Volume 14 Issue: Sept 2015 Inside this issue • Letter from the Editor • John’s column • Introducing... • Celebrate Spring • • Porcelain Tealight Workshop • Living garden of clay hands • 2015 Calendar • • Gauteng Committee and • New members Cecilia Robinson
Gauteng Region
Affiliate South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA)
Editoria Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Ceramics SA.
B
y the time you read this newsletter you should have received the first issue of our new magazine – CERAMICS SOUTHERN AFRICA.
Within the content you will all find something to inform, inspire, entertain and amaze you . The articles are thought provoking and well written, the photographs a true reflection of the subjects they cover. All in all this is a publication which does Ceramics SA proud and proclaims a clear message that we represent the best ceramic artists, potters and sculptors.
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Many thanks and congratulations to Lydia Holmes, for editorship Sue Calf, for the design work, and to Cynthia, who kept track of the finances and dealt with the advertisers
The magazine has been issued with an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) through the institute in Paris. This means that anyone can access information for research purposes. We also have reciprocal arrangements with other international magazines. So, if your work is featured in Ceramics Southern Africa it will be spread much further than our borders. To maintain this standard we invite all the members to become involved – let us have your opinions and suggestions, offer to contribute articles, advertise events such as private exhibitions and send in any names of potential advertisers. Show the magazine to your non member friends and students (if you have a teaching studio) and encourage them to subscribe or to join CSA. Taking ownership of the magazine has been a major learning curve and taken much longer than expected, but the result speaks for itself. Many thanks and congratulations must go to Lydia Holmes, the chairperson of the Eastern Cape region, who took the responsibility of the editorship and who has worked tirelessly to make sure everything came together. She had wonderful support and endless hours of work from Sue Cox, one of our Gauteng members, who did the design work, and from Cynthia, who kept track of the finances and dealt with the advertisers, who came on board and deserve all our support for their products and services. Enjoy your first copy – it will be published four times a year as usual.
Jerice.
John’s Column
W
ell the 3rd of October will be here before we know it and that is a date that should be sitting on all of our minds as that is the date for submissions for the Gauteng Regional Exhibition. This is one of the premier events on our ceramic calendar and it truly is a good representation of all there is to value in the local ceramic world. As a member you are entitled to take part and it is such a wonderful opportunity for everyone, that I think you should be obligated to participate. Although for a lot of entrants the thought of going through a selection panel is pretty daunting, it is also what makes getting onto the exhibition so exciting. The standard is high and for that reason not all work submitted is accepted, but also it gives one something to strive for. And, if you don’t get onto the show there is an opportunity for feedback as well. What I am really saying is don’t be put off by the fact that there is selection, but rather look it as an opportunity for getting your work seen in the company of some of the leading names in local ceramics. I cannot urge you strongly enough to participate on all exhibitions, and the regional in particular. If you are starting out it is an excellent opportunity to have your work seen by a large number of ceramists, enthusiasts and collectors. For the established artist it presents an opportunity to show your work as part of the Gauteng ceramic collective, and this collective will be more or less, depending on your participation. The regional exhibitions are very well attended events and this year the exhibition will be held at the FADA Gallery at the University of Johannesburg. There is always a wonderful buzz surrounding this event and surely it is not something you want to miss out on! So remember the 3rd October. Write it down, or memorize it but please make sure to have some excellent work to bring through on that date.
the 3rd of October will be here before we know it...
INTRODUCING . . .
Claire Waters
A
ttending a clay festival workshop with Elza van Dijk in 2008 reignited my interest in clay. For me, mixing fibre into clay took away all the angst around exploding pots and cracked works of art that took hours of labour. I went away and started experimenting with paper and other inclusions. After rice, tapioca and dried peas I finally discovered buck droppings produced the effect I was seeking. The resulting vessels, fresh out of the kiln, landed me the 2013 premier award at the CSA Gauteng Regional Exhibition. My career prior to 2010 spanned many disciplines in the creative industry, including illustration, stencil cutting and silk screen printing, embroidery design, technical drawing and finally computer aided design and graphic design. I have no formal training and learned these skills “on the job”. For the past 20 years I have worked from home as graphic designer and teacher while my childen grew up. I was originally introduced to ceramics as a child by Lilian Pinchook, a family friend, ceramist and craft teacher. Following up on this I attended ceramic classes with Pat Young during my high school years. Recently I have workshopped with John Shirley and taken regular classes with Wendy Goldblatt. Although I am compelled to live everyday in a profusion of colour, from interior decor to clothing, I prefer to keep to the natural, striking combinations of black, white and terracotta in my ceramic work. Plant and animal life, and ancient indigenous art, craft and ornament are my inspiration. I spend a large part of my time drawing ideas in pencil and ink - my latest ideas involve pattern and tessellation influenced by african textiles and the work of artist MC Escher.
Claire Waters Ceramist 082 535 6680
My Name is Claire Waters and I work from my home in Kensington, Johannsburg. I began working with clay after attending a paperclay workshop with Ilze van Dijk in 2008. I experimented with inclusions from then and finally found buck droppings formed the termite mound effect I was looking for. I was awarded the premier award for my resulting vessels at the 2013 CSA Gauteng regional exhibition. My career prior to 2010 was in the creative industry that spanned many disciplines including illustration, stencil cutting and silk screen printing, embroidery design and technical drawing and finally computer aided design and graphic design. I have no formal training I ran my own graphic design business for 20 years as my children grew up. I was originally introduced to ceramics as a child by a family friend, ceramist Lilian Pinchook. Followed with classes with Pat Young in high school. Although I am compelled to live everyday in a profusion of colour from interior decor to clothing I have kept to the natural colours in my ceramic work which can be striking with the black, white and terracotta variations. As well as plant and animal life, indiginous and ancient art, craft and ornament are my influence and inspiration.
zooid |ˈzōˌoid| nounZoology
an animal arising from another by budding or division, esp. each of the individuals that make up a colonial organism and typically have different forms and functions.
zooid |ˈzōˌoid|Claire Waters nounZoology
an animal arising from another by budding Ceramist 6680 that or division, esp. each of082 the 535 individuals make up a colonial organism and typically have different forms and functions.
The group of gourd-shaped of vessels displayed here suggest the rythm and The groupofof gourd-shaped vessels exhibited pattern nature and are handbuilt in here suggeststoneware the rhythm and clay, pattern traditional terracotta blackof and white (with no plants and clay are slips handbuilt in inclusions). traditional The zoids bring to my mind of coral stoneware terracotta clay colonies and black and or seaweed wavingThe in the oceanbring currents. white clay slips. zooids to my
mind colonies of coral or seaweed waving in the ocean currents. I have tried to convey the idea of the structure of plants and their ability to grow into seemingly implausible forms that appear to defy gravity. Tension is created between the vessels through each ones assymetryical balance.
Claire Waters Ceramist 082 535 6680
Celebr
the beginning
This will be our third annual Potter’s Market held at the Association of Arts Pretoria.
None of us are professional event organisers and we have tried our best to give CSA members and the public what they want. We’ve learnt some lessons, mainly that we need a huge advertising budget to really catapault the event. Sadly CSA does not have the resource or budget to do huge amounts of advertising like street pole and magazine adverts and we have to be innovative to make a little go a long way. We try as much as possible to get free advertising in news and internet sites such as http://ShowMePretoria.co.za/, local newspapers, and through the Ass of Arts membership. Our dedicated Pretoria committee members distribute leaflets to galleries, shops, churches and homes in the area. We also advertise on our CSA facebook and web sites.
rate
ginning of
Spring
We are appealing to you to support the Potters Market, in whatever small or big way you can. Tell your friends, send out the poster to your mailing list, and post it on social media. Best of all support by taking a table for only R200 (or share a table for R100 each), and help us to build this event into a highly anticipated market that the public flock to every year.
Many people who have attended the Cape Town Potters Market in Rondebosch know how successful that event is. Some potters make many thousands of Rands in a morning and people from all over come to buy no matter whether there is a gale blowing. This market didn’t become the success it is in a year or two. It took many years to get it off the ground and Betsy Nield ( former Chair for W Cape) told me she had to literally beg potters to take a stand in the early years. The highly successful Cape Town market is in its 40th year and now runs twice a year. Let’s be consistent, and persistent, and
show that we can also put in the hard work to build up our event over the years by supporting, no matter what the weather or sales may be on the day. If you are taking a table, put your good work forward and go the extra mile to do an eye catching display so that we maintain the high standard that we have already started. We are all ceramic ambassadors and it’s a great opportunity to show the public what we are passionate about. We want visitors to feel inspired and to start asking us when the next event will be held. Sometimes it’s the long term vision that counts more than the short term success and we are in for the long haul!
We are still taking late bookings for tables at the market so contact Cynthia ASAP if you’d like to participate. Email ceramicssa@ icon.co.za Hope to see you and your closest 100 friends at the Potters Market!
Porcelain
Tealight
Workshop
I
magine how delighted Michelle Legg and I were to be invited to present a workshop in the beautiful Midlands at the studio of Trayci Tompkins, owner of Zulu Lulu Art House at the Piggly Wiggly Centre in Dargyle, near Howick. We were told we’d be accommodated in a huge rambling farmhouse with open fireplaces and a magnificent Housekeeper Mirriam to look after us. The beautiful farmhouse we stayed in belongs to Kandy Slater, Financial whizz working for Zulu Lulu. We took about 2 milliseconds to make the decision to go!!
had not even worked with clay. Michelle demonstrated how to make the tealights and the creative juices started to flow. We were amazed at how easily they took to the technique and within a few hours, there were rows of gorgeous tealights lining up for firing. Because they were made using paper porcelain, Trayci fired them the next day and they were able to take the finished tealights home on the third day. As it was a long weekend, most of the participants had made a long weekend of it and were thrilled to attend and take home their pieces in such a short space of time.
The workshop consisted of about 10 ladies who belong to an Art Club and they get together regularly to learn new skills and just have fun being creative. None of them had worked with porcelain and most
Although the workshop was really rewarding, for me the highlights of the trip were the many excursions we were taken on by Trayci and Kandy. We visited the Mandela Monument at the site where Mandela was arrested,
Lindsay, Trayci an
Michelle, Colleen and Trayci
literally down the road from where we were based. It’s a very moving experience and definitely worth a visit. We also browsed around many antique shops and went to Howick Falls, something I haven’t done since I was a child. We also had lunch in a fabulous restaurant at the top of a mountain that had very interesting restrooms with glass walls so we could see the animals close up! The highlights of our trip were the 2
nd Michelle
visits to local potters Lindsay Scott and Ian Glenny. Both are legends in the South African ceramic community and it was an absolute pleasure to see them in their studios surrounded by loads of their gorgeous pots. It was a feast for the eye and nourishment for the soul.
Ian Glenny
Lindsay Scott
Do yourself a favour and book a weekend away in the Midlands – there are many wonderful B&B’s to stay in and so much to do.
Michelle and Ian Glenny
Living garden Sacred Heart College holds a 2 day festival every year in winter. Debbie le Roux, head of the cultural department, proposed and planned the idea of the clay hand vertical garden. Jana Kalmer, a Grade 12 pupil at the school, researched and wrote up the proposal as part of a matric project. I was asked to facilitate and advise on materials and make up a sample. Of course Belmont’s paper clay is ideal for workshops of this magnitude - 350 children ranging in age from 13 to 18 and varying creative experience.
Back to back workshops involving 35 kids • 112 hours The Kids had to: Notic Time d e: • Watch (and take in... ) demo (5 min) oes always nt • fi nd a table space, choose a terracotta, white add up ?!? or black ball of clay (5-20 min); • r oll it out (15 min); • t race and cut out hand and paint with contrasting colour slip (20 min); • p lace in sunny spot to firm up then sketch out a design (20 min); • r emember where clay hand is (5-30 min depending on memory) and carve design through slip to expose underlying clay (20 min);
al Logistiacre!! nightm
eing Jana b elp!! h such a
5 metres !!
The theme alternates every year between the sciences and the arts. This year the Cultural Department organised dance, hip hop, acappela, drumming, acting and art workshops.
By Claire Waters
of clay hands
Living garden of clay hands Being involved with this innovative and inspiring project was a joyful experience.
- CW
whe now, t u did I p nd ha
ere that d?
Gauteng Region
Gauteng Regional Exhibition Sun 11th October 11am to Fri 23 October 2015 UJ FADA Gallery
Venue :
UJ FADA Gallery, UJ Bunting Road Campus, Cottesloe CSA Gauteng members are invited to submit 3 pieces, of which 1 may be a set.
Important Dates
Submission of work : Sat 3rd October • 9am - 12 noon Selections : Sat 3rd October • 1pm - 3pm Collection of unsold work : Sat 24 October
Please contact Colleen or John if you have any questions. Colleen – 073 481 0889 John 083 407 5968
White Christmas Exhibition
Since graduating from art school, she has featured prominently at exhibitions, both as exhibitor and curator. She has already featured Association of Arts gallery in Pretoria prominently as finalist and December – their final exhibition for the year. prize-winner at Sasol's new signatures art competition, the Think about the festive season Thami – entertaining, Mnyele fine art platters for food, vessels for wine, exchanging competition and ceramics SA's regional exhibition in 2012. gifts, decorating spaces with a Christmas theme. first solo exhibition, titled The creative options are Her endless. Samsara... the journey of the soul is scheduled for the first If you would like to take part please send your name to Cynthia quarteravailable of 2013 aswhen part of her before 30 September. More details will be made M Tech degree in fine art. we have an idea of how many exhibitors we have.
+27 11 482-2215 1 Annet Road Cottesloe Johannesburg email: liebpott@iafrica.com www.liebermannpottery.com
An exciting array of Southern African potters and ceramic artists, both rural and urban, including˚Lisa Liebermann, are showcased at Liebermann Gallery. The Gallery is located in the historic Gas Works, close to the trendy Melville shopping area. Liebermann Pottery in Johannesburg has an extensive range of traditional handmade cottage tableware, dinnerware and ceramic picture tiles, brilliantlycoloured˚contemporary garden˚planters˚and vases, with their distinctive Liebermann ambience. For the Bonsai enthusiast, the Liebermann Gallery has the largest selection of planters on the continent. Our Cape Town gallery is situated on an old Cape farm, on Kommetjie Main Road, near Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula.˚
diary 2015 Sept
OCT Gauteng Region
Gauteng Regional Exhibition Sun 3rd Oct - Fri 23rd Oct 2015 UJ FADA Gallery Nov/ Dec
White Christmas Exhibition
Manufacturers and suppliers of a wide range of stoneware and earthenware clays for throwing, slab building and casting in buff, terracotta and white.
Telephone 082 808-9166 / 082 885-1103 Email: ndebelemining@gmail.com work and images supplied by Digby Hoets
Gauteng Region P O Box 2900 North Riding 2162 Gauteng R.S.A. Tel.: 074 703 4399 / Fax to email: 086 664 0958 ceramicssa@icon.co.za • www.ceramicssa.org
WELCOME to our NEW MEMBERS:
Tracy Caldwell, Helena de Waal, Caitlin Harper, Margaret Melville Hugo, Stephie Joubert, Stiaan Kritzinger, Jean Nicholson/Denese Denny and Maria Ziessler (C/M).
Gauteng Region Committee Name
Duties
Tel. No.
Mobile
Colleen Lehmkuhl Regional Chair/ 011 463 7262 073 481 0889 colleen@potterystudio.co.za Meeting Notes John Shirley
Vice Chair/ Exhibitions
011 640 4982 083 407 5968 johnshir@gmail.com
Drury Brandt
Logistics
011 807 9942 082 574 5800 drury@tiscali.co.za
Nici Brockwell
General Assist
011 702 4600 083 257 7330 nicibceramic@gmail.com
Gillian Clark
General Assist
011 706 7289 074 782 2640 gillian@lamariceramics. co.za
Dineke den Bakker Vaal Triangle Liaison
016 932 2173 082 715 1639 dineke.denbakker@lantic. net
Michelle Legg
Clay Festival/ Exhibitions
083 730 0250 michellejanelegg@gmail. com
Jerice Doeg
Exhibitions/ 012 460 6516 082 683 5680 jerice@informsa.co.za Meeting Notes
Darien Harrison
Catering
012 667 1207 082 463 8653 dunkelly@mweb.co.za
Rose Hobson
Clay Festival/ Exhibitions
084 436 4312 rosehobson@ gmail.com
Karen van der Riet General assist/ 012 660 2341 082 655 2121 karenvanderriet@gmail.com Potters’ Market Minette Zaaiman
General Assist
DTP: Claire Waters
012 460 5823 073 255 2482
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