Demonstrator from the USA at our May meeting

It is hoped that all our locally based members will come along to our May meeting (Wednesday, 4 MAY at 7.30pm in upstairs meeting room, Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane Cronulla).  Why?  To make welcome Donna Davis.  Donna is from San Diego (USA) and majored in Art at UCLA and has been working in clay since 1990. Her work is sold in the USA and she also teaches ceramics and takes part in the Ramona Artists Open Studio Tour every year.

 Come and make her welcome and share some supper afterwards with fellow potters and if you can, stay for the business meeting.

New site to track ceramic competitions

The Australian Ceramics Association has implemented a new listing on their website.  To be able to find suitable competitions to enter, just go to their website (link in our side panel) and look for their link on the left hand side of their home page.  Here is a direct link: http://australianceramics.com/home/index.php/Association-pages/Information/Ceramic-Competitions-AROUND-THE-GLOBE/menu-id-222.html

Raffle drawn

Our Easter Hamper raffle was drawn by a volunteer at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and the winner was Basil P. Congratulations and enjoy sharing all that chocolate.

Easter and Mother's Day Sale at Cronulla

The members of the Port Hacking Potters Group are holding a  
sale at 
the Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Road Cronulla 
on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th April 2011.
9am to 4.30pm each day.

Bring your friends along and buy that special individual gift for your family or friend or just something for yourself.

Lots of new items - all at very reasonable prices.

A raffle will be run at the same time to raise funds for the Handicapped Children's Centre at Kirrawee, tickets for the Easter Hamper are just $1

Tips from Roger Graham

This month's newsletter contains a couple of tips from our trip to the Old Toolijooa School Pottery on the Illawarra coast of NSW.

Roger demonstates his slicing board and cutting harp

Here is a copy with thanks to Roger:

Slicing Board

If you do not have a slab roller don’t despair.  You need a sheet of fibro or other suitable board, some thin slats of plastic or wood varying in height from 4mm to 15mm.  Your piece of wood can vary in size from 30cm square up to much larger depending on your needs.

Method - Take your piece of fibro and attach with glue your 4mm strips to the 2  parallel sides of the board.  When using thicker strips you may need to use panel pieces to assist the glue when setting. Use a metal harp or cutting wire to cut your slabs of even thickness.

 Metal Harp.  Take a suitable piece of metal rod about 10/12mm thick that can be bent.  Cut little grooves in each end near the ends of the rod.  Bend the rod into a large U shape, size of your board, in a vice and attach bee-frame wire or other suitable wire into the grooves.

Great excursion to Toolijooa Old School Pottery

Those members who were able to go to Toolijooa Old School Pottery today had a great time.
Roger and his wife made us very welcome with tea and homemade cakes when we first arrived.  We had a chance to look around the gallery shop before being invited to sit in the fresh country air while Roger proceeded to share lots and lots of great ideas for producing functional pots with a minimum of fuss.
So many ideas that I think the newsletter will be able to show a tip a month for the next year at least!
If you are down that way call in and say hi to Roger and see for yourself.  The pottery is right on the highway just past Gerringong.

Woodfire Tasmania 2011

Fancy a pottery holiday in Tassie?  Going there soon?
Check out this site for details of the Wood Firing Conference to be held 28 April - 1 May 2011 in Deloraine, Northern Tasmania.

 http://www.woodfiretasmania.com.au

Guest artists and presenters at Woodfire Tasmania 2011 will include:
Jack Troy, USA
Torbjorn Kvasbo, Norway
Shiro Otani,   Japan
Graeme Wilke, Australia
Donna Gillis,    Japan/USA
Steve Williams, Australia
Hillary Kane, Indonesia / USA
Dan Murphy,    USA
Malina Monks, Australia
Alexandra Engelfriet, Netherlands
Kulli Koiv, Estonia

Activities around the Conference start on the 23 April so if you are planning a break down that way do have a look for more details on the site.

There is also more information on the Australian Ceramics Website.

PHPG Members Calendar

MEMBERS NOTICE BOARD
Some dates for Port Hacking Potters Group Members to put in your diary:

 11-13th March   The Art of Living Festival at Bundeena.  Our potter friends who live over there will be taking part in the Markets on the Sunday. Say 'Hi' if you are over that way.

16th March   Excursion to The Old School Pottery, Toolijooa.  Meet there at 10am. Tea/coffee supplied but bring your own food and a chair.  A demonstration and mini workshop will be part of our visit. Phone Gail or Joe if you would like a lift down. Here is the website:http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rogergraham/

6th April   General Meeting, 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane Cronulla. Demonstration Topic: Glaze Materials and their effects.

14th and 15th April   Members Sale at Cronulla School of Arts.  Our pre-Easter and Mothers Day Sale.  All exhibiting members are asked to take part.

4 May   General Meeting, 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla.

1 June   General Meeting, 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

6 July   General Meeting, 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

3 August   General Meeting 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

7 September   General Meeting 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

5 October   General Meeting 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

2 November   General Meeting 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

7 December   Christmas Meeting 7:30pm Cronulla School of Arts, Surf Lane, Cronulla

A visit to Ireland and Scotland

Those members who braved the heatwave to attend the February meeting will be interested to follow up the talk about potteries in Ireland and Scotland by following these links:

Belleek Pottery, Ireland

Louis Mulcahy, Ireland

plus a blog of one of the potters at Argyl Pottery Scotland

And a little scenery -

Dingle Pennisula, Ireland

Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, Scotland.

2011 - First meeting of the year

The first meeting of 2011 for our group will be on Wednesday 2 February at 7.30pm upstairs in the meeting room at the Cronulla School of Arts, Cronulla, NSW, Australia.
You can pay your Membership renewal fees at the meeting or send it in with the coupon from your Newsletter.
There will be two presentations on the night. One on Peter Rushforth and the other about overseas potteries visited by one of our members.
Here is a little taste:

Belleek Pottery Museum, Ireland.