New kilns, End of year deadlines, Collection of exhibition pieces, Additional wheel throwing class

This week we’re meeting Sarah Lee – another of our crucial Committee members. Sarah joined WSP in 2017 in an attempt to get back into some sort of creative practice after having her children. She was introduced to clay as an art student a decade or so earlier but at that stage was focused on making jewellery.

Sarah signed up for a beginner class at WSP to train herself to take time for herself again, expecting it would lead her back to jewellery. But those plans were scuttled when the lure of clay took over. “I find working with clay a really great lesson in learning to let go and trust in the process.”

Sarah likes making weird little creatures. She’s a hand-builder and finds it quite relaxing to make very fiddly pieces that are covered in loads of little bits like spikes or tentacles. Moving them is a different matter: “the relaxation is replaced with a lot of swearing.”
The thing she likes most about WSP is the people. She’s made some really great friends through WSP and has found potters to be “the loveliest, most generous and supportive bunch of people.”

The year after joining WSP, Sarah was “sweet-talked” into becoming a Committee Member and our Treasurer, a position she’s held since 2018. As the treasurer she prepares the accounts for the committee meetings each month as well as liaising with the accountant to get the annual accounts review for the AGM. She reconciles all the transactions through Xero and makes sure the bills and wages are paid. Basically, keeping tabs on the finances and making sure that side of the WSP keeps running smoothly. Without Sarah’s valuable volunteer contribution, we wouldn’t be able to keep running as a Society!

Sarah lives in Te Aroha and works at the library there. She’s been teaching pottery at a local school for the last 18 months which she says has been great fun. She would love to spend more time at WSP but living out of town, juggling a couple of jobs and raising a pair of 13-year-old boys keeps her pretty busy. It’s no wonder then that her visits to the studio are few and fleeting. When you do see Sarah around, give her a shout out (and a big thanks for keeping us ticking over!)