October 2023
ISSUE #037
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Hello Potters
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Members Chat
Shorncliffe Pottery Club Members Chat | Facebook
This is a new Facebook group for members to share information, ask questions, etc. This is a member's only group, with questions to answer before admission.
Current Member’s New Online Site
If you are a current member you should have received an email from the club inviting you to the members online site. If you didn’t receive an email please contact the club. Please activate your account within 3 weeks otherwise you will need to contact the Member Secretary for a new activation code. This new site looks like it will streamline a lot of processes and allow you to book resources and workshops much easier and faster. It is still in its teething stage but the more you use it the easier it will get.
shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
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 documentation or you can request a copy from the Membership Officer here or you can read it here.
A raft of cute ducklings are a recent result from one of our members mid-firings.
4017BOS is being held over the weekends of Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th, and Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st October... and we need your help!
Sunday 1 October
CLEANING BEE
Time: 10am
All hands-on deck ~ Major clean up required!
We need to clean out the whole shed - from one end to the other.
We have a high-pressure hose, a wet dry vacuum, buckets and sponges. What we don't have are the many hands to make the job a lighter load.
Please let us know ASAP by email if you can help this weekend!
Sunday 8 October
Soft Clean and arranging
exhibition space
Time: 10am
On this Sunday we will need to put the final touches to the arrangement of furniture in the exhibition space and do a soft clean to ensure we're at our sparkling best for the opening weekend.
Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11
and Thursday 12 October.
Setting up the exhibition space
Time: Any time during our open sessions
This year we have our exhibition space open for members who want to 'DISPLAY ONLY - Not for sale' work and space for those who want to 'Sell' some work.
If you are interested in displaying and/or selling your work, please fill out the emailed form and send it back to us via email by Wednesday 11 October.
Saturday 13, Sunday 14, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October. Volunteers required!
Time: between 10am to 4pm every day
We need volunteers to help in:
the Exhibition area - sales and assisting visitors with questions.
giving guided tours of the shed.
leading a hand building workshop or two.
providing wheel throwing demonstrations. (No 'Have a go' this year.)
Please let us know by email how / where / when you can assist, and if you have items to display or sell! asap.
Happy Potting
SPCInc Management Committee
Sunday Seasonal Social Workshop
The Sunday Seasonal Social Workshop was held on the 24 September. It was a full house and a lot of beautiful Xmas decorations were created including some angelic angels and a stunning Xmas tree, built one leaf at a time. Can’t wait to see the fired results.
OPEN STUDIOS TWO WEEKENDS:
SATURDAY/SUNDAY 14/15 and 21/22 OCTOBER
EACH DAY FROM 10AM TO 4PM
Well wasn’t series 6 exceptional? I won’t spoil it for you but needless to say the judges got it spot on selecting the winner. The series is finished now but you can still see re-runs of it on Channel Four UK or on Binge Australia, and Foxtel will probably run it again. If it does I will let you know here.
October 7 and 8
Richard Randall Art Studio Gallery
Mt Coot-Tha Botanic Gardens
9am - 4pm
Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence 2023 – Opening Night
The Siliceous Award is a recognition and celebration of artistic excellence and innovation in ceramics, pottery, and ceramic sculpture, and it attracts entrants from around Australia. Siliceous is an acquisitive competition, with the winning piece becoming part of CAQ’s permanent collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Australian ceramics. This year’s Award will be judged by Dr Rebecca Coates, curator, and former Director of Shepparton Art Museum.
The winner will be announced at the Opening night event on Friday 13 October, 6pm-8pm, at the Ipswich Community Gallery, D’Arcy Doyle Place, Ipswich. The exhibition will continue until Sunday 5 November.
nancie lane studio
We have space available in our collective for some local creatives and makers! We are interested in a range of locally made products ranging from functional homewares, body and beauty, crafting and art supplies to jams and relishes. Open to makers Australia wide. If this sounds like you, email us here at info@nancielane.com
Anagama Kiln Firing
A recent firing of an Anagram Kiln in Sturt produces some magical glaze results. Watch the video here to learn all about it. Or read the story using this link below:
Bisque Fire Kiln Stacking
For those who have a top load kiln at home this story may be of interest to you. The idea really is twofold, fitting more work in the kiln and giving up on the idea that bisque firing pots need to be stacked rim-to-rim or foot-to-foot. You can lay pots on their sides in a few layers and top the tumble stack by placing a platter as the last layer with zero issues. The general idea is that in the top third of the kiln stack, I start tumble stacking on top of standing pots by first placing sideways pots and continuing up, with wide forms ending up on top, or lots of small pieces stuffed all around.
Thanks to Ken B. for the story – courtesy of Ceramics Monthly
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.
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.
April 2013
Waterproof pots
This is a reliable way to waterproof pots which are to be used as vases (e.g. raku, crazed earthenware, pit pots, sawdust fired pots). Chop or grate candle or paraffin wax into small pieces. Put these into the pot to be waterproofed (you will have to estimate the quantity to be used). Place the pot in the oven and turn on heat. When the wax has melted, using oven gloves or potholders, lift pot out. Turning the pot as you do when glazing the inside, tip wax out into a bucket or dish of cold water. The inside of the pot will be completely wax lined. The wax tipped out will have solidified when hitting cold water and can be lifted out ready to be used again in the future. More than one pot can be put in the oven at a time, and if at any time the wax liner is perforated, it is a simple matter of putting it back in the oven again, remelting and swilling about.
Transferring designs
Transferring complicated or simple repetitive designs onto clay is easy. Trace your design onto a piece of tracing paper, then on the reverse side of the drawing, go over the lines with a broad tipped whiteboard marker. When you are ready lay the paper down on the damp surface, redraw over the top and the design will be transferred to your pot. It can be used again and again, adding more whiteboard marker lines if necessary.
President: Douglas Ainsworth
Vice President: Ken Bull
Treasurer: Tamara Vitale
Secretary: Rose Kelly
Committee Members: Suzanne Bell, Barbara Fletcher,
Gus Saunders
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
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