June Meeting

Looking forward to more tips on glazes from John Sadleir?  Have you a piece glazed in a way you would like to replicate?  Have a good glaze recipe to share?

Come along Wednesday night, 1st June 2011, 7:30pm upstairs at the Cronulla School of Arts, entry off Surf Lane Cronulla. 

Should be fun :^)

Great Demonstration by Donna Davis

Members at the May meeting enjoyed Donna's friendly style and were inspired by this wonderful slab work. (those attending took home a template and ideas for another form which used a block of wood and a roll of foam!)

This interesting shape takes a little patience

When fired, the vessels look like this

 We got to see some home made tools for beveling edges and scratching up:

and images of her other work including this bowl with a wonderful gold glaze inside,

and these Sushi plates

For more of Donna's work check out the following link to the Ramona Open Studios Tour which Donna takes part in each year:
http://www.ramonaart.com/

Blue Room and Sale at Gymea TAFE this Saturday

If you can, call by and check out the student exhibition and sale on Saturday 7th May 2011
10am to 4pm at Gymea TAFE College, corner of The Kingsway and Hotham Road.
There is some wonderful young talent making some wonderful pots.

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.