Happy sunny-Friday, Potters
The first week of our school holiday programmes has gone swimmingly, and once again we have been blown away by the creativity and imaginations of the kids who attended. There’s two more days to come next week and lots of masterworks to get through the kilns!
The week after that, our Term 4 adults classes start and we have a few spaces left in some of those – check them out below.
Term 4 Classes
Abstract Sculpture
Mondays, 1pm – 4pm, 8 weeks
Sylvia uses an array of construction techniques to create her abstract forms, sometimes incorporating slab, coiling, pinching and wheel thrown aspects into one piece. She sometimes explores multi-media to decorate her works and dabbles outside the world of traditional glazing, using paints and other materials to achieve her desired surface finish. If you're looking to learn something completely new, you will benefit from Sylvia's non-traditional and interdisciplinary approach to pottery. Find more info here.
Figurative Sculpture Skills
Thursdays, 9.30am – 12.30pm, 8 weeks
In this class you can choose to make an animal or a human portrait sculpture, in either a realistic or stylised fashion. Emily Eales will teach you the building techniques, how to form the body shape, proportions and positioning of features, hollowing and more. Glazing techniques are included too. Find more info here.
Introduction to Pottery
Fridays, 6pm – 9pm, 4 weeks
An introduction to making hand-built pottery, wheel-thrown pottery, glazing and firing in our raku kiln. Join, David Kenny for a 4-week course in the basics of making pottery. A great foundation in a variety of construction techniques, with an exciting firing event at the end! Find more info here.
Wheel Throwing Taster
Sundays, 10am – 1pm, 4 weeks
The Throwing Taster Sessions are tutored by Sarah Steed, in a 4-week course that will work on your throwing and trimming skills and teach you how to glaze your pieces. This will set you up for one of our longer courses next term, or to try self-directed throwing projects at our Play with Clay sessions. Find more info here.
Last Phoenix Wood Firing for 2024
Saturday 2 November: Prep day: organize wood, prep shelves and kiln
Saturday 9 November: packing kiln
Sunday 10 November: firing kiln
Saturday 16 November: unloading kiln
Our last firing for the year will be lead by the fabulous Suzy Dunser! Suzy has a vast amount of experience in wood firing, and our Phoenix firings are very much a team-effort, hands-on affair, so you’ll learn a lot from taking part in this firing with Suzy.
Spaces, as always, are limited to 12 participants, so get in quick to secure your place.
Please note that the wood will need to be collected, prepped and stacked a month earlier (early October) to ensure it is dry on the day. The firing coordinator will be in touch with participants to organise a date for this.
Reminders
Glaze Technology Workshop – only 2 places left
Saturday 19th October, 9am – 4pm
Understand glaze materials, make a test trial series, analyse results and understand how to adjust recipes to fix issues. Find more info here.
End of Year deadlines
These are our closing, firing and kiln booking deadlines for the end of the year, please keep these in mind as you plan your making.
17 November – Last day for private kiln bookings
2 December – Last day for pre-holiday bisque firing drop offs
You will still be welcome to leave work for bisque firing after this date, and we will do our level best to process it, but we can’t guarantee that it will make it through before we close for the holidays.
9 December – Last day for pre-holiday glaze firing drop offs
As above, you are still welcome to leave work for glaze firing after this date but we can’t guarantee that it will make it through before we close for the holidays.
10 December – last Tuesday evening Play with Clay
17 December, 5.30pm – Christmas Party!
19 December – Last open studio for the year
20 December – End of year Working Bee and closing day
The studio won’t be in a state for any potting to take place, but you are still able to pop in and pick up your pieces. In fact, this will be your last chance to do so before we re-open on the 13th of January.
Exhibition pieces ready for collection
Any exhibition pieces that weren’t sold can now be collected from the clubrooms – you’ll find them in the kitchen under the sign-in desk, and in Josephine’s office.
Raku Firing
David Kenny is firing up the Raku kiln again on Saturday the 12th of October. Find more info and sign up here.
From Craft to Chaos
Alex Wilkinson of Mystery Creek Ceramics invites you to this interactive making experience on Monday 14th October:
“I would love for you to join us for an evening of creativity and fun outside the Mystery Creek Ceramics store at MADE.
“Earlier this year, I was honoured to be selected for the Object Maker Aotearoa Fellowship alongside nine other talented 3D artists. This fellowship has reignited my passion for creating art, and as we prepare for our group show at Depot Artspace in November, I need your help.
“Come and participate in an interactive making experience on Monday, October 14th at 6pm. After all the fun we invite you to head up stairs with us and enjoy the delicacies MADE has to offer.”
Studio Schedule
Here’s how it’s looking so far, but as always, be sure to check the online calendar in case anything changes.
Saturday 5th of October
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Teresa and friends!
2pm – 4pm, Closed for a Private Booking
Sunday 6th of October
Closed
Monday 7th of October
9.30am– 2pm, Members’ Open Studio
2pm – 4pm, CLOSED for Private Booking
Tuesday 8th of October
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for School Holiday Programme
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – Thank you Margaret!
Wednesday 9th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Larissa, Mark and Yasmin!
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Into the Wild Workshop, part 2
Thursday 10th of October
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for School Holiday Programme
Friday 11th of October
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for Diploma
Saturday 12th of October
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Teresa and team!
10am – 1pm, Raku firing
1pm – 4pm, CLOSED for Private Booking
Sunday 13th of October
Closed
