1

NEWSLETTER

AUTUMN 2011

www.anglianpotters.org.uk

IN THIS ISSUE:Margaret Gardiner

Beryl HinesLavenham & Oundle

Art in Clay, HatfieldPotters' Camp preview

Cambridge Summer Show

2

EDITOR’S NOTESWith only one demonstration day toreport on in this issue, we were lucky tohave two members sharing theirexpertise with us: Margaretdemonstrating her fascination with salt& soda fired pots, and Beryl with herknowledge of Roman potters and theirtechniques.It has been a busy summer since theAGM: plenty of exhibitions, fairs, and –of course – potters' camp. I have neverbeen to potters' camp myself, but whenI look through the many photographssent in to me am always struck by the

ANGLIAN POTTERS OFFICERSPRESIDENT LADY SAINSBURYCHAIRMANVictor Knibbs

VICE CHAIRMANRay Auker

SECRETARYSusan Cupitt

TREASURERLiz Chipchase

EDITORCarolyn Postgate

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARYMary Wyatt

PUBLICITY SECRETARYSally Macpherson

PRESS OFFICERChristine Pike

EXHIBITIONS ORGANISERSJackie WatsonKarrie Langdon

SELECTED MEMBERS SECRETARYAnja Penger

WEBMASTERGeetha Alagirisamy

EVENTS ORGANISERSMargaret GardinerJohn Masterton

POTTERS' CAMP ORGANISERJerry Finlayson

Cover: salt and soda fired vase byMargaret Gardiner

AGMI am pleased to report that the AGMwas well attended. Our finances are ingood shape and it was agreed that thesubscription rates will remain at theirpresent level for 2012/13. What goodvalue!The Committee was re-elected, withMargaret Gardiner and John Mastertonjoining as Day Event organisers, andGeetha Alagirisamy as Webmaster. Mythanks go to Heather Graham, FelicityHoyle, and Ian George for their serviceto the association. It seems to me thatAnglian Potters continues to thrive andMary Wyatt confirmed that ourmembership continues to grow.

DOLBY GALLERY, OUNDLEThe Selected Members’ exhibition at theDolby Gallery was extended for afurther two weeks at Simon Dolby’srequest. He was very pleased with thework and the response from hiscustomers. He has invited some to showfurther work for the Christmas period!Well done and thanks to those whocontributed to this show in a new areafor Anglian Potters.

POTTERS' CAMP 2011As I write, I am slowly recovering fromfive wonderful, but energy sapping,days at Shotley! We were blessed withfine weather, if cold at night for some.As always, there were new delights. Thisyear they included glass slumping,Mocha ware and inlay demos, portraithead sculpting, and wonderful newshowers.The pizza evening around the bonfire,and the Saturday meal and social wereboth a great success and very enjoyable.

My thanks are extended to all whohelped or contributed to makeeverything go so well, with a specialthanks to our host, Jerry Finlayson.The climax, as always, was the kilnopenings on Sunday. All firingsproduced many fine pots.

INTERNET COMMUNICATIONSI am still getting calls from a fewmembers who are upset, saying theyhave missed events due to our use ofemails. As I have said in previousreports, the use of emails keeps postagecosts down and saves time for ourofficers.If you do not or cannot use the internet,let us know and you can receiveinformation by post. It is essential thatour Membership Secretary, Mary Wyatt,has your correct and up to date emailaddress.

SUMMER EXHIBITION, CAMBRIDGEAt the time of writing, all is in hand forthe Summer Exhibition at EmmanuelCollege, Cambridge, and I look forwardto seeing many of you there.Victor

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

fantastic organisation it takes to set upand run smoothly, and the sheer FUNthat everyone seems to have! And whatspectacular results from the kilns! In thenext Newsletter I'll devote several pagesto camp, to do justice to all thetechniques being taught.Don't forget to send me a 'postcard' ifyou have been travelling this summer –email me a photo and a few words (oreven a whole article) if you have seenany interesting pots or potters.Carolyn

3

Page 2 Chairman’s Report; Editor’s Notes; CommitteePage 3 Anglian Potters AGMPage 4 Beryl Hines at the AGMPage 5 Margaret Gardiner at the AGMPage 7 The Little Hall, Lavenham: Potters and FriendsPage 8 Selected Members’ Exhibition, Dolby Gallery, OundlePage 11 Potters’ camp PreviewPage 12 Art in Clay, HatfieldPage 13 Members’ WebsitesPage 15 Summer Exhibition, Emmanuel College, CambridgePage 16 Book ReviewsPage 17 Craft and Design Showcase, Babylon Gallery, ElyPage 18 Events and Members’ Exhibitions; Ceramic HelplinePage 19 Equipment For Sale; Clay StoresPage 20 Equipment For Sale and Wanted; Diary Dates,

Membership Fees, Advertising Rates

ANGLIAN POTTERS NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011

Chris

& M

artin

Geo

rge

CONTENTS

Held at Mundford Village Hall on 22May at 10.30 am.This was well attended, with 56 of ussigning the register.Victor Knibbs told us of his satisfactionin seeing how well the association isthriving, with a good range of activitiesthroughout the year. He sensed that themembership was being well served.Mary Wyatt reported an increase inmembership now heading towards 350-60 members. Liz Chipchase describedthe knock-on effect on the finances ofthis growth, whereby income increasesnot only from membership fees but alsofrom exhibition fees, clay sales, etc.There has also been an increase in thecommercial advertisements in theNewsletter, and our use of email isreducing the cost of postage. Theaccounts are healthy and we have£6,850 more in the bank than this timelast year. She was keen to retain a goodsafety level, but also asked forsuggestions as to how we might use thisextra income.Those officers who were willing tocontinue in post were voted back in. Asfor new officers, Geetha Alagirisamywas formally elected as our new websitemanager, in place of Ian George whowas standing down. She is setting up the

new website, but will not manage it inthe long term as it will be membershipled. John Masterton and MargaretGardiner take over the role of EventsOrganisers, replacing Heather Grahamand Felicity Hoyle. Mariam Cullumoffered to do the Private view invitationmailing in place of Daniela Stief.Carolyn Postgate was much praised forher work as Editor of the Newsletter,and she asked that we keep the articlesand images of events coming in. SallyMacpherson also asked for images ofwork for the leaflet she was puttingtogether for this year’s exhibitions andevents. Press Officer Christine Pike hasbeen establishing links with magazines,and asked for more feedback frommembers. She needs details of eventswe stage, and images, and asked that wedisplay our promotional leaflets at anyevent in which we might beparticipating.Jackie Watson was pleased with the easewith which she and Karrie Langdon hadmoved into the position of ExhibitionSecretaries. She was keen to point outthat with the use of email informationcan easily go astray, so that if a memberhasn’t received an application form foran exhibition which is imminent theyshould contact her. There was a long

discussion of our use of cheques, butwe shall keep to these for the immediatefuture. Once the new website is workingwe can more easily consider alternatives.Anja Penger had emailed to the effectthat we have a new Selected Member,Madeleine Murphy, and that she isorganising a Selected Membersexhibition in the Appleyard Gallery inHolt from 29 October–12 November.Karrie is in negotiation with the JohnPeel Centre in Stowmarket about aChristmas exhibition and will reportback in the Newsletter.There was a discussion whethermembership cards were worth the effortof printing and distributing them. Themeeting decided in favour of retainingthem.In view of the healthy state of ourfinances subscriptions for 2012/13 willremain unchanged.Susan van Valkenburg’s articledescribing the physical effort requiredto receive a new batch of clay hadshocked us. It is clear we must be moresupportive of our clay store hosts infuture.The meeting ended at 11.45 am.Susan CupittSecretary

2011 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Potters’ CampPotters’ Camp

4

BERYL HINES AT THE AGM

What have the Romans everdone for us?...According to Beryl Hines, they handeddown just about all of the techniques offiring and decorating clay that modernpotters are familiar with.Beryl’s love affair with Roman potterybegan when she was still at school andher history teacher offered to teach anart class. Having been trained byBernard Leach she placed a great dealof emphasis on the Japanese tradition,but Beryl, “being a bolshy EastAnglian”, felt that traditions closer tohome merited further examination tooso she became a frequent haunter of herlocal museum’s Bronze Age and Romancollections.The more Beryl was able to examinepieces of Roman pottery the more heradmiration grew for the potters whomade them. During the course of herslide show at the AGM she introducedus to various different types and stylesof vessels and, through her infectiousenthusiasm we were able to appreciatethe technical ability and artistry of these

ancient potters.One vase, in particular, deserves specialmention: a large, round-bellied jug withan elegant neck and a turned foot. Berylwas privileged to have actually held it ata special museum handling session andassured us that, despite its size, it was“light as a feather”. It was most likelythrown in two pieces and the personwho made it “must have been throwingforever. There are very few peopletoday who could produce such work”,she said.Early Roman vessels were mostly left‘naked’, apart from the use of a few leadglazes, the potters preferring to rely ontexture for their decoration, and theyused just about every technique youcould think of. It seems that theyborrowed and assimilated from everytribe and nation they conquered, soRoman potters had an enormousrepertoire of styles at their disposal.

Having attempted to reproduce someof these pieces Beryl can attest to thehigh level of technical ability of theseancient artisans and has discoveredmany things about their way of life.One of Beryl’s favourite pots, which isin the Colchester Museum, is a piece ofblack burnished ware. This was achievedby firing terracotta in an oxidisingatmosphere until near the end, when thekiln was packed with green wood. Thesudden, intense reduction turned theiron in the clay to black, as well asadding carbon deposits to the ware.“They must have been brilliant claytechnologists and experts at making theperfect clay for working with”, sheexplained.Some of the most astounding slidesBeryl showed us were of slip-trailedwork which was so finely detailed anddelicate it looked as though it had beencarved or sprig moulded. Since whiteball clay does not contain iron, it wouldhave stayed white during reduction,while the rest of the piece turned black.Finally, Beryl left us with anarchaeological mystery: the Romanswere able to produce something called‘eggshell ware’, which was finer thanporcelain and very strong. At present noone knows how it was made, except thatit was clearly thrown rather than pressmoulded. “There is a lovely lot ofresearch to be done – all we need istime!” she smiled.Words: Christine Pike.Pictures: Carolyn Postgate

Some of Beryl’s replica Roman pots

A mixture of Roman potsherds,including red Samian and black

burnished wares

Beryl’s replica pots with somepieces of Roman Samian ware

5

From pots ancient to modern; we were treated to ademonstration by Margaret Gardiner and guided throughthe complex firing processes she employs to create hervapour-glazed work.Now working exclusively in porcelain, most of her currentwork is decorative and she showed us how she makes her‘petal vases’ – a favourite shape.Margaret throws quite wet, which she said was absolutelynecessary with porcelain, in order to avoid sagging,although it goes against her training in throwing functionalware. To start with, she throws a thick base and thenchallenges herself to turn a piece as thinly as possible.Anyone who has every worked with porcelain knows thatthere is a very short window of a leather hard stage – “it iseither brittle or floppy!” exclaimed Margaret, so it must behandled very carefully. She showed us how she uses amoistened, thrown pad of clay on which to secure a pieceon the wheel while she sets to work with the decorationprocess.Pieces of crocheted lace, some wire brushes, a shell, and theoccasional toy purloined long ago from her son’s toy boxare all that Margaret uses to create her designs. “I love thecurves and fluidity of being able to pattern on the wheel”,she explained as she expertly created a flowing textureddesign.Next time you pick up a piece of Margaret’s work, be sureto turn it over as it is likely that she will have even havedecorated under the foot ring! Clearly excited and delightedby the infinite possibilities offered by pressing texture intoher clay ‘canvas’, she demonstrated a new technique she hasdiscovered, whereby she presses a lace motif into the edgeof a bowl, gently pulling and squeezing with moistenedfingers until it is raised just above the rim. The salt/sodafiring process will pick up every detail. She also showed ushow she has begun to apply small strips of impressed clay to

certain areas of her vessels, such as to a jug handle; “It justadds a little jewel to the piece”, she explained.Having taken us though the creation of some of her favouriteshapes, Margaret then treated us to a slide show of her glazingand firing processes. Many of us were surprised at the amountof time required to bring a pot to completion but then,porcelain is temperamental and will not be hurried!Once a pot has been decorated it is wrapped in polythene andleft to dry out slowly to avoid cracking. Margaret then sprayson layers of thin glaze from her range of five colours – “Youcan achieve a surprising variation of colour combinations”,she says – and waits until she has approximately three months’work to fill her gas reduction kiln.From packing (which takes two days alone) to unloading thekiln requires a full week. Margaret explained that she uses a50-50 mixture of salt to soda solution, which is sprayed intothe chamber at 1280ºC. She finds that this ratio enables thewhole kiln to be covered and gives her the bright oranges shedesires, (she discovered that a higher proportion of soda doesnot flow sufficiently and results in paler, matter colours). Thekiln is then soaked for an hour.The kiln is then cooled fast to 1000ºC, which takes two days.Once the temperature has reached between 700ºC and 600ºCthe final and most delicate stage of the firing process isreached: Margaret inserts Tin (II) Chloride into the chamberto fume the ware and give it the lustre and iridescence forwhich her work is so recognized. “Getting the balance justright is crucial”, she explained, but when you do, the resultsare magical!”Christine Pike

MARGARET GARDINER AT THE AGM

Caro

lyn P

ostga

te

Hea

ther

Gra

ham

6

Hea

ther

Gra

ham

Caro

lyn P

ostga

te

Margaret’s favourite tools in action: ayellow plastic roulette wheel (part of aLights Alive game) produces rows ofdots, a crocheted lace cloth rolled onthe pot forms impressions and texture,a small wire brush makes wavy lines.

Hea

ther

Gra

ham

Hea

ther

Gra

ham

Hea

ther

Gra

ham

Caro

lyn P

ostga

te

Caro

lyn P

ostga

te

7

effort she put into this event. It is thepersonal engagement of people whichmakes events like Lavenham orIckworth really good for promoting theAnglian Potters, ceramics and othercrafts!Hopefully we will continue to havemany more events like this one in thefuture.P.S. Gill Hedge wants to thank everyonewho helped to make the exhibition asuccess and particularly Cathy D’Arcyand Helen HumphreysWords and pictures: Anja Penger

May 21-31 2011Have you heard about Lavenham, oneof these wonderful mediaeval villages inSuffolk which became very rich throughthe wool trade? Among otherattractions (like food and pubs andgalleries for example) are the wonderfulold houses, which attract thousands ofpeople to the village. The Little Hall,with its convoluted rooms with woodenfloors and wooden beams, and thewonderful walled garden, is one of themain attractions.Due to an enormous amount ofpersonal effort by Gill Hedge and herfamily some of the Anglian Potters hadthe opportunity to exhibit their work inthe Little Hall. The exhibition was calledPotters and Friends, because Gillorganised other craftspeople, like printmakers, weavers and painters to takepart.The exhibitors were spread out aroundthe house and the garden. It was quite anexploration to get around all theexhibits! The weaver demonstrated herwork, and Cathy D’Arcy showed howshe builds her animal sculptures for theraku firing.The outdoor exhibition turned out tobe an adventure as well! The weatherwasn’t very kind during the secondweekend with gale force winds andheavy rain showers. One of themarquees had to be taken down, butpotters (and friends and visitors!) areinventive and helpful, so the exhibitswere saved, and quickly yet anotherexhibition room in the house was set up.The exhibition fee for exhibitors waspaid to the Little Hall. As a result,during the exhibition, visitors did not

have to pay the usual entrance charge tovisit the Little Hall. I am sure that freeentrance attracted quite a lot of people,during the week as well as at weekends.Gill and her family did a good jobpromoting the event by putting outposters and flyers. On the last day of theexhibition, the late May Bank HolidayMonday her son had the job of handingout flyers to passers-by!The footfall over the 10 days wasenormous! I think everybody washappy with the level of sales as well(which is kind of important as it showsthat peopleappreciate your workand are willing to payfor it!)I really want to thankGill again for all the

THE LITTLE HALL LAVENHAM: POTTERS AND FRIENDS

8

Thanks once again to the industry andenterprise of our Selected Memberssecretary, Anja Penger, the springSelected Members’ Exhibition was heldin a new venue for us, the Dolby Galleryin Oundle, near Peterborough.This small family-run gallery is in thecentre of the town and puts on variedexhibitions of paintings, prints andceramics throughout the year (seewww.dolbygallery.com) and attractscustomers from visitors to the School.When we arrived to deliver our workearly in the week of the exhibition, themain gallery had been cleared and wasbeing painted and reset for the show.19 selected members from all over theregion participated in the show, withabout 140 pieces of work on display.Many of us turned out for the eveningof the private view on Friday 6 May tomeet our public!Simon and Gillian Dolby (painters andprintmakers themselves) provided awarm welcome, and there was a goodaudience of locals looking and buying.I think at least one piece was sold beforethe show opened, and I know that oneof mine went within a few minutes ofopening, which is always a good start!Simon was obviously pleased with theresults, as he asked to extend theoriginal date for the end of the show bytwo weeks. I think that overall sales werereasonable, and members have beenasked back for the Christmas sellingshow later in the year.

SELECTED MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION: THE DOLBY GALLERY, OUNDLE

From my own perspective, I’d alwayslike to sell more, and it is quite a longway to travel from the far south westernend of the Anglian Potters area, but Iwas very impressed with the warmwelcome, and the effort put in by all atthe gallery to put on a good display ofour work, to attract visitors, andprovide us with the opportunity toexhibit in a different area.Thanks again to Anja for organizing theshow for us, and to Simon and GillianDolby for welcoming us to their gallery.Words: John Masterton.Pictures: Anne Pilkington, Anja Penger

9

10

Kilns for ceramics

New and second-hand equipment

Kilns and furnaces serviced and repaired

Potters wheels – pugmills

Essex Kilns LtdTel 01621 869342

email contact@essexkilns.co.ukwww.essexkilns.co.uk

11

POTTERS’ CAMP PREVIEW:NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE!

Desa

Phi

lippi

Reta

Vin

ce

And

y Wrig

ht

Susa

n V

an V

alken

burg

Here are a few photographs from another successfulcamp to whet your appetite for the full-scale article inthe Winter Newsletter.

And

y Wrig

htRe

ta V

ince

Susa

n V

an V

alken

burg

And

y Wrig

htA

ndy W

right

And

y Wrig

ht

glass fusing kiln

inside the pizza oven

relaxing round the camp fire

stoking the Roman kiln

12

After a very wet setting-up day, the Friday, when I visited the show,was a perfect summer day – sunny but not too hot in the marquees. Asusual, there was far too much to take in on one visit, but here aresome photographs of work which caught my eye. Several AnglianPotters members had stands, though I did not manage to visit all ofthem. The variety, quality and inventiveness of the work on show wasreally impressive, and I kept coming across potters whose work Iwould love to see demonstrated at one of our AP events days.

Carolyn Postgate

ART IN CLAY, HATFIELD 2011

AP member Alan Foxley’ssculptures

Mark Smith and his quirky ships

Left: time for arest on one ofChris Lewis’sAfrican stools

AP member Richard Baxter

AP member John Masterton’s stand

AP member Margaret Gardiner with customers

Adam Buick moonpot

Alan & Ann Foxley

13

MEMBERS' WEBSITES:www.angelamellor.comwww.brendagreenart.co.ukwww.broadwayceramics.comwww.cathydarcy.comwww.ceramicsbuyanja.co.ukwww.corbykilns.co.ukwww.chrisrumsey.co.uk

www.davidwilliamsampson.com

www.heathergrahampotter.comwww.helenhpottery.co.ukwww.helenmartino.co.ukwww.iangeorgeceramics.co.ukwww.ingridhunter.comwww.janburridge.co.ukwww.janehollidge.co.ukwww.jjvincent.comwww.johnmasterton.co.ukwww.judsonsinfrance.comwww.katharina.klug-art.comwww.lolaswainpottery.comwww.madeincley.co.ukwww.maggygardiner.comwww.mariamcullumceramics.co.ukwww.matthewblakely.co.ukwww.patsouthwood.co.ukwww.potterycourses.comwww.potterycourses.netwww.richardbaxter.co.ukwww.robbibbyceramics.co.ukwww.roceramics.co.ukwww.rockwellpottery.comwww.rowanhumberstone.co.ukwww.sculpturelounge.comwww.secretceramics.co.ukwww.stephenmurfitt.co.ukwww.susancupitt.co.ukwww.suffolkstoneware.co.uk

Contact the Editor if you wantto add your site to this list.

www.anglianpotters.org.uk

HENRY MOORE ATHATFIELD16 monumental sculptures are scatteredaround the grounds of Hatfield Housein an exhibition not to be missed. Itcontinues untiil 30 September 2011

Sarah Cox

Jon Barratt Danes

14

15

ALL SAINTS, CAMBRIDGE 2011As you know, this exhibition will run from mid-November to mid-December. Entry forms will be sentout to members about 6/7 weeks beforehand. If youhaven’t received anything by the end of the first week inOctober, please get in touch with me.If you have given us an email address then that is themethod by which forms will be sent to you. If you wishyour forms to be sent by post, you need to contact me on 01603 261951. Thoseof you who have not supplied an email address will get their forms by post.Jackie Watson jackie@wolvercott.co.uk

SUMMER SHOW AT EMMANUEL COLLEGETwo days of really hard work by a large army of volunteers resulted in a tremendouslysuccessful Private View evening on Monday 15 August. The exhibition lookedwonderful, sales were brisk, and I heard many favourable comments from our faithfulcustomers! Here are a few snapshots from the show.Carolyn Postgate

DeniseBrown

the new exhibition sign

AnnieEvans

HarveyBradley

DameonLynn

AnjaPenger

Ingrid Hunter

welcoming bar staff!

16

DRY GLAZES

BY JEREMY JERNEGAN

A&C BLACK £15.99If you are used to making your own

take these two disciplines further. Someof the techniques are, however, farmore suitable for learning on a coursethan from a book. There are simply toomany stages involved to get your headaround without seeing the processthrough from start to finish. I suspectthis book would make a very usefuladjunct to a course, and it is no surprisethat the author runs workshops himself.Looking through this book and twoothers on printed ceramics, what struckme most is how all the varioustechniques throw the emphasis of pieceson to their composition, in the pictorialsense. Whether the forms are classicalor modern, the printing process doesseem to add something painterly. Nowsome of that will simply be because weare talking about combining a two-dimensional artistic process with three-dimensional forms, but I think it is morethan that. In part, it’s because of whatprintmaking does to an artist’sperception compared with, say, apainter’s or traditional potter’s. Whenyou plan prints, you perceive in blocksof colour rather than brush strokes orthree-dimensional forms. And many ofthe techniques in this book also allowthe positioning of designs to be moreconsidered than many straight glazedapproaches. In turn, this leads to aninteresting play between precision andfreedom. Perhaps that is just anotherelement of the blur between industryand craft.

BOOK REVIEWS

CERAMIC TRANSFER PRINTING

BY KEVIN PETRIE

A&C BLACK £16.99Ever since Wedgwood’s day, industryand the crafts have had shifting, blurredboundaries, either as automation hasrobbed the craft worker of their uniquestatus or as industrial innovation hasbrought new techniques to designer-makers. This ebb and flow between thecrafts and industry can either delight orappal, so it’s largely a matter of attitude.Ceramic transfer printing feels like thecurrent borderland, where digitaltechnologies can enable massproduction but also open up morecreative possibilities for individualworkers. That feels like an exciting areato explore. Artists like Paul Scott andGrayson Perry both use the techniquesto give their work a distinctive andpolitical edge, but ceramic transferprinting can also be highly commercial.This book covers digital approaches,where an artist creates a design oncomputer and then sends it away to beturned into a ceramic transfer (bypassingthe whole complex discipline oftraditional printmaking). This has all theadvantages of reliability and repeatabilitythat some potters are likely to give only acautious welcome. It also covers lowertech approaches, from monoprinting andscreen printing, via the middle groundappropriate to potters with access to aprintmaking studio.I have done quite a lot of bothprintmaking and pottery in my time, butI confess that I have rarely combined thetwo. With my experience, I suspect thereis enough in this book to enable me to

conventional glazes, perhaps fordomestic ware, most dry glaze recipesjust look bonkers. After all, as glazes areglass, they are generally food safe, stableand have an appealing depth to theirappearance, so why head to your kilnwith a bunch of ingredients that willonly just stick to the pots, don’t add thatfunctional element to your work andlook flat? This book will ably show notonly why, but how to do it, and some ofthe reasons surprised me.First, of course, dry glazes can appealaesthetically, and good looks inceramics can be all the function a pieceneeds. Dry glazes don’t reflect the lightwith the same intensity of normalglazes, so your attention is thrown moreon to the form than the surface. Thepiece will look more like itself from anyangle and under a range of lighting thanif the contours are continually alteredby reflections.Secondly, although dry glazes can beapplied in all the usual ways, they don’tmelt in the firing in the same way asother glazes. This means that the resultscan be more predictable, and thatrepeat firings with different layers ofglaze are likely to remain visuallysharper, with no risk of the layersmerging into one another.And finally, dry glazes are simply oneend of a spectrum of materials andtechniques that open up even morepossibilities for our creativeoutpourings, especially if you are intosculptural ceramics.This book, one of A&C Black’sceramics handbooks, ticks most of theusual boxes for the series: plenty ofrecipes, interesting, well-lit pictures(benefitting from the dryness!) from awide range of makers and aknowledgeable text. It’s not perfect,though, and perhaps shows thelimitation of the format. For example,each illustration is matched with a codefor the glaze used, so to get the fullinformation on what a surface had on itand how it was fired means you end upflicking through the book betweenrecipe and illustration until you get bothpages fixed in your mind. And giventhat so many of the dry glazes useddepend on particular firing regimes –such as underfiring raku – to achievetheir colour or textural effects, I felt thatthe firing information was a little scant.But these are quibbles and shouldn’tstop you buying the book if this is anarea you wish to explore.

17

useful questions about what to look forbefore embarking on a project, fromthe essential if dull health and safetyconsiderations and even duller andmore essential budget through to abrief look at the design process. It can’tbe prescriptive because context iseverything in these matters, so a goodlist of questions is better than a list ofirrelevant answers.The chapter on hanging and mountingreally shows the author’s experience ingetting large pieces right. He talks aboutcombining the ceramics with differentbacking media, from sheet metal towood, acrylic and glass, and how eachneeds its own techniques to account forwear, tear, differential shrinkage and thegreat British weather. It’s all goodpractical stuff.Another chapter looks at how a rangeof wall pieces have been made byseveral potters. Some are familiar namesfrom Ceramic Review, but others werenew to me. These case studies weremore interesting and varied than many,but because of that range it was perhapshard to pull it together and drawgeneral lessons. Perhaps that was thepoint because it leads on to the finalchapter’s examination of the ideas andmotivations behind some fantasticpieces. These range from the still beautyof Henk Wolvers, whose geometricporcelain wall piece is reflected in thesame design on the adjacent floorcarpet, via the energetic collaborationof four ceramic artists to create“Flock”, to Christie Brown’s slightlyhaunting “resource-clay”. All in all, thisbook proved to be far moreentertaining, practical and inspiring thanits title suggests.Mark Boyd

WALL PIECES

BY DOMINIQUE BIVAR SEGURADO

AND CHAPTER ONE BY ANNE

MERCEDES

A&C BLACK £15.99You can’t get much farther from thegeneral public’s idea of what pottery isthan many of the pieces and techniquescovered in this book. Almost everythingin it is resolutely modern and linkedonly by its vertical context. That’s OK.No one objects to books aboutceramics for the garden so why notdevote a slim volume to ceramics thattake up little room?Some of the work here can be called“painting plus” – a bit like painting butwith the added value of a more dynamicand textural surface. For my taste, theseare the least successful pieces in thebook. Paint’s versatility is hard to beatfor two or two-and-a-bit dimensionalartwork. Too many of these pieceslacked the colourful vibrancy of thebest painting and looked like theywould just create more housework.Where the work gets more interesting iswhen it is hung outdoors, on anarchitectural scale and, to some extent,where clay is used for wall-mounted artinstallations. Many of these pieces wereassembled into vast works, some tens ofmetres long.Composite works have their own issues,from consistent firing to the risk ofbreakage during installation, butperhaps the biggest issues surroundplanning the idea and, for site-specificwork, the exact location. The bookcovers this well, with a chapter full of

We have just closed the doors on ourfirst Craft & Design Showcase at theBabylon Gallery, Ely and I am delightedto report that it was extremely wellreceived by the good folk of Ely andbeyond. There were approximately2,500 visitors in its six-week run and thecomments left in the visitors’ bookindicate that there is an enormousamount of support and appreciation forhigh quality contemporary craft.Anglian Potters was well representedand, although sales overall were muted,ceramics proved to be the strongestsellers.This was my first opportunity to curatean exhibition at an art gallery and I wasso impressed by the standard of all thework submitted. It was a steep learningcurve and far more arduous than I hadimagined, but I had a brilliant team tohelp me put the show together and Ithink we were able to displayeverybody’s pieces to best advantage.Following the success of this exhibition,I plan to hold another selling show atChristmas – so please earmark a spacein your schedules and keep an eye on theBabylon Gallery website for furtherdetails.www.babylongallery.co.ukWords and pictures: Christine Pike

CRAFT & DESIGNSHOWCASE AT THEBABYLON GALLERY

18

EVENTS & MEMBERS’ EXHIBITIONS CERAMIC HELPLINEMembers to contact:Alan Foxley: handbuilding, reduction firing

01799 522631Colin Saunders: mould-making, transfers,slipcasting 01379 588278Victor Knibbs: oxidised stoneware,electric kilns, modifying clay bodies

01480 214741Deborah Baynes: raku, stoneware,earthenware (reduction & oxidised), saltglaze 01473 788300Beryl Hines: general, earthenware, raku

01473 735437Usch Spettigue: raw glazing/single firing

01473 787587Margaret Gardiner: salt / soda firing

01279 654025Sonia Lewis: high-fired ware, porcelain

01353 688316Angela Mellor: bone china paperclayand slipcasting 01353 666675

If you are willing to give advice and beadded to this list, please contact the Editor.

Mariam Cullum Cathy D’Arcy

OPENING DAY 10thSEPTEMBERcontinues until 5th Oct

I have been saving my best pots formy first solo ceramic exhibition.With light refreshments to welcomeyou, browse through this light and spacious gallery in a uniquetown. With watercolours and prints by Richard Bawden

Exhibition at BIRCHAM GALLERY Holt, Norfolk NR25 6BWwww.birchamgallery.co.uk email: birchamgal@aol.comTel: 01263 713312 www. maggygardiner.com

MARGARET GARDINER VAPOUR GLAZED CERAMICS

From lateAugust:MoretonGallery,Moreton-

in-Marsh 19-20 November: Art inClay at Farnham Maltings;November: ‘Bakers Dozen’exhibition at the RoundhouseGallery, Uttoxeter Road, Foston,Derbyshire DE65 5DLwww.roundhousegallery.co.uk5 Nov-25 Dec: Byard Art, King’sParade, Cambridge

JOHN MASTERTON

POTCLAYS 70TH ANNIVERSARY

OPEN DAY

Saturday 1 OctoberPotclays in Stoke-on-Trent iscelebrating with demonstrations by David Frith, factory tours and up to 75%off clearance sale. For more details email: sales@potclays.co.uk ortel: 01782 219816. www.potclays.co.uk

NORFOLK CONTEMPORARY

CRAFT SOCIETYA TALK BY RUTHANNE TUDBALL

Tuesday 13 September 7pmThe Cube, The Forum, NorwichNR2 1TFTickets on the door £5Free to NCCS Members andFriends. A glass of wine or softdrink is includedwww.norfolkcraft.co.uk

CPA VISIT TO THE FITZWILLIAM

MUSEUM, CAMBRIDGE

Following the very successful visits tothe British Museum and to theAshmolean, MAAC is now planning avisit to see the ceramics collection inthe Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.Date and further details to beannounced, but in the meantimeif you are interested please contactMarshall Colman:marshall@marshallcolman.com

19

Brick House Crafts operate from 5,000sq ft premises in Essex. They are pleasedto confirm the continuation of their 10%discount scheme to members of AnglianPotters on raw materials, clays (up to 1/2t) and hand tools. Lessons available onan hourly basis together with City &Guilds Level 2 & 3 courses (100% passrate to date). Contact Mary or MaureenTel: 01376 585655

www.brickhouseceramics.co.uk

19

KILN FOR SALEAbout 460 hard fire bricks, about 300 insulating bricks, 1300 grade;a cast burner quarl; Shelly roof system, 15 tiles plus suspension bits;2 Swirlamiser burners, one in use, with the other as spare (plus 2home-made ones, that I obtained ages ago, and have it on goodauthority that they do the job, yours to play with!)Also included: loads of kiln furniture, enough for 2 kilns; 16"centrifugal blower with fairly new single phase motor; about 50' ofair pipe, steel, associated valves, taps etc.; a bunded plastic oil tank,2000 litres. It still has 2 firings worth of oil, don’t ask how manylitres it uses, I have never worked it out (damn’ hobby potter).This kiln has seen 15 good firings to cone 9, taking on average 10hours. I have produced some cracking temokus, reds and a reliableceladon. The design could be improved as you rebuild. I amdownsizing due to a drop in thrown tableware demand, and I amlooking for a Laser kiln for a change.Contact Chris t: 01273327379 e: chrisheape@hotmail.com

20

DIARY DATES 2011Lisa Hammond:[Note change of date]4 September, Mundfordwww.lisahammond-pottery.co.ukIckworth Wood Sale& Craft Fair:8-9 October, Ickworth HouseOstinelli and Priest:23 October, Mundfordwww.ostinellipriest.co.ukSelected Members' Exhibition:29 October-12 NovemberAppleyard Gallery, Holtwww.theappleyardgallery.co.ukChristmas Show:12 November-11 DecemberAll Saints' Church, Cambridge

MEMBERSHIP FEESOrdinary £27 (half year £15)Joint £45 for two people at the sameaddress – half year £25Institution £50 for a college or workshop– half year £27(details on application to theMembership Secretary)Student £10 for full-time ceramicsstudents – proof of status is required

ADVERTISING RATESPrice per issue, 4 issues a yearFull page w 18cm x h 26.8cm £60.00Half page w 18cm x h 13.4cm £30.00Third page w 18cm x h 8.8cm £20.002 column w 11.8cm x h 17.6cm £26.002 column w 11.8cm x h 8.8cm £13.001 column w 5.7cm x h 17.6cm £13.001 column w 5.7cm x h 8.8cm £6.50Leaflet inserts (350) £35.00Copy dates:Spring Issue 1 FebruarySummer Issue 1 MayAutumn Issue 1 AugustWinter Issue 1 NovemberCopy to be supplied as .jpg, .tif, .pdfAdvertisements can be designed if textand pictures (minimum 300dpi) areprovided. Printed in full colour.Contact Carolyn Postgate, Editore: carolyn@clara.co.uk t: 01954 211033

DEADLINE FOR THE

WINTER NEWSLETTER:1 NOVEMBER 2011FOR PUBLICATION BY:1 DECEMBER 2011

20

FOR SALEPodmore

Electric Potters WheelSecond hand, well used

Static stand, seat well worn.£250 ono buyer collects

Contact Jennie:e: jennie@alied.co.ukt: 01480 394947

WANTEDDoes anyone have a Shimpo orany other kind of electric wheel

in good condition that they wouldlike to sell?

If so, please contact:Mariam Cullume: mariam@cullumpots.co.ukt: 07913 351611

THE CRAFT

COURTYARD INGREAT YARMOUTHis looking for potters to join ournew pottery.We are looking for 3 permanentpotters. We also offer 'potter forthe day' at £10 per day, wherepotters can come, work anddisplay their pottery for sale.Anyone interested please contactTina on 0773 483 2652.

FOR SALECromartie Top Loader

Model CTL603 60 litre top loader240 volt single phase, 4.5kw

To include Safefire 3000controller, both old (like me) butworking well. Not connected butworked fine six months ago, dry

stored.£175

NR24 2NJContact Tel Turnbull:e: tel.turnbull49@gmail.comt: 01263 863034

FOR SALEDough Mixer

Large, old and wonderful pieceof machinery. £200 ono

Contact Margaret Gardiner :e: info@maggygardiner.comt: 01279 654025

FOR SALESurefire Top Loader

39 litre single phase 3.5kwelectric kiln, including controller

and kiln furniture.In good condition £200 ono

Contact Sue Bruce:e: susiebruce@fsmail.nett: 01394 384865

FOR SALEClay Extruder

Made by Jerry Finlayson, itincludes several perspex dies

£90 onoContact Sue Bruce:e: susiebruce@fsmail.nett: 01394 384865

FOR SALEPottery Studio Closing DownFront Loading Essex Kiln BK90E240 volts. With Cambridge 401Programmer. Max temp 1300°C: £800Potclays Electric Wheel with wheelhead extension: £250Brickhouse Seated Kickwheel: £75Oil Drum Raku Kiln with burnerand gas bottle: £50Raku Tongs: £10Wall mounted Clay Extruder3¾ diameter with 4 dies: £50Gex Hand Extruder: £10Pug Mill Free to a good homeRaw glazing material, studio worktables and chairs: come have alook and make an offer.Contact Karen Glanvill:t: 07789 996070 or 01206 729731e: karen@glanvill.me.uk