Kia ora friends,
The first wood firing for the year is well underway, with loading happening tomorrow and firing on Sunday. Term 1 classes are finishing up, Pick of the Month for March has been chosen, and we’re getting Open Day and the next Phoenix firing organised! So it’s busy as ever here in this fab little studio, thanks for being a part of all that makes it so special :)
Open Day
Last call for volunteers to help out with Open Day. We’d love it if you could come along and support us to show our wider community how cool our club is! We’re hoping to get a few more people to help out by:
Baking some scrummy goods the bake sale
Providing some treats for the raffle basket
Lending us a few hours to run the fun activities on the day
Sign up here, or on the sheet at the front desk, or get in touch with Libby or Josephine. Thank you! xx
Margaret’s Pick of the Month
This gorgeous piece caught Margaret’s eye in March! Congrats, Cath Knapton, we believe this is yours – chat to Libby to collect your firing credit prize next time you’re in the studio.
Memberships
Our 2024-25 membership is underway now, so remember to sign-up online or in person to continue accessing the Members’ Open Studio sessions and get all these benefits:
Access to the dedicated Members’ Open Studio Sessions. Typically there are an additional 5-9 Open Studio sessions per week.
Discounted Play with Clay Session.
Further Discounts for Open Studio and PWC sessions when purchasing a Concession Card.
Utilising our firing service for pieces made outside of classes and PWC.
Discounted class and workshop enrolments.
Entry into the Annual WSP Exhibition at Arts Post.
Membership events such as the Mighty Waikato Pottery Throw Down and the Matariki/Mid-Winter Feast.
Next Phoenix Wood Firing
Even while the first firing is still underway, we already have the next Phoenix Wood Kiln firing organised for June! Duncan Shearer will be the Firemaster for this event, and he has a wealth of experience and knowledge not just in wood firing, but all areas of pottery, and he shares this freely and enthusiastically. Places are limited to 10, so sign up quickly to join Duncan and your fellow potters for this event.
Wood firing is of course a bit of an undertaking, so remember you’ll ideally be available for all these dates:
The wood will need to be collected, prep'd and stacked a month earlier (mid May) to ensure it is dry on the day.
Saturday 8 June: Prep day: organize wood, prep shelves and kiln
Saturday 15 June: packing kiln
Sunday 16 June: firing kiln
Saturday 22 June: unloading kiln
Raku Club
Remember the next Raku Club firing is coming up too!
David Kenny will be firing up the raku kiln during Play with Clay on Tuesday the 16th of April, 6pm – 9pm. It’s open to all, both members an non-members, so if you haven't been part of a raku firing before, feel free to join in. They are fun, dramatic, and yield unpredictable but breathtaking results! Sign-up online, and chat to Libby to find the special raku glazes you’ll need to use on your bisqued pots.
Kiln Explosions
Unfortunately we’ve had a few explosions in the bisque firings lately. This is caused by any moisture content in the clay turning to steam when the kiln temp hits 100 degrees, and then expanding within your pot walls, which causes the explosion. You can avoid disappointment and potentially damaging the kilns and other people's pieces by making sure your pots are fully dry before placing them on the bisque shelves for firing. Remember thicker pots take a lot longer to dry too.
Studio Schedule
Lots of open studio sessions this week, be sure to check the online calendar for any changes.
Friday 5th of April
CLOSED for Diploma
Saturday 6th of April
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay - thanks Teresa and Tim!
All Day – Wood Kiln loading
Sunday 7th April
10am – 1pm, Throwing Taster class
All Day – Wood Kiln firing
Monday 8th of April
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Tuesday 9th of April
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – Thank you Margaret and Patsy!
Wednesday 10th of April
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Hand Building mini-term class
Thursday 11th of April
9.30am –4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Friday 12th of April
9.30am – 12.30pm, Members’ Open Studio
12.30pm – 4pm, OPEN DAY WORKING BEE
Saturday 13th of April
OPEN DAY! No capacity for studio use, but come along with the family and enjoy the fun, or even volunteer to help us showcase our club to the public!
Sunday 14th of April
Closed
