February - March 2014

February 2014

February 10: WSP classes begin

February 12, 1.30pm: WSP Committee

Meeting

February 18, 7.00pm: WSP Club Night

(Details to follow)

March 2014

March 12, 1.30pm: WSP Committee

Meeting

March 18, 7.00pm: WSP Club Night

(Details to follow)

Coming in April:

April 12 & 13: Naked Raku Workshop

(See page 6)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Joys of Working With Clay

A wonderful opportunity to join with the

Hamilton libraries to showcase the joys of

working with clay came our way this year. It's

never easy to fill all the classes each term so

we were thrilled when the Hamilton libraries

said yes to our suggestion of holding

demonstration sessions amongst their book

stacks. These demos would provide both us

and the libaries a chance to show off what we

have to offer – wonderful books and learning

resources and great pottery and sculpture

classes.

Over a two week period, WSP members held 2

hour sessions at Chartwell and Garden Place

libraries and Bev McKenzie, who runs classes

at the University campus, demonstrated at the

Hillcrest Library (aided and abetted by

Yasmin). We turned up with a wheel,

brochures, examples of work and our brightest

smiles, while the libraries displayed their

ceramic and clay sculpture books.

The events proved very popular; the wheel

mesmerised youngsters and adults alike, hand-

building techniques were watched avidly,

questions flowed and brochures were handed

out. Not only were we happy with the result

but so were the libraries, and we have been

invited to go back and do it again soon.

Fenella has a captive audience

Continued:

So, if any members out there

would like to help promote the

joys of clay and encourage people

to come along to classes, we'll be

glad to hear from you. If we get

enough volunteers we'd like to do

the same again for Term 2. After

all, the classes are not only

beneficial for the people who

come to them but they provide

important revenue that allow us to

keep the Society vibrant and alive

for us all.

Cheers

Susan St Lawrence

Ellen Mulvenna took time to help out

3

From the President’s Pen...

Kia ora folks!

Last December we

opened our 42nd

Annual Exhibition at

ArtsPost and I must

say that as President

of a wonderful

organisation I could

not have been

prouder to support

and launch such a

fantastic selection of our members’ work.

It was truly an amazing sight to behold when

you walked in and tried to take stock of the

wide-spread talent displayed, which included

Fiona Tunnicliffe works in the adjoining

galleries.

I’d like to thank Trish for being her usual

supportive and organised self, in the wake of

me dislocating my shoulder and not being of

much help, Susan St Lawrence for the

mammoth task of selecting, along with Diane

Parker – and Susan who worked with Kate

Burchett setting up the exhibition. Thanks also

to David and Karen for transporting our

treasures, Kym English who did the gorgeous

calligraphy on the prizes and the rather lovely

Richard at ArtsPost who put up with us

changing our minds a hundred times and was

still smiling at the end of the day!

Special thanks go to Melis van der Sluis who

not only judged the exhibition but was also the

Guest Exhibitor.

The winner of the premier prize, kindly

donated by David and Wendy at Waikato

Ceramics was Tammy Kuypers, whose piece

is a divine exploration of paper clay and rich

metallic glaze in an amazing organic

formation.

The winners of highly commended awards

were Duncan Shearer, Jenny Taris, Greta

Cabrita, Trish Seddon and Janet Smith – well

done all of you.

I’m sure that three pieces sold on the night,

including Daniel Mullen’s “Stations of the

Cross” which has been anonymously donated

to the Cathedral.

Thank you all so much for your entries.

Kind regards

Wendy Thomson

Winner: Tammy Kuypers - ’Cocoon’

Merit: Duncan Shearer - ‘Albaretti set of 3’

Merit: Jenni Taris - ‘Warrior’

Merit: Janet Smith - ‘Tea for one’ Merit: Trish Seddon - ‘Octopus’ Merit: Greta Cabrita - ‘Untitled’

4

From Your Manager...

Hello everyone and

welcome back after

the holidays! I hope

you took time out to

relax and enjoy a

break from your

work-a-day lives. I

used the down-time

here to get Duncan to

come and do some

work on the kilns and

ensure the place was ship-shape for the start of

classes next week.

We had a wonderful hands-on throwing

workshop last Saturday with tutor Ellen

Mulvenna showing the participants how to

throw and alter their pieces while they were still

pretty wet and pliable. Ellen is a wonderful

teacher and she guided both the experienced

and not-so-experienced potters through the

altering process. You will no doubt notice some

of their work on the firing shelves soon. Thank

you Ellen, for providing us with another great

learning opportunity.

Speaking of learning opportunities most of our

adult classes have filled up fast this term and

they start up next week. We are constantly

looking for new ways to promote our classes to

the wider community and thanks to the hard

work of Susan St Lawrence and some trusty

volunteers the WSP is being promoted in local

libraries with over the next few weeks.

Volunteers are demonstrating throwing and

hand-building techniques in the libraries and we

are handing out our WSP brochures. If you

would like to help out with this cool initiative

please contact Susan St Lawrence

(susanstlawrence@gmail.co). We offer fantastic

kid’s classes too so if you know any little

people spread the word please!

We have an exciting ‘Naked Raku’ workshop

coming in April and no this does not mean you

raku with no clothes on (not only would this be

unsightly but highly dangerous…) but the

pieces are decorated with coloured slips

containing mica. Anyway, Kate and Will

Jacobson are from Hawaii and are touring

New Zealand, offering workshops on their

unique raku-firing method so we are lucky to

be able to offer this to you. See the details in

this newsletter.

On a more boring note we are doing our

annual bisque-shelf clean out – you will see

the pieces in the studio under the blackboard.

If you have work there please move it on or

take it home as anything left there by February

28 will be binned – we need to make room for

all the new stuff coming somehow!

And finally I want to congratulate you all on

the fantastic exhibition we had at ArtsPost

over December and January – we sold about a

third of the work on display which was really a

wonderful outcome, so get making and set

aside your best pieces for our 43rd Annual

Exhibition which will be held again at

ArtsPost from November 28 2014 to 5 Jan

2015. And a big thanks to those who

volunteered with the set up and take down of

the exhibition – many hands make light work!

Cheers, Trish Seddon

5

American Potter Ellen Mulvenna held a great

hands-on throwing and altering workshop at

the clubrooms on Saturday 1st February.

Participants were at all levels of throwing

prowess and Ellen was able to ensure everyone

had a great time and was able to produce

something they were proud of!

Ellen has very kindly donated work she has

produced during her short time with us here at

the WSP. She has asked that these works be

sold and the proceeds used to buy throwing

tools to be used in our classes. Thank you so

much Ellen for your generosity with your time

and your donation of fired work! We hope you

remember your time here fondly.

Trish Seddon

Ellen Mulvenna Workshop Report

6

A Naked Raku workshop with Hawaiian

potters Kate and Will Jacobson will be held

at WSP on April 12 and 13. (From 9.30am –

4pm on both days.)

In the two-day workshop, Kate and Will

Jacobson will demonstrate their methods of

wheel throwing and handbuilding vessel

forms. ‘We will also teach our process of

painting with mica infused clay, as well as

discussing various concepts for combining

two-dimensional imagery with three-

dimensional forms.’

The first day will also include Naked Raku

glazing demonstrations. On the morning of

the second day, participants will have the

opportunity to use the Jacobson's techniques

on bisque ware and receive one on one

instruction from Kate and Will. Check out

their work at: www.jacobsonartstudio.com

Workshop costings are still being finalised,

but a 2-day fee of $90 is being proposed.

Contact Trish if you would like to enrol.

Naked Raku Workshop

Honu Vessel

Koi Pond

7

Pottery Classes: Term 1, 2014

Class Number: 1

Monday Evenings Wheel Throwing Class:

6.30pm - 9.30pm

10 February to 31 March (8 weeks)

$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &

firing

Tutor: Fenella Fern – A beginners/

intermediate wheel throwing class taught by a

tutor who grew up in a working pottery in

England. An emphasis on functional work, but

any projects can be worked on in this class.

Class Number: 2

Tuesday Mornings Master Class: 9.30am –

12.30pm

11 February to 18 March (6 weeks)

$120 + materials & firing

Tutor: Janet Smith – 6 weeks - 6 teapots! A

wheel throwing class for intermediate to ad-

vanced students, Janet will lead you through

making a different teapot each week.

Class Number: 3

Wednesday Evenings Sculpture Class: 6.30pm

- 9.30pm

12 February to 2 April (8 weeks)

$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &

firing

Tutor: Susan St Lawrence – Learn how to

sculpt in clay using the techniques employed

by the Old Masters. Classes are project based

and orientated towards producing figurative

works.

Class Number: 5

Thursday Evenings Hand-building Class:

6.30pm - 9.30pm

13 February to 3 April (8 weeks)

$160 ($140 for WSP members) + materials &

firing

Tutor: Diane Parker - A class for students of

all skill levels that will be exploring a wide

range of making and firing techniques. Deco-

rating and glazing your work is also covered,

so come and enjoy a stress-free escape.

Children’s Classes

Class Number: 4

Wednesday Afternoons: 3.30 – 5.30pm

19 February to 18 March (6 weeks)

$120 - includes clay and firing

Tutor: Yasmin Davis - A great chance for

your children to learn all about clay and all the

fun things you can make with it! The course

covers making, decorating and glazing. For 8 to

13 yr olds (we will consider taking children as

young as 6 yrs old if parent will stay with them).

Class Number: 6

Sunday Mornings: 10am – 12 noon

23 February to 30 March (6 weeks)

$120 - includes clay and firing

Tutor: Tanya Hollatz - A great chance for

your children to learn all about clay and all the

fun things you can make with it! The course

covers making, decorating and glazing. For 8 to

13 yr olds (we will consider taking children as

young as 6 yrs old if parent will stay with them).

Play with Clay

Is still going strong on Tuesday nights from

6.30pm till 9pm and Wednesday mornings from

9.30am to midday. Only $5 for members. Both

sessions run continuously throughout the year

and are an excellent way of meeting other pot-

ters and learning tips from others that can help

your work progress.

8

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

PO Box 21183, 7-11 West Street, Hamilton

Free Phone: 0800 856 889 Fax: 07 856 8892

Email: Sales@potterysupplies.co.nz

www.potterysupplies.co.nz

Suppliers of clays, raw materials, glazes, stains and tools

Dave and Wendy Gardiner

Waikato Society of Potters

PO Box 9299, Hamilton Mail Centre

Hamilton 3240

Ph (07) 838 1950