Newsletter Spring 2012
In this issue: Ostinelli & Priest Christmas at All Saints’ Lavenham & Newmarket Anglian Potters Website Exhibition Publicity Step-by-Step Guide
www.anglianpotters.org.uk
Chairman’s Report All Saints’ Christmas Exhibition Our Christmas Open Exhibition lived up to the usual high standard. The setting up and taking down both went well, with many hard working volunteers. I am aware that in the bustle of clearing up, I didn’t thank many of you, and I apologize. Sales were good and only a little down on those of last year.
Exhibitions The Committee has resolved to raise the handling fee back to £15. This is needed to cover the increases in advertising and postage costs. We are also arranging for a street banner to be hung across Sidney Sussex Street in future. All members, even those not exhibiting, are invited and most welcome to help setting up or invigilating at any of our Exhibitions.
Anglian Potters 2012 We have a full programme arranged for 2012. Demonstration Days with Nigel Edmundson, Doug Fitch, Pam Schomberg, Elizabeth Smith, and Aylesford Potters, together with Wally Keeler and John Pollex lined up for 2013! There are Selected Members Exhibitions at CCA Cambridge in Spring, and at the
Editor’s Notes
Cover: Hare by Ostinelli & Priest. Photo: Ostinelli & Priest
This Newsletter has been expanded to 24 pages, to allow space for a new feature: a Step-by-Step Guide to throwing large pots in porcelain, from Margaret Gardiner. Designed to be a pull-out-andkeep center section, I hope that this will be the first of a series of useful step-bystep guides, and I would welcome similar series of photographs of particular techniques from any members who would like to send them to me. Otherwise the Newsletter is the usual mix of reports from past demonstrations and shows and news of some of the full programme of events planned for 2012 – I hope you enjoy a good read! We invite you to start using the new Anglian Potters website, which we hope will become your first port of call for the latest news of association events. Enclosed with this issue is information about Potters’ Camp and your application form – Potters’ Camp is always over-subscribed, so act fast to be sure of getting a place! Carolyn
Reunion Gallery, Felixstowe in Autumn. Our Summer Open Exhibition will be at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and we will be at Ickworth House in October. Some members will be at Fireworks, Blackthorpe Barn, and at the Art and Design Show in Newmarket. The highlight of the year for many will be the annual Potters’ Camp in August. On your behalf, thanks go to the hardworking Committee officers for this full and varied programme. Victor
Stop Press
Nigel Edmondson demonstration on Sunday 5 February The meeting went ahead, despite the snowy weather. Nigel made his way over from Cumbria, and about 35 hardy Anglian Potters struggled to Mundford to enjoy his demonstration. We plan a detailed article in the next Newsletter to compensate all those who were unable to make it through the snow drifts. John Masterton has asked me to say that, because of the high cost of putting on these meetings, we can’t afford refunds. However, in these exceptional circumstances, the committee proposes to offer a discount for their next demonstration to members and guests who paid but couldn’t come. So if you couldn’t make it but paid in advance of the day, your next meeting will be £4 for members and £5 for guests.
Anglian Potters Newsletter Spring 2012 Contents
Page 2 Chairman’s Report|Editor’s Notes|Committee Page 3 Annual Selection Meeting|Letter to the Editor Page 4 Ostinelli & Priest at Mundford Page 7 Potters and Friends – Little Hall Lavenham Page 8 Exhibition Publicity Page 11 AP is Smokin’!! Introducing the new Anglian Potters Website Page 12 Step-by-Step: Throwing Larger Pots in Sections Page 14 What’s On Around the Country in 2012 Page 15 Newmarket Art, Craft & Design Show|Ceramic Helpline Page 16, 19 Christmas Exhibition at All Saint’s Church, Cambridge Page 17 Notes from a Novice Curator|Members’ Websites Page 18 All Saints’ – Reflections of a First Time Page 21 Book Reviews and New Publications Page 22 Events and Members Shows Page 23 Clay Stores Page 24 For Sale & Wanted|Diary|Membership Fees|Advertising Rates
Annual selection meeting Our annual selection meeting will take place on Saturday 21 April 2012. To apply, please contact Anja PengerOnyett (see details under committee members, inside front cover) as soon as possible. Anja will send you an application form and a letter pointing out your commitment to Anglian Potters as well as the benefits of becoming a Selected Member. Your application has to be send back to her by the 31 March 2012. Selections will be made in the following seven categories: Ceramic Sculpture; Architectural Ceramics; Domestic Production; Ceramic Jewellery; Semi-Industrial; Oneoff (wheel & hand built) Pottery; Others (not covered by the above). You will need six pieces of pottery. The selected ceramic pieces should represent the best of your work, they should stand well together and they should all be appropriate for the category you apply for. We need your Curriculum Vitae and any supporting material that you have. We also need two good photographs of your work and six digital images, which we will retain if your application is successful. They will be used for the website of
Anglian Potters, Selected Members page and for the Selected Members folders which are being presented at Selected Members exhibitions. Normally applicants for selected membership should have shown their work before in our open exhibitions or should have attended an informal feedback session (see below) before applying. The selection committee varies every year. It has no fewer than seven Selected Members, three of whom are members of the Anglian Potters committee. Informal feedback session If you are not sure whether to apply for selected member status yet or you seek an opportunity to get advice on how to improve your work you may like to consider an informal feedback session. We offer these for any member who would like their work reviewed by at least three selected members. The informal feedback sessions usually take place in conjunction with the Anglian Potters demonstration days and with prior arrangement. Please book for this session with Anja. The next demonstration day is 25 March 2012. If you want informal feedback about your work on that day please book with Anja before 19 March.
Michael Wickwar
Letter to the Editor Dear Members I have had an amazing response to my advertisement in the Winter Newsletter. We had over fifty phone calls, resulting in twenty-four different potters coming to Cromer to claim my ‘free’ materials and equipment. It has been a delight to meet so many enthusiastic members, new and old friends and to know that my studio pottery will benefit so many, and be used to make wonderful work in the future. After twenty-five years as a full-time potter, it is a strange feeling to part with stuff that took so long to accumulate, but as I am now painting full-time, playing in my jazz band and walking on the beach, there is not enough time for anything else. Keep on supporting the Association, it is good to know that it is healthy and thriving. Desmond Clover Former Chairman and Honorary Member
Heather Graham
Ostinelli and Priest at Mundford
Heather Graham
Heather Graham
internal supports, such as plastic drinking straws in the legs but, as Paul explained, he and Gaynor are never in the studio when the kiln is fired and if any of the chemicals released happen to shorten the life of the kiln elements, that is simply one of the costs to be borne in order to achieve the best result. Despite their size, an Ostinelli and Priest sculpture is surprisingly light. Built up in sheets of clay, every part is hollow, including the tail. Once fired and finished, fragile limbs are reinforced with the insertion of metal rods. Paul summed up his method thus: “I build a beast in bubble wrap, simply cover it with clay – and then give it some attitude!” Of course, there is much more to his work than this. He shares a respect for the clay I have observed in other figurative sculptors; there is an almost gleeful joy in texture and a delicate responsiveness to the changing nature of the material as it is worked. He acknowledged this: “You have to watch the clay – it will give you everything you want if you are open to its potential”. Paul starts by rolling textured fabric, such as corded cotton, directly into a block of clay. He then uses a serrated ‘shell’ wire to cut thin sheets which he then tears into a desired shape and lays them onto the armature. The pieces of clay are not forced together but only joined sufficiently for the sculpture to have structural integrity and cracks and seams are left in deliberately - almost like the visible workings out of a sum or an author’s marginal notes. Ostinelli and Priest work exclusively with Earthstone hand-building; “so forgiving,
Heather Graham
“Energy” is the first word which springs to mind to describe the work of Gaynor Ostinelli and Paul Priest, who came to demonstrate their techniques at Mundford in October. Every inch the showman, Paul treated us to a lively performance, diving straight in to the demonstration and dispensing with a slideshow or formal talk altogether, preferring to let us into his world by sharing anecdotes and little asides as he worked. As figurative sculptors, Ostinelli and Priest have an instinctive leaning towards the dramatic and theatrical, with rearing horses, leaping hares, and dancing human – vaguely Venetian – figures featuring largely in their repertoire. For Paul’s first piece, he chose to make a bull; with its head lifted as if it had just caught the scent of some hapless toreador in its nostrils. Most of Paul’s work is built over an armature consisting of a basic hardboard former wrapped in bubble wrap and slotted into an upright wooden post. When the finished sculpture is sufficiently leather hard, it is simply lifted off the upright, ready for firing. To the consternation of some in the audience, no attempt is made to remove the bubble wrap or any other
it’s not true, as we really do abuse it!” laughed Paul. As a medium grogged stoneware it is perfect for sculpting, being flexible enough to be handled and manipulated, while being sufficiently fine to take a good deal of detail. They only fire to earthenware temperature, however ( 1090 ºC), in order to keep the clay white and the underglaze colours bright. A piece may undergo as many as six firings in order to achieve the colour depth required, and sometimes gilding and lustre are added as a final flourish. Do not expect an Ostinelli and Priest sculpture to be an exact representation of an animal or human being. Instead, they have a wonderful ability to capture the essence of a creature, while the eye “fills in the blanks”, as Paul explained. He uses photographs for reference although he prefers not to rely on them, but draws upon his forty years’
experience of life-drawing and his own power of observation. He cited Ian Gregory and Mo Jupp as being major influences on his work and summed up his method as being like “a strange form of origami”. As he talked, the bull (which was quickly christened ‘Nobby’), came to life under his hands. There were moments of hilarity, especially when its generously endowed ‘boy bits’ succumbed to gravity and hit the floor, but this indignity was soon rectified with aplomb by Paul to a round of applause. The Ostinelli and Priest guiding principle is to work “very quickly and very accurately”, so once Nobby was set aside there was time for Paul to demonstrate the making of other
Ostinelli & Priest
The Red Knight (detail)
David Guiver
Heather Graham
Seated hare
Ostinelli & Priest
Seated hare (fired)
Carolyn Postgate
Carolyn Postgate Carolyn Postgate
Nobby creatures. Egged on by the audience, he produced a sighthound’ (Saluki was definitely in its parentage), and a seated hare in rapid succession. Demonstrating artists usually bring examples of their work to sell and Ostinelli and Priest were no exception. Gaynor presided over a mouth-watering selection of pieces, which were very generously discounted to members of Anglian Potters. Many of us took full advantage of this opportunity and I came away with three lovely sculptures. As I write, I am surveyed by the beady eyes of ‘The Blue Dandy’, a life-size cockerel who now stands in regal splendour in my office. It was heartening to see so many members turn out for this event and I think that Paul and Gaynor appreciated our enthusiasm and professionalism (thanks, as always, to JJ Vincent, and to all the members who provided and catered our delicious lunch – no matter how many people arrive, there always seems to be plenty to go round!). An enjoyable and relaxed day was had by all and several of us have, no doubt, returned to our studios with an eagerness to experiment with some of the techniques so generously shared by Paul for making “creatures in clay”. Christine Pike
Hound in the making
Propped dog in the kiln
Carolyn Postgate
Behind the Mask
David Guiver
David Guiver
Ostinelli & Priest
Ostinelli & Priest
Ostinelli & Priest
Heather Graham
Carolyn Postgate
Minotaur Slaying the Beast
Crouched hare
Potters and Friends – Little Hall Lavenham 9-11 Dec 2011 I only found out about ‘Potters and Friends’ at the last minute. Nuala Garnsey had told me while we were on duty at All Saints’. Her friend Gill Hedge was organising the event. Would I be interested if there was space for me? So….. I got in touch with Gill and was told that I could join in. My first thought was to sort out some means of displaying my work. I had been particularly impressed with the Anglian Potters stand-alone exhibition kit, which I believe was the brain child of JJ. A few quick sketches and I was off to B&Q to buy some MDF. I had two days to put my stand together. It was to be a slightly smaller scale version of the AP setup (6' x 2'). Luckily I have my own workshop with all the machines to enable me to put it together. I made two bases for the top, a backboard and some small plinths. The whole thing was emulsioned in white, AP style. I built my own clip-on spotlights and was pleased with the finished stand. (Pause for adverts….. If anyone is interested in a custom-built stand for their work, please get in touch.) On the Friday morning I drove to Cambridge to pick up my pots and Nuala’s. I rushed back to Lavenham to set up for the evening start. Quite a few Anglian Potters were involved. Cathy D’Arcy turned up with some of her thrown earthenware. This
Anton Todd
Maureen Baker
Cathy D’Arcy
Helen Humphreys
is in complete contrast to the lovely sculptural figures and animals that she produces. It’s hard to believe that the same potter can produce such varied work. Helen Humphreys was in the same room as Cathy D’Arcy and this room, the library, became known as the ‘Ladies Room’ …endless chat etc! Poor Mariam Cullum had ended up in the hall at the bottom of the stairs and every now and again someone had to go out and defrost her. There was an icy blast whipping in from the front door. However, her pots had a certain extra charm to them when covered in icicles! Maureen Baker and I were lucky that we had been put in the warmest room in the building. It was bitterly cold outside. Many of the public stayed in our room to get warm, which must have boosted sales! There was a lovely atmosphere which was enhanced by the fact that we had people other than potters with us such as weavers, print makers, spinners and felt workers. I was next to the felt and textiles worker. It turned out that she was the wife of a teaching colleague that I hadn’t seen for nearly thirty years! He turned up on the Saturday and we spent a few hours reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ and laughing very noisily. Gill had done a great job in organising and publicising the event. Footfall was good. Our event coincided with the Lavenham Christmas fair. Lavenham was festively lit with Christmassy lights. Father Christmas was in residence on Saturday. However, he was very jealous of my ‘real’ Father Christmas beard as his was only stuck on! Maureen Baker turned out to be not only an accomplished potter with some lovely glazes, but also a brewer of superb coffee! If you are ever in Swaffham, drop in to see Maureen’s work. I can thoroughly recommend the coffee too! Sunday proved to be a little flat in terms of footfall. However, it was a lovely event. Many thanks to Gill for doing such a great job in organizing it. Watch this space for news of the summer event at Little Hall. Hopefully it will be warmer! Words & pictures: Anton Todd
EXHIBITION PUBLICITY During the last couple of exhibitions there have been times when the number of visitors has been very low and the effectiveness of our publicity has been questioned. I received various suggestions to improve the situation, most of which we are already doing in some form or another or have tried in the past and found not to be cost-effective. Obviously I welcome suggestions but to avoid reinventing the wheel I thought I would summarise what is currently done and how much it costs, so we have a base to work from. For both exhibitions we place a small advert in Ceramic Review (£83) and a quarter page advert in Explorer magazine (£420). Explorer also writes a quarter page article on the exhibition in the same edition free of charge. We find Explorer to be the most cost effective of the Cambridge glossy magazines. We have also tried local newspapers in the past but to get the coverage required is very expensive. We do send information about the exhibition to the web sites of local radio, television and newspapers. Whether the information appears or not is at the discretion of the organisations.
I advertise the shows on two websites; Where can we go and Local Secrets. I tried, with little success, to promote the 2011 Christmas exhibition on Art Rabbit and Qype but all I succeeded in doing was giving them my email address and as a consequence I now receive at least one email a day from both sites! If anyone knows of suitable websites we can use, let me know. What we haven’t been doing is using our own website very effectively to advertise the exhibitions. This should change with the new website. Most of the time I feel that the information I send to websites just disappears into a black hole but in November 2011 we had two really good results, both from local radio. After seeing some of our advertising, BBC Radio Cambridge and Cambridge 105, a community radio station, contacted me. This resulted in a studio interview with Victor for BBC Radio Cambridge on 29 November and a telephone interview with me the week before for Cambridge 105. Both the radio presenters have asked to be kept informed of Anglian Potters exhibitions so we may get further interview opportunities. Victor gave an
SYLVIA’S POTTERY FOR SALE due to her age & infirmity:- £1000 Buyer to collect from North West Essex. Selling as one package. Please ring Sylvia on 07932 136321 WHEEL: Podmore Alsager Plus spare wheelhead, batts, tools, and original instruction sheet KILN: Hymus type 2M 240 volts, 6kw, 1 phase and neutral. 30 amps per phase Max working temperature 1280 degrees. Interior: 15” back to front (depth) 14¾” side to side (width) 16¾” (height) Exterior: height above legs 29”, depth 29”, width 27” Legs, (base structure) 24” wide, 25¾” high, 22” deep Hymus Engineering switchbox (needs rewiring) Thermocouple Pyrometer: Industrial Pyrometer Co Birmingham Full equipment for loading kiln: shelves, props, spars, stilts, also aluminium bubbles for placing, some ceramic fibre. Many bags of H cones. Two new spare kiln elements. PUG MILL: Podmore serial no 10744. Type P7 Clean, needs new cable. Clays many and various, most need work to revive. Includes some Leach porcelain body powder. MATERIALS: many in original labelled bags, some in jars: bentonite, cornish stone, china clay, feldspar potash, flint, nepheline syenite, quartz, silver sand, talc, whiting, vanadium. Small bags of colour glazes, pots of sprays, stains, oatmeal and slop base glaze. Potter’s plaster, and three plaster press moulds for bowls. Tools, small presses for decor, etc. Full range of sieves. BOOKS: Tony Birks: Outline Guide to Pottery; Dora Billington: Technique of Pottery; Frank Hamer: Potter’s Dictionary of Materials & Techniques; John Dickerson: Pottery Making, a Complete Guide; Geoffrey Godden: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pottery & Porcelain; John Gale: Pottery; Bernard Leach: Potter’s Book; Peter Lane: Studio Porcelain.
excellent interview but I had to twist his arm a bit to get him to do it. Everyone else I approached suddenly had very pressing engagements or claimed ‘shrinking violet’ status. I need a list of people who are willing to be interviewed so I know who to call when the occasion arises. The rest of our advertising is through posters, leaflets and mailings. Each year we produce a leaflet covering all our exhibitions and events during that year. These are sent out to all members and everyone on our exhibition mailing list (currently about 1500 people) and costs about £800 (printing & postage). They are also be available to members to display at any exhibitions they participate in, to the selected members’ secretary for use at selected members exhibitions, to the organisers of our Newmarket stand and Ickworth marquee. I don’t think this has worked very well over the last few years and distribution of bundles of this leaflet to those that require them needs to be improved. As a start it would be helpful to know, in advance of printing, which will be by mid-March, who is likely to require the leaflets. If you think you may need some, then let me know. Last year we also produced a general leaflet about Anglian Potters. Bundles of these
are also available should you need them. About 6,000 of the annual exhibition leaflets are sent to the Cambridge Distribution Centre for distribution around Cambridge prior to and during our Summer exhibition. Bundles are delivered to hotels and guest houses, the Park & Rides, pubs, cafes, restaurants, theatres, libraries, tourist information, sports and community centres. The distribution service delivers the leaflets and keeps the sites topped up until the supply of leaflets runs out or the exhibition finishes. They place some of the leaflets themselves but a lot of the time they rely on the staff of the various venues to display them. This is when the problems arise. I know that during the 2011 summer exhibition some Anglian Potters went looking for these leaflets and couldn’t find them. I looked in the Tourist Information Centre and found them tucked behind a computer. I asked for them to be displayed more prominently, which was done (for the rest of that day anyway!). As far as I can see we have three options; 1) we continue as we are in the knowledge that a percentage of our leaflets are not going to be displayed as they should; 2) we can stop using the distribution
service and do it ourselves. (This would involve a great deal of organisation and lots of volunteers and would probably result in Jackie, our exhibition organiser, and I having nervous breakdowns!) 3) to continue with the distribution service but supplement it with volunteers from Anglian Potters who check key venues on a regular basis during the exhibition to ensure that our leaflets are displayed. Private View invitations are produced for both the Summer and Christmas exhibition and are sent to all members and everyone on the exhibition mailing list (£600 in postage alone). Exhibitors can request additional Private View invitations, posters and leaflets to mail out themselves. We also produce posters to display around Cambridge. We used to use the (expensive) Cambridge Distribution Service to display them on official notice boards around the city but now we, like other organisations, tie our posters to the railings in the centre of Cambridge. Which method is most effective is up for debate. For the Christmas exhibition we produce an A5 version of the poster for distribution by Cambridge Distribution Service. Thin paper tends to flop over in the display racks, so this year we
will replace them with a DL flyer on thicker paper. For each exhibition the distribution service charges £141 for distributing our leaflets and flyers. Emmanuel College, our summer exhibition venue, no longer permits us to hang our exhibition banner on their railings. They do permit a swing sign (which we purchased last year) to be placed on the pavement outside the college. This year we are hoping to have a banner spanning one of the streets in Cambridge. The costs of doing this seem quite reasonable but further research is necessary before we commit ourselves. To enhance the awareness of AP as an organisation, Christine Pike is tasked to liaise with appropriate glossy magazines to arrange for articles about AP to be printed and last year she had an excellent article published in the Sept/Oct issue of Craft & Design Magazine. Finally, the cost of publicity is over £2000 for each of the two main exhibitions. This is a considerable chunk of our exhibition expenditure and therefore we must make it effective. If you have any suggestions to improve our publicity please email me: sallymach2@aol.com Sally Macpherson, Publicity Officer
Kilns for ceramics New and second-hand equipment Kilns and furnaces serviced and repaired Potters wheels – pugmills
Essex Kilns Ltd Tel 01621 869342 email contact@essexkilns.co.uk www.essexkilns.co.uk 10
AP is Smokin’!!
What is the hottest website in 2012?...... it’s the new Anglian Potters web page! What makes this too hot to handle? Is it the re-designed contemporary home page which will fire the interest of new members? OR Is it the ability to spark your interest in the latest AP news by email? NO! The site is smouldering, waiting for you to fan the flames and burst into life ........... it’s INTERACTIVE! The site is being developed further, and we’re hoping that soon all members will be able to create and maintain their own artist’s profile, including images. These will be visible to the public so they can contact you directly regarding your work. The website will become the central interactive resource hub for Anglian Potters and as you become familiar with the layout, it is envisaged that there will be a knowledge section where members can go to find assistance in solving their potting problems. Ideas for the future include a potter’s blog for the social networker out there. To make the website a really useful tool it needs you to start to use it. Visit www.anglianpotters.org.uk The home page, available to the public, has a variety of links to information promoting the organisation.
Specific information available only to members can be seen by logging in to the site. To access this information go to the login box on the right side of the home page. Your username is your membership number. To obtain your password follow the instructions for forgotten password at the bottom of the page. Make the website work for us! Websites are only as good as the people who use them. We need feedback on what is useful and where it can be improved to enable the website to develop. Email your ideas on how to improve the site to helpdesk@anglianpotters.org.uk Karrie Langdon
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Step-by-Step: Throwing Larger Pots in Sections For the first in a new occasional series of step-by-step demonstrations of potting methods, Margaret Gardiner has sent these photographs of her technique for throwing large porcelain pots in several sections. Margaret writes: I have found this method very useful in order to control the shape and thickness of a larger pot. It is a little tedious to have to do all the extra throwing and joining but it has allowed me to make all my pots in porcelain now. The same method can be just as appropriate for other clays.
1 Centering 5lbs of porcelain
5 Pulling up the base clay with a rib
9 Second section thrown with groove to fit exactly over the ‘V’ of the base rim
2 Opening the clay
6 Halfway up
10 Notice the hollow base on the second section
3 Compressing the first pull
7 Making a ‘V’ shape on the rim
11 Placing section by holding it on the batt
4 Levelling the rim
8 The ‘V’ ready to take the top
12 Cutting the section off the batt
12
13 Making good the join inside and out
20 Rim flattened and sgraffitto decoration applied
17 Ready to cut off the batt
14 Second section thrown up and shaped
18 Ready to make good the inside join
21 Petal groove cut into rim
15 Third section ready to go
19 Thrown and shaped top section
16 Aligning third section
22 Fired flat rimmed vase 13
What’s On Around the Country in 2012 Anglian Potters Selected Members Exhibition March 30-April 20 CCA Gallery, Trinity St, Cambridge www.cambridgegallery.co.uk
Fire Works
Ceramics & Glass May 11-13 Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk www.fireworksceramicsandglass.com
Norfolk Open Studios
May 26-June 10 www.norfolkopenstudios.org.uk
Suffolk Open Studios
Weekends in June www.suffolkopenstudios.co.uk
Potfest Scotland June 1-3 Scone Palace, Perth Open: 10am-5pm Tel: 01768 483820 www.potfest.co.uk
Earth & Fire
June 22-24 Rufford Abbey Country Park, Ollerton, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG22 9DF Open: 10am-5pm daily Tel: 01623 822944 www3.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/ enjoying/culture/arts/earth-and-fire
Harleston and Waveney Art Trail
Weekends in June and July (TBA) www.hwat.org.uk
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Cambridge Open Studios Weekends in July www.camopenstudios.co.uk
Art in Clay
Art on the Prom
September 2 Felixstowe Promenade, 10am-4pm www.artontheprom.org
July 6-8 Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire Open: Fri-Sat 10am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-5pm Tel: 0115 9873966 www.artinclay.co.uk
Anglian Potters Selected Members Exhibition
Art in Action
Ickworth Park Wood Sale
July 19-22 Waterperry House, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 IJ2 Open: 10am-5.30pm daily Tel: 020 7381 3192 www.artinaction.org.uk
Potfest in the Park
July 27-29 Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith, Cumbria Open: 10am-5pm Tel: 01768 483820 www.potfest.co.uk
Potfest in the Pens
August 3-5 Skirsgill Auction Mart, Penrith, Cumbria Open: 10am-5pm Tel: 01768 483820 www.potfest.co.uk
Anglian Potters’ Camp 8-12 August Shotley, Suffolk
Anglian Potters Summer Show August 17-September 6 Emmanuel College, Cambridge
September 25-October 22 Reunion Gallery, Felixstowe Open: Tue-Sat 10am to 5pm www.reuniongallery.co.uk
October 6-7 Ickworth House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 5QE www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Art, Craft and Design Show
Millennium Grandstand, Newmarket November 9-11 Open: 10am-5pm daily www.artcraftdesignshow.co.uk
Anglian Potters Christmas Show November-December (dates TBA) All Saints’ Church, Jesus Lane, Cambridge
Art in Clay Festival
November 17-18 Farnham Maltings, Farnham Open: Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4.30pm www.farnham.artinclay.co.uk For more information see www.studiopottery.co.uk and www.anglianpotters.org.uk
Newmarket Art, Craft and Design Show
With November comes Newmarket and this year Anglian Potters were well represented by seven members. Anja Penger had done a fine job in arranging the space, again on the ground floor but in a different location to the previous year, this time in the area normally used for serving food. On Thursday, setting up day, Gill Hedge had arrived early telling other exhibitors about Anglian Potters (well done Gill!). With the best will in the world it is never easy to turn up at a venue on time but once all assembled and after some initial chaos, Anglian Potters style and thanks to some very deft diplomacy from JJ, we each found a table that we were happy with and began to set up. The white backdrop was stapled with some difficulty and the Anglian Potters banner put proudly in place. We discussed whether we should sell Fish & Chips and Pies as well as our fine ceramics but in the end the decision was made to surreptitiously remove the boards advertising these fine foods! Once all was set up the display looked very professional with much varied work and we received many complimentary remarks during the show. Everyone had a successful show, with Christine Pike and Susan Slegg’s work proving to be particularly popular. Having spent some time gazing out over the Rowley Mile through the large glass windows whilst having coffee, (many thanks to JJ for providing our caffeine intake on many occasions) we had dreams of sufficient profits to enable us to hire an executive box for the coming season but sadly this proved a dream too far! Better luck next year! On this subject, once again we are looking for six to nine potters to exhibit next November and the dates are 9, 10, 11 November 2012 and Anja Penger (email: anja.penger@ gmx.de, tel: 017676 641435) is keen to hear from interested members. It is a wonderful location with no chance of getting wet or freezing cold (unless they turn the air-conditioning up too high as they did on the first day of the exhibition) and is much recommended. Words: Mariam Cullum Pictures: JJ Vincent
Ceramic Helpline
Members to contact: Alan Foxley: handbuilding, reduction firing 01799 522631 Colin Saunders: mould-making, transfers, slipcasting 01379 588278 Victor Knibbs: electric kilns, oxidised stoneware, modifying clay bodies 01480 214741 Deborah Baynes: raku, salt glaze, stoneware, earthenware (reduction & oxidised) 01473 788300 Beryl Hines: general, raku, earthenware 01473 735437 Usch Spettigue: raw glazing/ single firing 01473 787587 Margaret Gardiner: salt / soda firing 01279 654025 Sonia Lewis: high-fired ware, porcelain 01353 688316 Angela Mellor: bone china paperclay and slipcasting 01353 666675 If you are willing to give advice and be added to this list, please contact the Editor.
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Here and on page 19 is a selection of members’ work which caught my attention. Clockwise from top left: Mariam Cullum, Lydia Dench, Kodama Hamaoka, Cathy D’Arcy, René Viner, Jane Hollidge, Lyn Sandford, Desa Philippi, Sue Morrissey, JJ Vincent, Jane Barker Carolyn Postgate
Photos: Carolyn Postgate
Opposite page: plaque by Jackie Watson, inspired by the church windows. Photos: Carolyn Postgate
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Notes from a Novice Curator
Members’ Websites:
It was with some trepidation that I volunteered to take on the task of curating the Christmas exhibition at All Saints Church in November – but I do love a challenge! Along with fellow AP member, Corinne Gula, whose support and fresh eye on proceedings were invaluable, I rolled up my sleeves and got stuck in. Fortunately, Anglian Potters’ events always seem to operate like a well-oiled machine and the hard work of unpacking and sorting, and putting up stands, was already done by the time we arrived. We were also blessed with the generous help of several members who acted as gofers, and Victor, with his trusty drill and toolbox. I have some experience in gallery management but it is still daunting to walk into an unfamiliar venue and curate the work of around seventy potters in a single day. My apologies to those members who found my efforts a little slower than they are used to – but who were gracious enough to make allowances for a relative ‘newbie’! If I am asked again, I promise to be quicker next time, now that I know the ropes. As this was a selling show and open to all members, my aim was to put out as much of each potter’s work as was reasonably possible within the space allowed to us. In my experience, ceramics are like people (and cats!): some pieces are naturally drawn to co-exist with others, while some prefer to live in splendid isolation. For this reason, I chose to display some work on shared stands while other pieces had their own space. So often I have found that a strange alchemy occurs when setting up an exhibition and pieces seem to find their perfect position with little help from me. I had three objectives: 1. To arrange a display that was pleasing to the eye. 2. To enable every potter to show their work to best advantage. 3. To give every potter the best opportunity for making sales during the exhibition. I hope that the majority of members and the public who came to see the show felt that I fulfilled them. The standard was as high as ever and I gained invaluable experience which I hope to put to good use in the future. I would encourage other members to put themselves forward to help curate our exhibitions – it offers a wonderful opportunity to familiarise yourself with other people’s work and gain an understanding of the huge collective effort involved behind the scenes which makes each show a success. Christine Pike
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All Saints’ – Reflections of a First Timer The All Saints’ Christmas Selling Exhibition was to be my first with AP and, in fact, my first ever! Following my retirement in 2009 I very slowly started to get back into working with clay again after a short gap of twenty five years! The reason for this gap was the birth of two children and, at the same time, a full time job in teaching. Unfortunately the clay slipped through my fingers and I was not able to get them in it again until recently. I had joined AP to help me pick up the threads and learn a great deal more. I started to go to the AP demonstration days at Mundford and thoroughly enjoyed them. I began experimenting with some ideas. The results of this culminated in me having enough work to send in for the All Saints’ Exhibition. I decided to enter some work just to ‘see what happened’. I also volunteered to help set this up. Day One Wednesday came and I arrived just after nine at All Saints’. I had imagined that I would be late and that a hive of activity would be in full flow. On entering the church I stopped dead in my tracks! The church was empty! Had I done my usual Any lesser being would have collapsed trick of getting the date wrong? “I’m in a gibbering wreck. Not Victor! He sorry, sir, but these seats are for next soldiered on steadfastly. We started to Saturday’s performance”. I peered into set up the famous ‘white boards’. I was the gloom inside the dimly lit church struck by the natural way that teamwork and spotted a lone and indistinct figure just happened, along with many witty across on the other side. The feeble comments along the way. JJ, who appears shafts of light shining through one of to be a master of all he turns his hands the stained glass windows did little but to, had re-drilled the ten thousand four reveal the outline of this apparition. hundred and forty four clips and fitted I wondered whether the church was them all with shiny new stainless steel haunted! The figure slowly turned to nuts and bolts. This made the erection of face me and I instantly recognised the the boards relatively easy. trademark beard! Pots started to arrive and were carefully “Good morning, Victor!” unpacked and set out on the very convenient pews. As a ‘first timer’ I We started to move some of the pews kept glancing nervously across as my and other bits and pieces as other offerings were exposed to the world. members arrived one by one. The van I already knew that there were many and horse-box turned up and was lucky seriously good potters in AP. As my to find a purpose-built parking space, work was unpacked there were quizzical coned off, thanks to Victor’s discussion expressions and wry smiles. I should with the men repairing the road outside. have put some ‘L plates’ on the boxes! Everything started to accelerate as the Two members have described my work two thousand-odd boards that form the as ‘quirky’! display stands, supports and flat surfaces were whisked into the church. Day Two I arrived just after nine. Victor was It was good to be part of such a wellstanding outside of a locked church. Had oiled machine (amply fuelled by coffee he been standing there on sentry duty all and tea) that just rumbled into action. night? There were literally thousands of Poor Victor seemed to be the expected pounds worth of pots inside all sitting fount of all knowledge and in actual fact, on the pews as if in silent prayer. he was. He was assailed on all fronts by questions as they rained in thick and fast! “Will I get sold?” “Victor, where do these…?” “Will some nice people take me home and place me somewhere special in their “Victor, what are we doing about….?” house? Not on the mantelpiece, though, “Victor, who is….?” and definitely not under the awful “Victor, what do you want me to do print that Auntie Gladys gave them for with….?” 18
Anton Todd
Christmas in 2009!” “I don’t want to end up as a door stop or a dog bowl!” The church was unlocked and was soon full of activity again. The night before, I had foolishly volunteered to scrape up the pigeon poo that had been deposited in the church porch! Armed with a paint scraper and a wet cloth I soon had the tiles clean again. I can’t remember the last time I was on my knees in a church! So this was what being a member of AP was all about! I hadn’t realised that cleaning up pigeon poo was involved! The lighting gang had launched into action and knitted some fine spaghetti across the floor behind the display boards. Their efforts were well worth it. The lighting really gives the whole exhibition a lift (not that one was needed). It may be fairer to say that the lighting was the icing on the cake, or perhaps the glaze on the pot! Saturday – The Grand Opening! It really was treat to walk into the church on Saturday. This was an exhibition that was highly professional and set out with great care. It was a relief to see some of my work on display. I really had been worrying, as a first timer, about whether it would be good enough. AP can be proud of itself for putting on such an excellent show. Well done, Anglian Potters, especially all the organisers for their hard work! Sadly, my cleaning had been in vain. That damned pigeon had struck again! Anton Todd
Photos: Carolyn Postgate
Clockwise from top: Denise Brown, Frances Bache, Michael Wickwar, Lola Swain, Lydia Collings, Rob Bibby, Pam Orme, Frank Logan, Karrie Langdon, Jacqueline Lewis. Centre: Kodama Hamaoka tiger, stained glass window with Joyce Davison’s pots.
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Book Reviews and New Publications another. Mind you, that probably still wouldn’t have stopped me losing my arm hairs and an eyebrow in one of my early lustre firings, but that’s a different story. In his introduction, author Greg Daly, says “Glaze is for me a journey, but lustre is a real adventure!” If you fancy getting hooked on the shiny, metallic beauty that lustres can bring to your pottery, you will need this book. Mark Boyd
Lustre Greg Daly £15.99 A&C Black Ceramics Handbook series Some of you may remember that I have what is known as “previous” with lustres, having made various attempts at making shiny sparkly ceramics at Potters’ Camps over the years. Some of it worked; some of it didn’t. Subsequently, under more controlled conditions with my own kiln, I have made more progress, but there is no doubt that traditional lustres can be fickle. For a long time this wasn’t helped by a lack of helpful texts. The definitive work was Lustre Pottery by Alan CaigerSmith, but it feels dated now. The equally imaginatively-titled but rather more straightforward Lustres by Margery Clinton is long out of print. The current title, Lustre, yet another in A&C Black’s long-running Ceramics Handbook series, attempts to fill the gap with a modern volume that covers not only traditional lustres, but also the much easier but potentially toxic commercial lustres. This is one of few pottery books where the health and safety aspects are necessary rather than simply patronising. The book covers the subject well. Following the inevitable brief history chapter, it is divided into pigment lustres, lustre glazes, resin lustre and fuming. It is attractive, clearly written and comprehensive. If this book had been around when I started messing around with lustres, I doubt if I would have felt the need for
readable, but I suspect the author may be too scientific, almost clinically so, for some readers. The book focuses on oxide glazes in electric firings – stains get fairly short shrift – and on factors that ensure consistency. That’s fine, but I would like to have seen a bit more weight given to flame and vapour firings and spontaneous colour effects. The cover is a little misleading here. As ever from this series, the book is well presented, with plenty of good colour photographs, including loads of test tiles to aim for. But other than the section on the newer rare earth oxides, I am not sure there is enough new for me. But if this is the first book on glazes you come across, it certainly shows you the full spectrum of colours achievable and there are plenty of recipes to keep you busy for years. Just remember that, to paraphrase Magritte, whatever anyone says, a picture of a test tile is not a test tile. It may be an indication of what to expect, but your own kiln, clay and lighting conditions may tell a different story. Mark Boyd
Colour in glazes Linda Bloomfield £16.99 A&C Black The New Ceramics series Do you remember that line from Brian Glover’s character in Porridge, “I read a book once . . . green it was”? Well, I know real potters are supposed to be attracted to form more than surface – see almost any article in Ceramic Review for proof – and that unglazed pots have a certain cachet, but I suspect most real people are attracted to colour first. Certainly, over the years, several people have asked me to make them pots, and without knowing anything about my work have asked for a blue one. I am in good company here. Bernard Leach suffered the same way. So any book that adds to our knowledge of how to create and control colour in glazes should be a good thing. And there is nothing especially wrong with this book, but does it bring enough new information to recommend it over other established and highly practical titles, such as Stephen Murfitt’s The Glaze Book? Well, yes and no, to risk a balanced review. The text is clear and very
The Ceramics Book Edited by Bonnie Kemske Third Edition 344pp £10 softback The Ceramics Book profiles work by members of The Craft Potters Association, and is published in February 2012. Contact Ceramic Review to obtain a copy Email: office@ceramicreview.com Tel: 020 7183 5583 63 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3BF 21
Events and Members’ Shows Stephen Murfitt
Kings’ Connections with new work by Terry Beard, Natalie McIntyre and Stuart Green, including Ceramics by Stephen Murfitt. Kings College Cambridge 3-17 March, 10am-4pm daily.
Pottery Market in Stamford
Last year, as part of National Ceramic week, potters from the Stamford area put on a ceramic market at Stamford Arts Centre. We enjoyed it so much that we’ve decided to do it all again and even expand a little to include a few more potters. Please come and join us beneath the chandeliers in Stamford Arts Centre’s Georgian Ballroom to see the work of over 20 potters (many of them Anglian Potters members), watch the rolling film show of ceramic-themed films and catch a few demonstrations. Sunday 6 May and Bank Holiday Monday 7 May, 11am – 5pm Entry is free and there is free parking throughout the town. There will be a tombola of bowls made by the participating potters with proceeds going to a local charity. Last year we sent £220 to East Anglian Children’s Hospices. Enquiries to Katherine Winfrey at kwinfrey@tiscali.co.uk Geographical directions at www.stamfordartscentre.com Denise Brown
The Maker’s Gallery 3-4 Hope Sreet Yard, Hope Street, Cambridge 27th April-6th May 2012. This is a one person show of ceramics by Stephen Murfitt.
Katherine Winfrey Pat Armstrong
Dawn Isaacs
Rob Bibby
Anglian Potters at Fireworks Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham 11, 12 & 13 May 2012 10.30am - 5.30pm This a first for East Anglia, a specialist event, with selected ceramicists & glass makers exhibiting at the fantastic Blackthorpe Barn. Some of the UK’s best potters, sculptors, ceramic artists & glass makers all in one place selling their work. With top-class four-star catering, demonstrations, and a Kids ‘n’ Clay area, this makes for a really unusual and interesting day out. www.fireworksceramicsandglass.com Anglian Potters will be represented at this event by 15 members. We will have our own Anglian Potters stand. Although Friday will be open to the general public, the main emphasis for that day will be to encourage invited gallery and craft shop owners to view the exhibits. Anton Todd 22
AP Clay Stores Clay from Valentines, Staffs: an inexpensive source of clay for members. Phone to confirm availability and to arrange pickup during office hours. Sold in 12.5 kg bags. Paper clay can be ordered by request, as can any Valentine or Scarva clays. Please contact Susan or Deborah.
New Prices for 2012
Stoneware:-
Firing 1150°C -1300°C Special Fleck £4.00 ES5 Original £8.80 White B17C grogged £6.00 ES40 Handbuilding £11.50 ES50 Crank £8.00 V9G Dark £4.20
Earthenware:-
Firing 1080°C – 1140°C Red £3.50 ES130 White £7.70
from the Potterycrafts range Products carefully chosen especially for dedicated craft potters.
Porcelain:-
Firing 1220°C – 1250°C P2 £8.70 Royale £12.00 Royale Grogged £12.50 Audrey Blackman £12.95 Brick House Crafts operate from 5,000 sq ft premises in Essex. They are pleased to confirm the continuation of their 10% discount scheme to members of Anglian Potters on raw materials, clays (up to 1/2t) and hand tools. Lessons available on an hourly basis together with City & Guilds Level 2 & 3 courses (100% pass rate to date). Contact Mary or Maureen Tel: 01376 585655 www.brickhouseceramics.co.uk
You don’t have to be making a living from your pottery but if you are serious about ceramics then the Studio Selection is for you.
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For Sale Spray cabinet with filter and extraction fan 2’x2’ opening tapering to 2’x1’6� at filter In good condition. £200 Buyer to collect Studio 3000 Controller + pyrometer 10 programmes excellent condition £200 Buyer to collect Contact Sue Bruce e: susiebruce@fsmail.net t: 01394 384865
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Kiln lid by Ray Scott HFIFB 36� x 36� Write to: D. Potter The Vineyard, Bunwell Low Common NR16 1SY
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Diary Dates 2012 Douglas Fitch: 25 March, Mundford www.douglasfitch.co.uk Selected Members’ Show: 30 March-20 April CCA Gallery, Cambridge AGM & Pam Schomberg: 20 May, Mundford www.pamschomberg.com Potters’ Camp: 8-12 August, Shotley Summer Show: 17 August-6 September Emmanuel College, Cambridge Elizabeth Smith: 9 September, Mundford www.crafts.org.uk Selected Members’ Show: 25 September-22 October Reunion Gallery, Felixstowe Alan Parris & Billy Byles: 21 October, Mundford www.aylesfordpottery.co.uk
Membership Fees
Ordinary £27 – half year £15 Joint £45 for two people at the same address – half year £25 Institution £50 for a college or workshop – half year £27 (details on application to the Membership Secretary) Student £10 for full-time ceramics students – proof of status is required
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