Hi folks
We’re right into the term four classes this week, and all the school holiday programme work has gone through the kilns, even with Kiln 5 being down for a week! It’s fixed now – yahoo!!!! – and you can read more about that and all the other news below.
Kiln 5 update
We’ve got Kiln 5 back up and running again, which is great news for those wanting to book kilns before the end of year deadlines. And a huge relief to us as we head into the busiest time of the WSP year for firing. We needed to buy a new controller, which we’ve done, and had installed, and run a test firing – all within a week! We’re pleased to say that we’ve caught up on the firing backlog too, so it’s all go for those wanting to book kilns again. Thanks for your patience while we got this glitch sorted.
Much thanks to Caroline Hamilton who picked up the new controller for us from Auckland, and to our electrician Paul Mann, who fit the installation job in so quickly to get us back up and running. And as always, to Margaret who worked her special brand of magic and got all the backlog through the kilns so quickly. Hurruh!
Kids Play with Clay
Following on from our very successful School Holiday Programmes, we’re excited to be offering new Kids Play with Clay sessions during the WSP teaching terms, on Wednesday afternoons from 4pm-5.30pm.
These will run in a similar way to our normal Play with Clay sessions, except they will be for kids, of course, and there will be a tutor on hand to help guide kids through a small project each week.
They’re a casual, drop-in deal, so there’s no need to book or sign up to classes. We know that kids and parents’ get pretty busy during the school term, and that can be a barrier to enrolling for children’s pottery classes with a 4 or 6 week commitment.
Here’s the details you need– pop in with your kids for some clay creativity:
Wednesday afternoons
4pm – 5.30pm
$15 per child, which includes 500g clay, firing and glazing
Aimed at children 7-14 years, but kids as young as 5 can attend if their parent stays with them, and kids older than 14 are welcome to join if they think it would be their jam
Starting on Wednesday 16th October
Last session for the term will be on Wednesday 4th of December
Tutor on hand to guide kids through a project each week
Casual, drop-in sessions, no need to book
Meet the Crew Mondays… on a Friday
This week we’re meeting a newish recruit to the WSP committee Lydia Farrell.
On holiday in Nelson with her sister, Lydia visited a studio where everyone was making animal sculptures. She wanted to make some ceramic cats and found WSP online when she got home.
Lydia started at Play With Clay on Saturday mornings two years ago and has been a regular attendee and volunteer ever since. She quickly realised she needed more knowledge so did several courses: Hand-building with Larissa, Intro to Pottery with David, and Wheel Throwing with Nicolette. “The classes were great and practising each Saturday was important for making the most of them”.
Still relatively new to pottery Lydia is trying out making different things such as animal and abstract sculptures as well as vessels for daily use. Lydia enjoys hand building either an entire piece or adding onto something she’s thrown. She enjoys the concentration required and the combination of creativity and practicality. She’s most pleased with her slab-built plant pots and has gifted most to friends and family.
At the moment she’s accumulating bisqueware for her first wood firing next month. She’s making pieces with different textures and has bought some cone 10 brush-on glazes to try out.
Lydia’s favourite things about WSP are the facilities and the people, especially the volunteers, staff, and resident artists. “We are very fortunate to have this space with this affordability”.
Outside of pottery Lydia works in science and likes to move (either at the gym or out walking) and spend time with her husband. A typical evening will find her curled up with a book and their two cats.
Reminders
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!
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.
“The Do” – Driving Creek Pottery Anniversary
No doubt you’ve heard about “The Do” that Driving Creek Pottery are throwing for their 50th Anniversary. It’s coming up quickly, running from the 1st to the 3rd of November, and sounds like a Whole Lotta Fun™. Here’s some details if you’d like to join their crew to celebrate Barry Brickell’s achievements and the whole concept of that magical place.
Clay Festival Waikato 2025
Here's another event run by a bunch of passionate potters that might tickle your fancy!
3 days, 7th – 9th February 2025
9:30am – 4pm each day
Presenting, three days of clay indulgence in the style of a “summer school”, the Clay Festival Waikato 2025 promises to offer a variety of ceramic demonstrations and workshops to choose from, an onsite exhibition and daily lunch time markets.
Presenters include:
Bill Powell – throwing techniques using a flame torch
Brendon Adams – Printing on clay
Duncan Shearer – Slow wheel throwing
Karen Kennedy – Whistles & Ocarinas
Sarah Lee – Mini monsters
Yasmin Davis – Ceramic watercolours on porcelain tiles
David Kenny and Jenni Taris – Naked raku firing
Paul Pepworth – Glazes and double-dipping
Studio Schedule
Here's how the studio is looking next week, but be sure to check the online calendar before you come just in case anything changes.
Saturday 19th of October
CLOSED for Glaze Technology Workshop
Sunday 20th of October
10am – 1pm, Class – Wheel Throwing Taster
Monday 21st of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class, Wheel Throwing
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class, Handbuilding
Tuesday 22nd of October
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – thanks Margaret, Trudie and John!
Wednesday 23rd of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Larissa, Mark and Yasmin!
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
4 – 5.30pm, Kids’ Play with Clay
6pm – 9pm, Class, Wheel Throwing
Thursday 24th of October
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class, Sculpture Skills
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 7pm, Class, Wheel Throwing
Friday 25th of October
9.30am – 4pm, CLOSED for Diploma
6pm – 9pm, Class, Intro to Pottery
Saturday 26th of October
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – Thanks Teresa and Lydia for opening up over the long weekend! xx
Sunday 27th of October
CLOSED for Labour Weekend
