2009 04 Winter

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NEWSLETTER

WINTER 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

Potters’ Camp Josie Walter Wendy Lawrence Animal Magic

www.anglianpotters.org.uk 1


ANGLIAN POTTERS OFFICERS PRESIDENT LADY SAINSBURY CHAIRMAN Victor Knibbs 8 Nightingale Way, St Neots Huntingdon PE19 1UQ 01480 214741

SECRETARY

Susan Cupitt 62 Humberstone Road Cambridge CB4 1JF susan.cupitt@gmail.com

01223 311937

TREASURER

Liz Chipchase 46 Carlyle Road Cambridge CB4 3DH liz.howes@ntlworld.com

01223 527781

01954 211033

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Mary Wyatt 68 Ranelagh Road Felixstowe Suffolk IP11 7HY 01394 671033 mary@24wyatt.freeserve.co.uk

PUBLICITY SECRETARY

Sally Macpherson Elm Cottage, 39 Upland Road Thornwood Essex CM16 6NJ 01992 560807 sallymach2@aol.com

EXHIBITIONS ORGANISERS

Cathy D’Arcy 89 Friday Street, West Row Mildenhall IP28 8PB 07866 391380 cathydarcy3@googlemail.com Helen Humphreys 18 Rosemary Road Waterbeach CB5 9NB helenmh@tiscali.co.uk

01223 862968

SELECTED MEMBERS SECRETARY Anja Penger 23 Park Lane, Blunham Bedfordshire MK44 3NH anja.penger@gmx.de

01767 641435

WEBMASTER

Ian George 117 Histon Road, Cottenham Cambridge CB24 8UQ 01954 250647 ian.george@anglianpotters.org.uk

EVENTS ORGANISERS Heather Graham 17 Dereham Road Watton Norfolk IP25 6ER hgpots@tiscali.co.uk

01953 882572

Felicity Hoyle 95 Main Street, Hockwold Thetford IP26 4LW 01842 828343 flicka.h@tesco.net

POTTERS CAMP ORGANISER

Jerry Finlayson Mill Farm Barn, Wades Lane Shotley Ipswich IP9 1EG 01473 788423

Cover: Rhapsody in Blue The salt glaze kiln at Potters’ Camp, by an unknown photographer – if it is your photograph, email the editor for a credit in the next issue! 2

Our Summer open exhibition, at Emmanuel College, ran smoothly and looked good, with record sales at the well-attended Private View. Thanks to all who helped or contributed in any way. I understand that both this and the Ely Cathedral Selected Members exhibition, have been financial successes.

AGM AGENDA

EDITOR

Carolyn Postgate 5 Whitwell Way, Coton Cambridge CB23 7PW carolyn@clara.co.uk

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Following the AGM and on reflection, I have decided that we need to be more formal. Any proposals or suggestions that have implications involving possible changes to our Constitution cannot be accepted under Any Other Business. The full membership is entitled to forward notice of such proposals. Please submit items for the AGM agenda to the secretary, in writing, at least a month before the meeting.

ICKWORTH Our display and raku demonstration at Ickworth were a great success and well received. The weather was dry and the attendances were very good. Thanks to all who helped and took part, especially to Jerry who delivered the marquees and organised the erecting and taking down.

CLAY SUPPLIES

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH

May I remind members that the hosts of our clay supplies stocks are volunteers! Please be considerate and be aware that they may be away at times. Try to plan ahead so that you don’t become needful of clay at short notice. If you cannot contact the host, phone me or Susan Cupitt, and we will try to help.

As I write all is in hand for our Christmas exhibition. The rota has just arrived and it seems 66 members are involved, which proves that Anglian Potters is in good health and thriving. Season’s Greetings Victor

EDITOR’S NOTES This issue has been expanded to include some of the many photographs members took at the Potters’ Camp – I hope you enjoy the Photomontage on pages 9-12, which gives a taste of the atmosphere at Camp, a glimpse into the wide variety of activities on offer, and the large number of pots made, glazed and fired! Other pages cover some of the many exhibitions and demonstrations which have been part of the Anglian Potters programme this autumn. More photographs of work in the Christmas Show at All Saints’ Church will be included in the next issue of the Newsletter. Don’t forget to send me details if your work is in shows elsewhere – I am always happy to include news of members’ shows.

HARROW CERAMICS COURSE PETITION I expect many members already know that the University of Westminster is proposing to close the Harrow Ceramics Degree Course. There is a petition to No 10 Downing Street to stop the closure. The deadline for signing is 2 January 2010, so act now if this affects you! More information is available from Kyra Cane: kc-jb@ntlworld.com, and the petition can be signed online at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/CeramicsHarrow/ Carolyn


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SAINTS’ CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE

Alan Foxley

Alan Foxley

The Show opened on Saturday 14 November on a blustery day which made the mince pies and mulled wine very welcome, despite the new heating in the church. Numbers attending were down on previous years, but sales were quite good nevertheless. Many new members were exhibiting for the first time, and the variety of work on show was very impressive. Alan Foxley writes: I thought the exhibition had a nice coherence about it and the curating team had done a good job. The general standard of work seemed higher, but some members need to look at their pricing. Some pieces are ridiculously cheap. They need to remember that some potters are trying to earn a living and have prices governed by external sources – but where, oh, where are many of the Selected members?

Harvey Bradley

Harvey Bradley

CHRISTMAS SHOW

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J OSIE W ALTER

AT

M UNDFORD

The makers of pots often arrive at this occupation through very different channels. Josie Walter is no exception. She led us through her early years in anthropology at University, and the diverse influences which led to her current status as a well respected potter. Her reminiscences included crouching in a dark Spanish cave copying prehistoric paintings, and her experiences working for a country potter’s family in Spain. The latter involved her living in the mountains, a sole occupant of an isolated caravan, and made us admire her youthful intrepidity. Her early experience in country pottery traditions was a great influence on her later work. When she decided to take a teacher training course, it was her wish to extend her interest in the methods of the old salt glaze potteries around Chesterfield near her home. Her recently published book Country Pots Abroad illustrates this enduring interest She described the hard times and the good times of her attempts to set up various workshops and selling outlets, an experience so many potters starting up have gone through. Her slides showed how she worked through the design process from intricacies and layering of slips, to the refinement and simplification of her work today. Her tenet that her pots were to be primarily usable informed her designs and her experience of raw glazing in the salt glaze industry brought her to employ single firing in her own work. She works with a mixture of Valentine’s Earthstone and Potclays Chocolate Black, which gives a rich terracotta for slip decoration. She demonstrated different methods of construction for her signature oval and square dishes. Her thrown ware all had edges roundly robust for domestic use. These simple forms were ideal for the use of decorative slips, and she showed her use of paper resist and other decorative techniques. Even if once-fired earthenware is not a majority interest, Josie Walter gave an interesting and informative demonstration, with a warmth and insight into why we do what we do! Words: June Gentle Pictures: Carolyn Postgate & Heather Graham

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Left: Josie demonstrates her method of creating designs with paper resist and slip; above: slip-trailed pears.

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W ENDY L AWRENCE

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M UNDFORD

Photos: Heather Graham

Wendy Lawrence began her excellent demonstration with a slide show of the objects that inspire her work. Her photographs can essentially be divided into two groups. The first consists of natural forms with lovely flowing lines such as an extraordinary aerial view of a frozen Siberian river system or layered rock faces pockmarked and polished by millions of years of erosion. The second contains man-made objects ranging from carved memorial stones and pieces of architecture softened by rain and sprinkled with lichens to the stark beauty of monumental standing stones. Probably many of us take similar photographs but Wendy’s genius lies in her ability to take elements of these and recreate the forms and surface effects in her own work. This is achieved largely by her method of carving leather-hard clay and by her use of many glaze layers including volcanic glazes. Her work is sculptural and she showed us how to construct a number of pieces including her work inspired by standing stones, troughs suitable for plants, lidded boxes and platters reminiscent of the depressions that form in rocks below falling streams of water. All the pieces are built from a remarkably forgiving clay, Valentine’s Jim Robison crank body PF540 and are formed by slab building, coiling or carving from a solid lump of clay. It is always fascinating to see the tools used by our demonstrators and Wendy’s selection didn’t disappoint. First she produced a chunky foot-long piece of wood, the sort of thing that might support a sturdy fireside chair; this was followed by a mallet, a surform, a tool that looked a bit like a plumber’s lead dresser, a large wire brush and a chunk of coral large enough to

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over this. Similar techniques are used to pattern the clay when making troughs and platters. In the former case a solid piece of clay is vigorously beaten into a rectangular shape and the sides are carved or imprinted. Clay is then excavated from the centre of the piece to leave a trough with stout one inch-thick walls. Platters are formed from a slab of clay flattened with a mallet and heavily impressed with textured rocks and coral, the edges are rolled and the slab is then placed in a simple former consisting of canvas loosely suspended over a wooden frame until it has dried. The thickness of these pieces and the depth of the carving of the walls means that the initial firing needs to be very slow with a climb of just 15° per hour until 550°C is achieved. Wendy claims to dislike glazing but her work requires the application of a number of glazes quite thickly layered on top of one another to achieve the appearance she is aiming for. Pieces are painted with copper oxide and this is then washed back so that it remains only in detailed areas. Matt glazes applied over this are stoneware glazes that do not flux at the firing temperature used. More liquid, glossy glazes that do reach their fluxing temperature are added on top of these and raw materials such as titanium are added to the surface before firing. Silicon carbide is added to some of the glazes to achieve the volcanic effect that is such an important element of the surface texture.

ANGLIAN POTTERS 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, with the exception of paper clay. Special Fleck stoneware £3.70 Firing 1150°C -1300°C Red earthenware £3.25 Firing 1080°C – 1140°C White B17C stoneware £5.40 P2 Porcelain £7.45 Firing 1220°C – 1250°C Royale porcelain £10.50 Grogged porcelain (Royale) £11.00 ES5 Stoneware Original £7.50 ES130 White earthenware £6.50 Audrey Blackman porcelain £12.00 ES40 Handbuilding material £9.75 ES50 Crank £7.30 ES200 TS Flaxpaper clay £6.00 per 5 Kg bag V9G Dark stoneware £3.75

CAMBRIDGE Susan Van Valkenburg 5 Cow Lane Rampton Cambridge CB24 8QG 01954 252834

SUFFOLK Deborah Baynes Nether Hall, Shotley, Ipswich Suffolk IP9 1PW 01473 788300 Telephone to arrange a collection time, and collect with a cheque payable to Anglian Potters with cheque card number and membership number. NB paper clay may not be available.

Liz Chipchase

finish off one of the many victims in an episode of Midsomer Murders. There was also a sharp knife for carving and a fork for scoring edges but these looked rather tame by comparison. As these tools suggest, Wendy’s coiling and slab building are on an impressive scale. She starts her tall ‘standing stone’ pieces with a slab of clay approximately 2 inches thick which is laid in a plaster mould to gently curve up the outer edges. Wendy explained this was to give the base of the piece a ‘bounce’ so that it doesn’t appear too heavily rooted to the ground. Coils with a square cross-section of about 2 inches are built up on this base using the fork for scoring and a spray of water rather than slip to help the edges adhere, a process aided by some vigorous bashing with the length of wood. As more coils are added a tall form emerges and the overall shape of the piece is gradually modified by beating and by adding or removing slices of clay. At this point the piece would normally be left until it was leather hard before carving the surface. Surface patterning can take a number of forms but to achieve the effect Wendy is seeking it is important to have uneven areas of surface where glazes can pool. To emulate rock strata Wendy marks the whole surface with a series of curved lines and then cuts deeply into the clay removing a V-shaped strip between alternate sets of lines. Further, thinner, grooves are cut in some areas and the cut edges are softened using the wire brush. Sometimes more formal patterns are cut into parts of the surface and the coral is used to texture the rest. At the moment, inspired by the ring of tea left by a mug put down on a piece of paper on which she was sketching designs, Wendy is experimenting with circular patterns. She uses the base of a can as a template to mark out her design and gouges out craters in the clay with a circular turning tool producing an effect reminiscent of an ice cream scoop. The pitted effect is modified by partially filling some of the craters with scraps of clay and the coral is used to imprint patterns

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 on 01376 585655. www.brickhouseceramics.co.uk

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Members to contact: Alan Foxley: handbuilding, reduction firing 01799 522631 Colin Saunders: mould-making, slipware, transfers 01379 588278 Victor Knibbs: oxidised stoneware, electric kilns, modifying clay bodies 01480 214741 Deborah Baynes: raku, stoneware, earthenware (reduction & oxidised), salt glaze 01473 788300 Beryl Hines: general, earthenware, raku 01473 735437 Usch Spettigue: raw glazing/single firing 01473 787587 Margaret Gardiner: salt glaze 01279 654025 Sonia Lewis: high-fired ware, porcelain 01353 688316 If you are willing to give advice, and be added to this list, please contact the Editor.

Heather Graham

Heather Graham

CERAMIC HELPLINE

MEMBERS' WEBSITES:

Sally Macpherson

Liz Chipchase

This releases gas during firing which leads to localised reduction and the formation of surface eruptions. This technique can produce sharp edges so the surface is ground after firing. Wendy routinely uses an electric kiln and fires her pieces to 1240°C and soaks them for 10 minutes. Some of Wendy’s basic glaze recipes will be included in the next Newsletter, but she emphasises that the real secret of her success is constant experimentation. In complete contrast to the pieces she brought to show us, Wendy also gave a brief and entertaining presentation of her work for Craig Bragdy, a firm specialising in murals for swimming pools and for the walls of underpasses. The sheer scale of the work was mindboggling; imagine a small team of people flattening out a sufficiently large area of clay to cover an Olympic-sized swimming pool, crawling around to transfer and carve a design on to it, then cutting, numbering, firing and glazing the whole lot. If you know a sheikh or a Russian oligarch in need of a status symbol or would just like to have a look at the sort of work involved, visit www.craigbragdydesign.co.uk. Words: Liz Chipchase Pictures: Heather Graham, Liz Chipchase, Sally Macpherson 8

www.angelamellor.com www.angelamellorgallery.com www.brendagreenart.co.uk www.broadwayceramics.com www.cathydarcy.com www.ceramicsbuyanja.co.uk www.corbykilns.co.uk www.chrisrumsey.co.uk www.heathergrahampotter.com www.helenhpottery.co.uk www.helenmartino.co.uk www.iangeorgeceramics.co.uk www.janburridge.co.uk www.janehollidge.co.uk www.jjvincent.com www.judsonsinfrance.com www.madeincley.co.uk www.maggygardiner.com www.matthewblakely.co.uk www.potterycourses.com www.potterycourses.net www.rebeccaharvey.com www.richardbaxter.co.uk www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk www.sculpturelounge.com www.secretceramics.co.uk www.susancupitt.co.uk www.suffolkstoneware.co.uk Contact the Editor if you want to add your site to this list.

www.anglianpotters.org.uk ANGELA MELLOR GALLERY Angela is going to rent out her gallery in 2010 for exhibitions. Please contact her on 01353 666675 or email angela@angelamellorgallery.com


POTTERS’ CAMP 2009 PHOTO MONTAGE

Conversations Pizza Time

Talented Kids Saturday Night

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Sally Macpherson writes: We fired salt, soda, wood and gas kilns, a roman kiln, oil drum firings and a bonfire firing. We glazed and fired about 100 plates in an electric kiln and a gas kiln; more than 60 were ready for the pizza night on Friday and the remainder were ready for the Social on Saturday. There were endless raku firings during the week, with unknown numbers of pots. I counted the pots that came out of the other kilns: 3 Gas reduction kilns 230 pots 6 Oil drum firings: 100 pots & beads Wood kiln: 275 pots Roman Kiln: 100 pots & 50 beads Salt Kiln: 104 pots Soda kiln: 325 pots Electric kiln & gas kiln (nonreduction): 100 plates Bonfire: 30 pots Grand Total: 1264 & beads & raku Photographs by Robi Bateman, Chris & Martin George, Liz Lewis, Sally Macpherson, Anja Penger, Marie Thompson, Peter Spital and an unknown photographer 10


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Ray Auker’s teapots giant and dwarf

Wild things

Jigger & Jolly

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Mould-making


AT

NEWMARKET

Rosella Schembri organised a group of Anglian Potters to represent us at the Newmarket Art, Craft and Design Show. We had a good position on the second floor and our stall looked very professional. There was a great deal of interest in our Association and especially in the Potters in Jesus Lane exhibition which was due to open the following week. Although two other Anglian Potters exhibiting separately were happy with sales, our group did find sales disappointing. The work represented at Newmarket by Anglian Potters was a testament to the vast knowledge, creativity and talent of our

Mary Wyatt

Rosella Schembri

ANGLIAN POTTERS

members. Many thanks to Rosella for her excellent organisation and for making it possible for our Association to be advertised to a wider public. Words: Mary Wyatt Pictures: Mary Wyatt, Rosella Schembri

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AND

CRAFT FAIR

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Dave Hough

coming up with the idea in the first place. This year again he was administrator, showed leadership in our teamwork, gave throwing demonstrations and was as a fellow ‘stall holder’ – wow… I know he, with me, wishes to re-echo a big ‘thanks’ to all who helped and made it such a successful weekend – and that of course was everyone. Words: Harvey Bradley Pictures: Harvey Bradley, Dave Hough

Harvey Bradley

When we meet together as Anglian potters we do so for a whole range of reasons. Our contribution to the Ickworth Wood Fair in October was particularly rich in these. As an association it is significant that, as with nearly all of our events, a great number of members made light work of a big task; in this case setting up two large marquees to form our long exhibition gallery. As friendly competitors the tabletop displays varied from ‘tried and tested’ professional display to more experimental set ups. As someone put it, seeing your work along side other members’ pottery really gets you to ‘raise your game’. For some members this was their first occasion of presenting their work in this sort of public setting and the lessons learnt will be valuable, I am sure. Many found the social aspects of sharing views and considering advice, combined with the opportunity to glaze and raku pots, reminded them of the potters’ camp. Next year it is possible that some will even camp overnight to make the most of the weekend. Who knows, we might find even more aspects of the potters’ weekend creeping into the proceedings. Speaking of which we must again thank Jerry for his energy in delivering and masterminding the constructing and deconstructing of the marquees, and keeping them in store for future use. Ian of course needs again to be commended for

Harvey Bradley

Dave Hough

ICKWORTH WOOD SALE


Harvey Bradley

Ian demonstrating to an enthralled audience

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ANIMAL MAGIC Down on the Farm with the Sculpture Lounge I don’t often go on courses as group tuition isn’t my thing – too many bad memories of school, I think! However, I am all too aware that enthusiasm can only get you so far and that, sometimes, the guidance of an expert hand can make all the difference to the progress of your work. So, it was with mixed feelings of hope and terror that I signed up for a four-day course with Brendan Hesmonhalgh at The Sculpture Lounge, just outside Holmfirth. I had been mulling over the idea for a couple of years, actually; ever since I first saw David Cooke’s amazing wildlife sculptures at Art in Clay and picked up one of his leaflets. And, having spoken to some people, I soon established that there is a well trodden path between East Anglia and this particular corner of the Peak District. In fact, when I arrived, I met another member of Anglian Potters, who had come up from Norfolk like me, and who has been on several courses with the Sculpture Lounge. We spent our first morning familiarizing ourselves with the studio space where we would be working, and we were introduced to the mould-making studio, which is the domain of Martin Norman. Martin makes bronze and bronze resin castings for Brendan and David, as well as several other well-known sculptors, including one of my favourites, Paul Smith. It was a rare treat to watch him work and to be able to ask questions about the various moulding processes involved – and, I gather that Martin

Brendan’s bronze hare

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basically threw myself on his mercy, explaining that I hated what I had done so far and had no idea how to get back on track. “There’s always one on every course!” he responded, cheerfully, before talking me through what I liked/disliked about my maquette and what I wanted to achieve from the final sculpture. He encouraged me to play around with the clay and make a few more studies; experiment with different attitudes and really look at the way a goat is put together in real life. He didn’t have to say it, but I knew how much I have neglected my sketch books in recent years, and resolved to get into good habits of life drawing when I got back to my own studio, since there is no more certain key

will be offering courses himself in the coming year. After a good lunch we were each instructed to make one or several maquettes of our chosen animal. We had been given the brief beforehand and the suggested subject for this course was a farmyard animal, although this was not prescriptive, and those who had an entirely different kind of creature in mind were encouraged to follow their own idea. Not having tackled any kind of animal standing on four legs before, I felt that a farm animal would be challenge enough and I plumped for a goat, for no other reason than that I think they have sweet faces. I came armed with sheaves of photographs I had taken at a local rare breeds farm and, as the week progressed, was grateful for the preparation I had done. My first attempt, however, was not a success: never having worked this way before, I think I tried to put too much detail into my model, with the result that I completely forgot to put it in an interesting pose or give it any ‘life’. I then spent a sleepless night fretting and fearing that I was going to be spending the next three days struggling and fighting to get anything out of the clay. I buttonholed Brendan at morning coffee the following day and

to successful sculpting than to be completely familiar with your subject. The majority of day two was taken up with making the body, which Brendan feels is the most important part and which enables the rest of a piece to come together more easily. There were three choices of clay on offer, all of which were grogged stoneware. One, which I didn’t try, (maybe next time!), fires to a rich chocolatey black and has almost the appearance of being wood-fired. Brendan showed us a slab building technique to make a hollow structure, which is then pushed gently from the inside to build out the shape of belly, backbone, upper thighs, etc. I had seen Elaine Peto demonstrate something similar before at a show, so was familiar with the idea in principle –


putting it into practice was quite a different matter, however, and I was surprised at how long it took to get my clay cylinder to resemble the body of a pot bellied goat. We were taught by a combination of formal group demonstration and individual tuition and, with The Sculpture Lounge only taking a small number of students on each course, Brendan was able to get around to everyone quite comfortably. He is definitely a natural teacher and knows instinctively when to intervene and when to stand back and let you work something out for yourself. He is also good at pushing you to achieve just that little bit more than you thought yourself capable of. Over the four days I saw a variety of pieces take shape, from a pig to a hare, to an ambitious water feature involving a flock of guinea fowl, and a lively sculpture of the Musicians of Bremen – and each one was completely individual and reflected the personality of its maker, rather than being pale imitations of Brendan’s own work. Days three and four were taken up with the making of limbs and head. Like the body, these are made from hollow slabs of clay and Brendan showed us how to create wrinkles, paw pads, and even fur texture, by scoring the clay from behind and then pushing it gently into shape. The most difficult thing to learn was how to do this without handling the clay too much and losing what he calls the ‘clayness’ of the clay. My goat came together quite quickly once I had got his back legs on and there was something of an end of term feeling on the last day, with everyone putting the finishing touches to their pieces. There was much hilarity and ribald discussion about the size of a boy piglet’s

‘bits’, which Brendan and the only male student on the course wisely kept out of! I came on this course because I wanted to learn how to sculpt more freely and, having seen Brendan’s work before and admired his style, felt that I could learn a lot from him. I took away with me far more than I could have hoped for: a renewed confidence, a fresh perspective, and memories of an exhilarating week in the company of many talented people. I will definitely go back again and, next time, I shall take full advantage of The Sculpture Lounge’s facilities and generous stock of clay and make something really big… a life-sized water buffalo, perhaps?... Words and pictures: Christine Pike

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AT

WEST ROW, MILDENHALL

The raku day with Beryl Hines proved so popular that the organisers, Cathy D’Arcy and Susan Cupitt, arranged to extend it to a whole weekend. About ten people arrived at Cathy’s house in West Row each day. We were very fortunate that the weather was perfect on both days. The days started with Beryl giving us a very informative talk on the history of raku followed by a great deal of practical information with regard to different types of kiln and firing possibilities: the makeup and application of glazes, uses of lustre etc. Beryl also stressed the importance of preparing a clear and organised space in which to fire a kiln and of observing simple safety rules. After a splendid communally provided lunch in the garden we got on with glazing the pots we had brought with us. Both Beryl and Cathy fired kilns, three in all, and everyone was able to be ‘hands on’

Susan Cupitt

RAKU WEEKEND

throughout the whole process of the firing and reductions of the pots. I personally found the day very confidence-building and can approach firing my small raku kiln with much less trepidation! The whole experience was most enjoyable and provided yet another way of meeting with other Anglian Potters, learning new skills and exchanging news and views. Thanks to Beryl for sharing her expertise and to Susan and Cathy for the organisation and provision of such a great venue. Words: Marie Thompson; pictures: Barry Pratt and Susan Cupitt

NEW CONTROLLER FOR 13 amp KILNS

Unit 9 Pywell Court, Pywell Road, Willowbrook Industrial Estate, Corby Northants NN17 5WA Telephone and Fax: 01536 269229 Mobile: 07711 773913 Email: info@corbykilns.co.uk Web: www.corbykilns.co.uk

Based on the successful ST315 kiln controller, this model has been developed for use specifically with 13 amp kilns. It will store up to 9 programmes, each with up to 9 segments. One controlled heating or cooling ramp and one soak per segment. Fitted with a 13 A UK fused moulded plug, 2 metres of cable. You simply plug your kiln into the socket on the controller, plug the controller into the wall, and insert a thermocouple into the kiln.

No call-out charge as you can upgrade your kiln yourself!! If your kiln has a kiln sitter device we recommend that you use a high fire mini-bar in it, just as an over-firing precaution. Optional wall bracket also available. Our price for the controller, wall bracket and a type R thermocouple is normally £294 + VAT (£338.10). For Anglian Potters members we are pleased to offer a discount of £20. (£318.10). For more information on this and other controllers we can offer please email or phone.

Please mention the Anglian Potters Newsletter when replying to this advert.

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Photos: Barry Pratt


MEMBERS’ WORK ON DISPLAY AT MUNDFORD

AGM PROPOSAL ON SELECTED MEMBERS At the AGM this year the subject of Selected Membership came up again, and the discussion ended with the proposal that the committee should contact Selected Members who have been inactive for three years. The committee has discussed this proposal, but feels that there is nothing to be gained by the association from doing this. Although the constitution states that Selected Members are ‘expected to contribute to the running of the association’, we should bear in mind that the situation may not always be within their control. There are many reasons why one of us, whether selected or otherwise, might not play an active role. It can be age, ill health, or a trauma which brings with it a period of inactivity. Is it in the interest of the association to encourage members to resign who may not be active (although they may have contributed much in the past) but who out of loyalty to the association and to old friends are still paying their subscriptions? We feel that contacting them is not in the spirit of friendship and mutual support that the association stands for. However, the fact remains that Selected Membership is seen as a problem by some members. What can we do about this? If any member wishes to make a proposal, please submit this formally in writing to the Secretary by 15 January 2010. This and any proposal that the committee might recommend will be discussed at the AGM. Happy potting to you all, Susan Cupitt

S.J. Perks Tel: 07799 482342 email: perkssj@yahoo.co.uk

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Marianne Toogood

Stephen Parry: Demonstration 7 February, Mundford Sally & Alasdair MacDonell: Demonstration 28 March, Mundford AGM & JJ Vincent: 16 May, Mundford Potters’ Camp: 29 July-1 August, Shotley Summer Show: Exhibition 14 August-1 September, Emmanuel College Bridget Drakeford: Demonstration 7 September, Mundford Christine Hester Smith: Demonstration 17 October, Mundford

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 students of ceramics – proof of status is required

ADVERTISING RATES

Victor Knibbs

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Photos: Carolyn Postgate

Returning potter desperately seeking used Ray Scott gas kiln in return for real immediate money.

Helen Humphreys

DIARY DATES 2010:

COPY DATE FOR

SPRING NEWSLETTER:

1 FEBRUARY 2010 FOR PUBLICATION BY:

Colin Saunders

1 MARCH 2010


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