September 2023 Newsletter
Club Notes/Updates
Click the “+” sign next to each update below to get the full details on each update below!
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This is our first year using HelloClub to roll over Associate and Full memberships.
You should receive an email two weeks before the end of September confirming that your membership is due to renew. If you no longer wish to continue with us, you can click the link to end your membership. Otherwise, you will receive an auto-invoice for the full year’s fee (payable via HelloClub or based on the information on the attached invoice).
No doubt there will be some hiccups along the way so please bear with us. Any issues or you want to change from one membership type to another, please contact wellingtonpotters.membership@gmail.com. Please be aware though that we don’t offer part-year memberships.
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After its catastrophic failure a few weeks ago, the Woodrow kiln is being repaired this month. This is great news as firing slots have been in ‘hot’ demand. Having Woodrow back in rotation for bisque and Cone 6 firings will provide more options for keeping on top of our regular club firings leading up to Ceramicus and the pre-Christmas rush.
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Thanks to everyone that joined us for our Working Bee recently. Lots of new members came along to help out, which is always gratifying. We see you!
If you couldn’t make it to this or other volunteer events, make sure you add a +1 to your next visit to the studio - wipe a surface, top up a supply, straighten some equipment. Together, we make a difference.
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Thank you for your suggestions over the last couple of months, here is a report back:
Raku workshops - we are hoping to start a Raku Club after Labour weekend using the volunteers that participated in raku firings last year as our team leaders. Naked raku will be considered next year but we need to get the basics right first. We will provide more information about how to participate prior to Labour weekend.
Pit firing workshop - we are in talks with Chris Dunn to run a pit firing workshop in spring.
Indoor washing line for slab roller cloths - we encourage members to bring their own slab roller cloths but if using the club ones, please take them home to wash and dry or use the washing line in the top carpark, especially with spring on its way.
New extruder - a new, larger extruder has been ordered from the US (this will take a few months to arrive). We have also been donated a second extruder which will be installed in the coming weeks.
Outdoor sensor lighting at the back and side doors - complete!
Anagama is underway!
By the time this newsletter is published, we’ll be halfway through loading the anagama kiln in Horokiwi and then the real fun starts.
Some photos from receiving day.
Receiving Day was very busy with lots of interest this year. In fact, we had 103 people submitting pots (up from 70 last year) with a total of ~400 pots or 360 kg (up from 296 pots and 243 kg last year). With such an increase in interest, the anagama team will do the best to get everyone’s top priority pot into the kiln but as always (and even more so this year), there are no guarantees that all of the pots will be fired. Thanks to the volunteers that gave up their Sunday to make the process super smooth.
The fire will be lit at 9am on Wednesday, 6 September with a toast to the kiln gods for another great firing. We won’t know the results until the following Sunday but this year we are offering a Show and Tell evening, open to all WPA members at 6pm, Friday 22 September. This is a chance to bring along your freshly fired pots to show them off - or ask what went wrong! Everyone is welcome including those that may want to participate in future years. Come and see what magic the kiln has delivered. BYO drinks and nibbles.
As always, please SIGN UP in HelloClub so we know how many people to expect.
Note: this event will replace the Friday Support Evening.
Some photos from receiving day unpacking, and the beginning of the kiln loading.
Potter in Residence
This month we farewelled Chris Dunn and welcomed Marama Mayrick.
Chris Dunn: June to August
A farewell note from Chris:
I'd like to thank the WPA committee for the opportunity to be a resident potter recently. Very helpful to me as my studio at home has been turned into a bedroom and our house is for sale!
I enjoyed catching up with old friends and new, especially on Tuesday club mornings with some delicious home baking as well as talking about clay. I hope I have been helpful. A highlight for me has been teaching beginners to throw and doing a workshop on making plaster molds and slip casting. Heather, the club's new manager, made a brilliant slip-cast banana. I am looking forward to seeing the results of firing my work in the Anagama kiln
My one wish is that the residency had been longer, 4 months instead of 3, as the time went by so quickly.
Nga mihi
Chris
As part of Chris’ residency he taught a series of 3 workshops on mold making and slip casting. Students learnt how to make 1 and 2 part molds, how to mix plaster and casting slip, and how to use the molds. Fruit was a popular choice with one participant making a banana and another making a lemon!
Marama Mayrick: August to November
Marama will be with us through to the end of November. She will be focussing on throwing while she is here. She will be teaching a beginners throwing course and a bunch of 3 hour throwing workshops. These have proven to be super popular and we will look at adding more.
Future residency opportunities
We are pleased to announce that we will continue to offer potter in residence positions in summer and autumn.
For more information and online application please click below.
Did you know…?
You can access HelloClub from an app on your phone!
To have instant access to each day’s events, you can add HelloClub as an app - just NOT from your App store. Instead, simply login to HelloClub at members.wellingtonpotters.org.nz on your phone or tablet:
Click on your profile avatar in the top right corner of the screen
In the menu that shows up, look for the Add HelloClub to home screen button.
Once you click this, your device will ask you to confirm that you want to add HelloClub to your home screen. Just follow the prompts and you should see the HelloClub icon appear on your device shortly.
This doesn’t always work for iPhone users though. Instead, open HelloClub in Safari (you must use Safari) and then click the Share symbol. Scroll down to find ‘Add to Home Screen’ to add the HelloClub icon to your device..
If this still doesn't work, please have a look at the Hello Club help page.
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) from the Club Admin
Heather is out-of-office until 25 September, but checking emails while she’s away! Email her with questions but be aware there may be a slight delay in response.
Cubbies - there are no cubbies (of any size) available. If you would like to join the waitlist, enter your details here on our self-service cubby waitlist and the Cubby Coordinator will be in touch when one comes up. For future reference, the link to this form can also be found in the FAQ in HelloClub.
Upcoming WPA Events
Making, Decorating and Glazing Tagines w Vivian R
FOUR SESSION SERIES: 27 September, 4, 11, 25 October, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Excited to explore innovative shapes on the wheel? Do you want to make something you could use in the kitchen? Are you curious to try new surface decoration techniques? Vivian Rodriguez's "Making, Decorating, and Glazing Tagines" class ticks all these boxes. Gain valuable knowledge while making attractive cookware to take home and use once completed.
Throwing lidded vessels with Marama Mayrick
Saturday 30 September 2023, 10:00 – 13:00
In this 3 hour workshop Marama, our potter-in-residence, will take you through the process of throwing lidded vessels.
The course is for intermediate skill level. You must be able to throw to certain dimensions.
BYO clay.
Trimming workshop with Marama Mayrick
Saturday 14 October 2023, 10:00 – 12:00
In this 2 hour workshop Marama, our potter-in-residence, will take you through the process of trimming.
The course is perfect for all those looking to build confidence and develop trimming skills.
Please bring 3 leather hard pieces with flat rims with you to trim in the workshop.
Spray Gun 101 with Richard Stratton
Ever wondered how potters achieve even, consistent glazing? It isn't a secret—the spray booth is your answer, and this class is the first step!
Gain proficiency in the WPA spray booth through this one-night workshop taught by Richard Stratton. You'll learn how to prep your bisqueware and glazes for spraying, the operation and utilization of the booth, and the cleaning and upkeep of the spray gun equipment.
We have 2 sessions, click to register:
Have some content for the newsletter? Email it to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com. The deadline for the next newsletter is 29 September.