Kia ora e te whānau
It’s been a busy, busy week here at WSP, with the school holiday programmes finishing up on Tuesday and Thursday, and preparing for our term 4 classes starting next week. Additionally, we’ve had to do a bit of problem solving in the kiln room – read about that and our other news below…
Kiln 5 Down
Sadly we had another kiln go down on Tuesday, due to the controller on kiln 5 erroring out. Quite fortunately, we were not in the middle of a firing, so thankfully no pots or kilns were harmed! However, it does mean that we are down to 2 electric kilns until we can get things fixed – hopefully early next week! Because of that we won’t be able to take any private bookings until the controller is replaced and we have cleared the backlog of pots that we have at the moment. We may also be taking a bit longer than you’re used to, to get all your beautiful pieces fired.
Apologies if this affects you, we know it’s not ideal at this time of the year, and we are working hard to get things back up and running smoothly again.
Members’ Christmas Market
Register your interest for the WSP Christmas Market!
Saturday 7th December
10am to 2pm
We’d like to provide an opportunity for our fab members to sell their pottery and other artworks at a WSP Christmas Market. If you’re keen for us to run this event, we’d love for you to let us know. If we have enough interest, we’ll go ahead and organise and advertise the event.
Spaces will be reserved in the carpark, next to the WSP studios, to catch foot traffic from Play with Clay, Men's Shed, Art Makers and Arts for Health. Bring your own table and tent/gazebo or sell from your car boot.
The market will be well advertised through WSP social media channels, Facebook events, newsletters and several local What's On pages.
You would need to have the capacity to process your own cash sales, and a small registration fee of $10 will apply to reserve your stall space.
Let us know if you're interested, and we'll do the rest!
Meet the Crew Mondays… on a Friday
We’ve got two awesome crew members to introduce this week…
First up is Suzy Dunser. Suzy is one of our Committee Members and our Society Secretary, yet another of our fabulous volunteers who keep this place running.
Suzy’s very first experience potting was at a summer camp, Buck's Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp, in Connecticut, USA. At camp she had first tried glassblowing “because it looked so cool”. But she found she preferred clay because you could touch it with your hands.
She came to NZ in 1995 and joined first the Titirangi Potters and then the Auckland Studio Potters, which set her on her path. In New Zealand it was as much the people as the pots that drew her in. She says “potters are the best people”.
Suzy mostly makes domestic-ware and likes mugs, jugs and teapots the best, then bowls and bottles. Her favourite things to make are teapots because she likes the challenge of design, and problem solving how the pieces will go together.
At the moment she’s trying to develop a new conceptual idea which she says “remains frustratingly vague”, and in the meantime she’s just trying to find time to make the usual things.
Suzy joined WSP in 2021 when she knew she was moving to Paeroa from Auckland. She put her hand up for secretary duties at the AGM last year and has served the club well since then.
Though she’s unable to be at the studios as much as she’d like because of the distance, her favourite thing about WSP is the people: “everyone is friendly and generous with their knowledge”. Suzy’s glad to be getting involved with the wood-firing. After a programme of fire-master training Suzy will be leading a Phoenix firing for the first time in November. You can check that out on our class bookings page.
Outside of pottery Suzy teaches maths at Paeroa College. She likes baking and is a slave to her two cats. And once a fortnight you’ll find her with her quiz team at the L&P Café in Paeroa.
If you’re lucky enough to see Suzy about give her a smile and a wave of appreciation to thank her for all that she does.
Next we’re introducing another stellar committee member, Bronwyn Wright.
Bronwyn started potting about 10 years ago when she came to an Open Day at WSP. She signed up for one of Diane Parker’s workshops in basic hand building and was hooked. She had always wanted to do pottery growing up but with a busy life and children it didn’t fit in.
Bronwyn enjoys seeing what things she can create. “It’s an outlet to have my own time and my own space, and be able to experiment. You go in with an idea but it ends up being something totally different. The clay decides what it wants to be”.
Her favourite things to make are vases and bowls. “I enjoy making both but I do like my vases.” Bronwyn hand builds the vases and sometime throws smaller bowls. “With my hands the way they are (she has arthritis) throwing larger pieces is just too hard”.
Working long days as a theatre nurse there’s seldom much left of the day to do pottery. She’s currently trying to get some stuff made for the wood firing in November.
Since that first Open Day she’s been a regular helper at WSP events and came onto the committee a few years ago. Her father was a role model for her: “My Dad was always on a committee of some description. As my kids grew up I was always on the school committee and things like that. It’s what you do rather than leaving it to others all the time.”
Bronwyn is the Wood Firings Coordinator. She organizes and helps with collecting, cutting to size and stacking the wood, makes sure all the equipment and materials are ready, ensuring everything runs smoothly. No small task!
Bronwyn’s favourite thing about WSP is the community, the people she gets to meet, and the encouragement and support she’s received. “When you look at a piece you’ve made and you think it’s yuck, someone else will say they think it’s really cool and you get a different perspective.”
She loves going to exhibitions to support local and national artists. Recently she went to Art in the Park in Auckland. “It was amazing.” Her other passions are her garden, her family, children and grandchildren.
Next time you see Bron around the studio give her a big smile and a wave and let her know you appreciate what she does.
Reminders
We still have spaces available in a few Term 4 classes:
Thursday morning Sculpture Skills - more info.
Friday evening Intro to Pottery - more info.
Sunday morning Wheel Throwing Taster - more info.
Last Phoenix wood firing for 2024:
The last one for the year is on 9th and 10th November – sign up 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.
Studio Schedule
Classes start up again next week, so be sure to check the online calendar before you come in for Open Studio sessions.
Saturday 12th of October
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Teresa and team!
10am – 1pm, Raku firing
2pm – 4pm, CLOSED for Private Booking
Sunday 13th of October
Closed
Monday 14th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class – Wheel Throwing
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
Tuesday 15th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Members’ Open Studio
1pm – 2.30pm, CLOSED for a Private Booking
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – thanks Margaret and Alicia!
Wednesday 16th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Larissa and Mark!
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
4 – 5.30pm, Kids’ Play with Clay
6pm – 9pm, Class, Wheel Throwing
Thursday 17th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class, Sculpture Skills
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 7pm, Class, Wheel Throwing
Friday 18th of October
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for Diploma
6pm – 9pm, Class, Intro to Pottery
Saturday 19th of October
CLOSED for Glaze Technology Workshop
Sunday 20th of October
10am – 1pm, Class, Wheel Throwing Taster
