassidy Encouragement Award:
Sarah Schulz - Raku Horse-Hair Vessel and Dreams of Mars Lidded Vessel (SPCInc member)
Stirling Hinchliffe People’s Choice Award: Diane O’Brien - Backyard Visitors (SPCInc member)
Below is a photo gallery of some of the art and the winners. For larger versions of the photos click on any image.
Tamara V.
photos: Sponsors poster and Opening night at Expressions 2022
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!
Join the Club
It’s Membership Renewal time. Don’t forget to renew your membership or risk losing your shelf space (as it is becoming scarcer and scarcer). Only $52 per year which equates to $1 per week. Even cheaper if you have a concession or student card.
Use this link to renew your membership and pay by EFT (preferred) from your Bank Account or by Square at the Shed.
www.shorncliffepotteryclubinc.com.au/membership
Don’t forget to advise the Membership Officer that you paid from your Bank Account:
Gift Certificates 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 G. 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 Linda R. to see if she 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 harassed.
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.
Multi Pythons Removed
Can you see all three of them? They’re all there. Innocently snuggling together – not.
Everyone will be glad to know that all 3 of the carpet pythons have been relocated to a much more suitable home and no longer will be surprising potters in the shed. Josh the snake catcher attended the shed and along with Gus and Linda managed to persuade the mostly male snakes to pop into his storage container for the trip to their new home. ‘Hopefully’ that will be the last of the shed’s snake saga. Stay tuned.
Josh catching the pythons – Linda wanted to do it but it was a bit too high up for her.
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.
amount recycled to date:
$174.90
thank you!
You may have noticed that we have some new interior design in the shed. Thanks to Linda R. for the stunning paint work around the various walls of the shed, she really put in a lot of effort and did a great job, and thanks to Ed T. for installing the ‘come play with clay!’ and logo signage. It all looks great!
Keep an eye out in the coming months for an exciting new challenge for all members, that will test your design and creative abilities to the max. Details will be coming in the following newsletters or look out for a poster in the shed soon. Make sure you read all of the newsletters so that you don’t miss any further details.
Club Tuition for Members
by Members
Tuition could be in wheel throwing, handbuilding or 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 :
A New Ceramic Book
38 Black American Ceramicists Working Across Generations to Define the Medium
Published by Schiffer Craft the book gathers the practices of 38 Black Americans who have harnessed the broad potential of clay as they explore various aspects of history, politics, craft, and culture.
Sharing their insights in compelling interviews, the collection of today’s Black ceramists demonstrate a diversity of studio practices and ways of using clay, together with more than 250 stunning photos of their work. Especially crucial in light of the times, this book helps disperse the fog of non-inclusion. With the goal of giving the artists the recognition long overdue them, the authors take us through time, explaining recent important research of African Americans in the ceramic history in America.
Jingle All The Bay
Saturday December 3, 2022
Don’t miss all of the Xmas festivities at this iconic local event. There are market stalls, entertainment, music and a fantastic street parade. Bring the whole family and join in the festive cheer. Location – Main St. Sandgate and all around the Einbunpin lagoon.
https://www.facebook.com/jingleallthebay
Do you want to participate in a stall at the festival? Do you want to sell some of your pottery or just want to help with the stall? If so, let the committee or your supervisor know asap as the event is the beginning of next month.
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:
Ciana Crispin, Shirley King, Jo Masterman, Cassie McCosker, Simone Pedrosa, Patricia Robinson, Sarah Schulze, Caecelia Skipsey
If we have missed anybody, our sincere apologies – drop us an email so that we can include you next time!
4017 Bayside Open Studios Review
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc. was again open to the public for both weekends with demonstrations and items for sale. We had many people come to the shed to view the works for sale and to see the demonstrations even though the weather wasn’t that good. There is definitely a growing interest in ceramics and quite a few people indicated they were willing to give it a try and maybe even join the club.
A BIG Thank You to the volunteers who demonstrated hand building and wheel throwing and who managed the studio over the two weekends.
Brett Whiteley’s Ceramic Exhibition
If you happen to be in Sydney this month and are looking for something to do, there is a Brett Whiteley exhibition of his ceramic works in Surry Hills.
From the mid 1970s Brett Whiteley collaborated with a number of Australian artist-potters, producing a variety of vases, plates and other ceramic vessels, drawn with calligraphic gestures in blue glaze over a white porcelain background. In these images, Whiteley depicted blossoms, trees, birds and other animals, lovers, as well as a series on the theme of the Crucifixion. These plates correspond with a series of paintings and drawings produced in 1979–80 where the tortured figure of Christ is laid bare on the Cross, distended and malformed hands and fingers pierced with both drawn and real iron nails.
Whiteley's ceramics were primarily thrown by others with a small number of hand-formed works made by the artist. He used rounded, organic thrown forms by potters including John K Dellow, Derek Smith, Harriett Collard and Shiga Shigeo, built to Whiteley's specifications. He then applied his painted decoration in the rich, deep blue for which he became known and which features prominently in his iconic Sydney Harbour paintings.
"Windsor and Newton Deep Ultramarine oil colour has an obsessive, ecstasy-like effect upon my nervous system quite unlike any other colour," said Whiteley in 1975.
For Whiteley, ceramics were another dynamic means to express his artmaking. He viewed the objects as akin to sculptures and his interest lay in the shape and decoration to convey his artistic expression.
The exhibition Brett Whiteley: Blue and White, is on at
The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, until 27 Nov 2022. Entry is free.
For larger versions of the photos go to the club’s website
50 Years of Handy Hints
We are fortunate to have received a very useful book titled “Collected Wisdom – 50 years of handy hints” from the Ceramic Study Group, Australia supplied to us by Clare H. from her trip to Gulgong. It is a collection of tips and techniques gathered and published in their newsletters since the 1960’s. Each month we will delve into this vast archive of information regarding all things ceramics and bring to you snippets of their collected wisdom. This month it’s highlights from the 90’s.
October 1990
Air currents in a studio can make uniform drying of your work difficult, particularly with large pieces. Try putting a cardboard box over your piece.
August 1991
A piece of silver-lined rubber glove is ideal to finish a rim. As it stretches it compresses the clay and the coloured rubber is easy to locate amongst the slops.
Dry pots in the wind, but never in the sun!
October 1994
To remove a "stuck lid" after glaze firing – place the lidded form in a freezer for 20 minutes, remove and immediately immerse the lower portion in very hot water and strike it sharply near the lid with a wooden implement wrapped in a teatowel (being very careful not to chip the rim). Alternatively (if the pot is too big or freezer too full), warm the pot in a kiln or sink full of very hot water and sit a bag of frozen peas on the lid – then "whack" as above.
July 1995
Stencils cut from the plastic lids of containers such as yoghurt, ice cream, margarine etc. last much longer than paper stencils.
Unglazed sculptural works can be coated with a light application of liquid floor wax, it gives a soft sheen and makes them easier to dust.
February 1998
Do your coils always want to turn into flat straps rather than nice round coils? Twist the strap like a piece of liquorice and keep rolling – a perfect coil results.
JUNE 1998
Eight rules to pot by (from the Tasmanian Potters Society, 1980):
1. Sit on your buttocks – not on the end of your spine.
2. Relax. Tense muscles cause neck problems.
3. Consciously breathe in and out when pulling up cylinders.
4. Don't stay in the same position too long.
5. When centering clay, anchor elbows into your body or against the wheel, so that you are using your whole body weight instead of just the strength of your arms.
6. Keep your neck and back in as straight a line as possible.
7. Bend forward from the hips. Continual forward thrusting of the head strains the muscles in the neck and head.
8. Use a foot bar as it helps reduce back stress.
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
and follow us on
