Kia ora koutou
All is well here in the Studio this week. The term 3 classes are finishing up and we’re heading into the term break, with a couple of workshops on offer, plus the school holiday programme kicking into gear from the 1st October. Read about that and all the other news below 😊
Volunteers for Exhibition Pack Down, Monday 23rd September
Our lovely exhibition closes on the 22nd of September, and Yasmin will be packing all the unsold goodies up and bringing them back to the studio on Monday the 23rd. If you have a couple of hours to spare on the Monday from 10.30am onwards, we would be ever so grateful if you could please lend a hand to help Yasmin with this job. If you can, please get in touch with Josephine at manager@waikatopotters.co.nz or phone 07 838 1950. Thanks xx
Meet the Crew Mondays... on a Friday
We’re finally getting back to introducing our Crew, and this week, we’re meeting Sarah Steed, one of our amazing Wheel Throwing Tutors.
Sarah started potting in her mid-twenties in the UK when she began studying a BTEC Diploma in Ceramics. She was lucky to have a fab teacher, Nick Sampson, who quickly passed his love of clay onto his students leaving her with a life-long passion for ceramics.
Sarah finds clay has a healing quality, and is drawn to its ability to calm, often finding throwing on the wheel to be very meditative: “It is tactile and can trace even the finest lines of your hands… as a maker this touch element fascinates me and probably why I'm so invested in the handmade.”
Sarah loves teaching. She loves meeting all her students and creating a clay tribe, guiding and nurturing their personal journey with clay and making and being a constant force of support to them. She encourages making mistakes as a way to expand one's learning.
Her hope is that her students develop a love for clay and dive into WSP's fab facilities. “Clay people are good people, salt of the earth".
“I am a maker at heart ❤ Ceramics has taken me on a great journey, inspirations of Edmund de Waal, Lucie Rie, Gabriele Koch, Magdalene Odundo, Walter Keeler, too many to name! Figurative sculpture, raku, smoke firing and surface pattern, hand-building, years of kiln searching! great people and friendships, wheel throwing, form and shape, glaze recipies and most importantly that life-long love of learning. So much more to learn and make!
Outside of potting I am also a jewellery maker, mumma to three gorgeous boys, dreamer of an abundant food garden and ocean lover.”
Check out the pics of Sarah's pottery and jewellery work, and say hi when you see her at WSP :)
Kids’ School Holiday Pottery Programme
The school holidays are drawing closer and we have a bunch of cool kids’ workshops to entertain your 7-14 year olds. Check them out below.
Full Day School Holiday Pottery Programmes
1st October OR 8th of October
9am – 3pm
In these kids' day-programmes, your child/ren will get to make four different pottery pieces using a variety of techniques, including:
Slab Animal Pencil Cup - using the slab method and adding features to create an animal-styled pencil cup.
Press Mould Bowls - use hand-moulded or cookie cutter shapes to create a textured bowl.
Wheel Adventures - have a fun, messy time spinning clay on the pottery wheel.
Paint a Pot - choose a pre-made pot to paint with underglazes.
We will have four experienced potters facilitating the activities and guiding your child/ren through the creative process.
Find more info and enrol for these here:
Tuesday 1st October session
Tuesday 8th October session
2-hour Pinch Pot Animals
3rd October OR 10th October
10am – 12noon
In this session your child/ren will use the pinch pot technique to make an animal or creature of their choosing. We will then glaze and fire the piece for them, and they will be able to collect their piece 2 weeks later.
We will have two experienced potters facilitating the session and guiding your child/ren through the creative process.
Find more information and enrol for these here:
Thursday 3rd October session
Thursday 10th October session
2-hour Adventures on the Wheel
3rd October OR 10th October
1pm – 3pm
Your child/ren will get to have a go at making a pot on the pottery wheel. We will then glaze and fire the piece for them, and they will be able to collect their piece 2 weeks later. We will have two experienced potters facilitating the session and guiding your child/ren through the creative process.
Find more information and enrol for these here:
Thursday 3rd October session
Thursday 10th October session
Health & Safety Reminders
As we start heading into the warmer months, please remember that closed toe shoes are required in the Studio. There’s lots of hazards, and we want to keep your tootsies safe!
Also, we understand the hot wax has been spitting a bit lately, so remember there are safety glasses provided for the protection of your eyeballs – highly recommended 😉
Opportunities for Artists at the Waitakaruru Sculpture Park and Arboretum
Sell your work in the shop
We are on the lookout for ceramic artists who want to sell their work in the shop. Flowers and nature inspired sculptures like birds for example sell well. A range of cups and trinket dishes would be awesome too. You are invited to contact Suzie info@sculpturepark.co.nz with a couple of photos of your work if you are interested.
Exhibit your work in the new Gallery
We have set up a new gallery space by the Cafe where artists can exhibit outdoor sculpture. There are 9 plinths available plus an opportunity to install work on the ground and in the surrounding trees. Find more information.
Creative workshops
Check out the range of events and workshops out there too – they have some awesome offerings coming up!
Studio Schedule
Most classes are finishing up this week, so we’ve got a fair few Open Studio sessions for you next week. Here’s how the schedule is looking so far, but as always, be sure to check the online calendar in case anything changes.
Saturday 14th of September
CLOSED for the Amazing Abstract Artifacts workshop with Sylvia Sinel
Sunday 15th of September
10am – 1pm, Class – Wheel Throwing Taster
Monday 16th of September
9.30am– 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Tuesday 17th of September
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – Thank you Margaret!
Wednesday 18th of September
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Larissa, Mark and Yasmin!
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Thursday 19th of September
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Friday 20th of September
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for Diploma
6pm – 9pm, Class – Wheel throwing Taster
Saturday 21st of September
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Teresa and team!
Sunday 22nd of September
10am – 1pm, Class – Wheel Throwing Taster
