May 2023
ISSUE #032
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Hello Potters
Wasn’t the Sandgate Art Society Easter Show fantastic? If you didn’t see it make sure you go next year. It is well worth the effort. Congratulations to the winners of the 3D prizes, great work.
Also take note that the club email address has changed. This was done to hopefully stop so many emails automatically ending up in the junk folder. The new email address is:
shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
There are also some more useful pottery tips from the ‘Collected 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@gmail.com
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 by debit or credit card at the shed.
From the Kiln Room
Our 30th load is in process of being fired. The kilns continue to be work horses. We are still waiting impatiently for the electrician to come with new coils and put in new thermacouplers.
Now for some more trivia.
Glazed Earthenware Vs Glazed Stoneware
When pottery is glazed, where the glaze meets the underlying ceramic body is called the clay glaze interface. The glaze bonds to the clay body. The strength of the bond depends on the type of clay used..
When earthenware is glazed, the glaze grips the rough texture on the surface of the pottery. Glaze on earthenware adheres to the outside layer of the clay. Due to this it is not as resilient as stoneware and will not wear as well. It will chip easier than a stoneware piece. With stoneware the clay and glaze become molten and intermingle with the silica/glass moving into the porous parts of the clay becoming one piece.
Linda, Gus, Jean, Katrina, Lynne, Douglas
And Catherine and Gabriel from the glaze room
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!
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 Tamara V. here
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.
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.
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.
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:
$231.51
thank you!
Club Tuition for Members
by Members
Tuition could be in wheel throwing, handbuilding or glaze making. The rate is $35 per hour. 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 the session.
If this is something that you would like as a tutor or a learner please contact the committee using the club email :
SAS Easter Art Show Wrap Up
Congratulations to all of you who entered and attended the SAS Easter Show this year. It was a huge success with lots of sales and prizes to our talented members. Well done to Linda R. for achieving a 3D Highly Commended Award with her piece ‘Big Fish in a Small Bowl’.
Not only did SAS have a record number of entries, but they had a record number of visitors as well. The People’s Choice Award attracted over 150 voters and Trevor P. was the talented recipient. And he sold the artwork as well.
Click on an image to view larger version:
Earth & Fire
by Kylie Johnson and Tiffany Johnson
We are so proud to have written this book highlighting the tools, techniques and practices of over 45 australian ceramic artists. It was an utter joy to create and to celebrate these makers and spread the love of ceramics. Earth & Fire will be released at the end of April…
We will share more info about the book, its artists, and lots of other news closer to the release. But for now… here is what I’ve been hinting at for the past year and what we have been working ridiculously hard creating, meeting deadlines on and writing… it is both real and surreal holding the actual book in our hands.
Earth and Fire has been so lovingly championed and created with the amazing team at Thames and Hudson Australia and we are so proud to announce that it will also be released in the UK and the USA.
Mother’s Day Stall
Sandgate State School P&C will be holding a Mother's Day stall next term on Thursday 11th May, where students can buy a gift for their Mum or special person in their life. Money raised will go towards buying home readers to support the school's new approach to literacy, as well as pump installation for two water tanks.
To help make it a success with having lots of affordable gift options (free to $10 - so all kids can afford to get something), Sandgate State School P&C are asking some local businesses to please consider donating goods that can be sold.
Donation drop off point:
If you would like to donate a small piece of pottery, or two, please leave them in the marked box in the side room.
Thank you for your generosity.
It is that time of year again; planning is already well underway for the 4017 Bayside Open Studios 2023 Event. Your committee is working hard in the background to make this third year better than ever. Of course, this event cannot happen without you the artists, your awesome studio spaces, and your artworks so we hope you will consider participating this year.
ARTIST INFORMATION NIGHT:
Bracken Ridge Library Meeting Room,
77 Bracken St Bracken Ridge 4017.DATE:
Wednesday 10 May 2023TIME:
6:30PM to 7:30PMThere is plenty of car parking underneath the building.
Please join the committee for an informative evening about this year’s exciting event, how you can participate, assist and be part of the local art scene. All will be revealed.
DON’T FORGET TO BRING IN YOUR COMPLETED EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORMS ON THE NIGHT IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY SENT THEM IN TO US.
OPEN STUDIOS TWO WEEKENDS: SATURDAY/SUNDAY 14/15 OCTOBER AND 21/22 OCTOBER EACH DAY FROM 10AM TO 4PM.
Silicosis Awareness
This incurable lung disease, caused by the inhalation of silica particles, has received increasing attention amid calls for a ban on engineered stone bench tops, but silica's presence in ceramics is less commonly known.
Lung Foundation chief executive Mark Brooke said silicosis risks were not limited to cutting benchtops.
"We know that there are different industries and different hobbies where you would inhale particulate matters," Mr Brooke said.
"Certainly, for people who are working long term in industries like ceramics, it's important that they take all the preventative measures possible." He said better awareness was needed across the board to prevent irreversible lung damage.
"It's really important that the message gets out their that regardless of what industry you work in, taking the necessary preventative steps is vital for your lung health."
So remember to wear a mask whenever you sand a pot, wipe down a dusty work area or load a kiln. This is important for your own health as well as others.
It is with deep sadness that I must share the passing of Judith H. on Easter Saturday 8 April 2023. Judith was one of our newest members and was very keen to know more about pottery. She was mother to Tim, Ann and Ruth H. (member) and mother-in-law to Ed T. (member). Her energy and enthusiasm for life will be greatly missed.
Commune
A celebration of contemporary ceramics
and their imaginative makers.
From ancient vessels to figurines revealing the daily lives of people from antiquity, ceramics have been integral to cultures worldwide for millennia. Ceramics have stored our most precious resources, have been vehicles for knowledge and traditions, and passed between generations as heirlooms.
Clay: Collected Ceramics is a celebration of ceramics from two collections: Museum of Brisbane’s and Kylie Johnson’s. It is accompanied by Commune, a display of single pieces contributed by more than 300 makers responding to MoB’s largest community callout to date.
Congratulations to the SPCI Members who have successfully entered and will be displaying their ‘memory vessel’ as part of this wonderful exhibition.
Right now, the medium of ceramics is experiencing a cultural renaissance across the globe and we want to celebrate its impact in Brisbane.
Exhibition details: Free entry
Gallery 2, Level 3, City Hall
Saturday 13 May – Sunday 29 October 2023
Open daily 10:00am–5:00pm
Scattered Arts 2023 Competition
Entries close 5 June 2023
Email scatteredartsbrisbane@gmail.com for details.
With a first prize of $20 000, the Lethbridge Art Award is open to national and international artists for small-scale artworks. Entrants may submit 2D or 3D artworks up to 61cm (24 inches) in height, width or depth. The Judging is based on three equally evaluated criteria of creativity, originality and skill.
Date Prize Announced
24 June 2023
Exhibition Dates
17 June 2023 - 27 June 2023
2023 Immanuel Arts Festival
25 to 28 May 2023
Friday and Saturday: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Sunday: 9.00am to 2.00pm
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 our region for over 40 years and draws more artist entries and visitors each year. The Festival proudly promotes visual, creative and performance art within the Sunshine Coast community and will be held at Immanuel Lutheran College.
Save The Dates
Australian Ceramics Open Studios (ACOS) is an annual, nationwide, weekend event that celebrates clay, community and creativity.
Hosted by The Australian Ceramics Association, ceramics studios around Australia open their doors to offer a peek into their making, practical demonstrations and the opportunity to take home a handmade piece.
NOTE: Expressions of Interest for opening your studio will open in May 2023.
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.
August 2011
A rough and ready test to check consistency of a dipping glaze: Dip dry finger in and out fairly quickly into the well-stirred glaze. If you can see the colour of your finger through the glaze it is too thin. The shape of the fingernail should be discernable through the totally opaque layer of glaze.
This is a general way of testing - but remember, some glazes are best a little thick and others thin. Get to know your glazes and their potential when used at their correct thickness.
President: Douglas Ainsworth
Vice President: Ken Bull
Treasurer: Tamara Vitale
Secretary: Rose Kelly
Committee Members: Suzanne Bell, Barbara Fletcher,
Linda Rosenthal, Gus Saunders
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@hotmail.com
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