Empty Bowls November 17th, 2009

Clay Network was happy to participate in the 25th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009. Our bowls were sold to support the food bank.

A Note From the C.N. President

Details from Marcia's platter

A Note from Marcia

Public awareness is growing thanks to the hard work of Pat Robey and Marilyn Smart as all those attending the Empty Bowls event at the Prime Osborne Center this November 17^th will be introduced to Clay Network. Displayed and featured separately from the general Empty Bowls collection, event attendees will be able to purchase donated pots made by Network members and treated to live demonstrations. To help support the Empty Bowls Project, Ken Stutes, owner of Avondale Artworks, is featuring a selection of Clay Network bowls (complete with Network signage and artist credit) in his gallery right up to event time. What a bonus for our membership!

As an organization, Clay Network is heading in the right direction. Membership and meeting attendance is increasing. Workshops held at our bi-monthly meetings are met with great enthusiasm and, as always, the camaraderie at pot luck time is filled with lively conversation and sharing of ideas. As we head toward Thanksgiving time, a number of members are working to fill the Clay Network booth with a wide variety of handcrafted works in clay just in time for the holiday gift giving season! What a wonderful way to end the year.

See you all at the November meeting.

Marcia

Side note: Throughout this hectic period, I ask that each member keep long time CN members Katy and Mike McIntire in their thoughts and prayers.

Katy and Mike,

Speaking for the general membership, our condolences on the loss of your daughter.

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We want to remind you to come out to the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens First Anniversary Celebration, on Saturday November 14^th from 10am-4pm. Some of our Clay Network members will be there selling outdoor garden pottery.

The Empty Bowls Luncheon is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 17., please remember to get your donations to Pat or Marilyn before then. You can bring your bowls to the meeting if you haven't already delivered them.

November 28 & 29 is the Fall Art & Craft Festival,
St. Augustine's Premier Art Festival. Mark your calendars! Held Thanksgiving Weekend, Nov. 28 & 29. Clay Network will be there with throwing demos and sales of our beautiful pottery.

We will have our new Clay Network t-shirts at the upcoming meeting, Sunday, Nov. 15th! If you ordered one please remember your $20. If you have not ordered one, we will have a few extras for sale.

Directions to the meeting will be e-mailed directly to members soon. If you are not on our e-mail list please contact us for directions. Our meetings are open to all and you are invited.

We will be meeting in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, at Marcia's home.Our program will feature our web master, Randy, demonstrating the new Clay Network web site.As always, we will finish up the meeting with our fun and friendly potluck meal.

Please come and see your Clay Network friends.

September Meeting Summary

Pat's pottery using slip transfer method

On Sunday, September 20th, 2009,Clay Network was happy to meet at Wild Ginger Studios in lovely Green Cove Springs.Thank you to AJ and Karen for welcoming us to their clean and very well equipped clay facilities.

Our Clay Network banner will be printed soon. We will add .com to our name on the banner.

Christie spoke about Clay Network doing the St Augustine Fall Festival as a group. It is a perfect opportunity for those just getting started, who aren't ready to do a solo show. It is also good for those who don't do shows anymore but like to do something occasionally. She encouraged everyone to participate, if not in this event, then to prepare to join in the next.We will be dividing the fees of $225 and we will pay a small (10%) commission to our Clay Network on our sales.Clay Network will provide the tent, shelves, and we have the “tax number” to handle sales properly.We will have our booth at the end of a row this time. That will give us plenty of room for our demonstrations and for the crowds that love to watch us make the clay dance.

Clay Network is happy to participate in the 25th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, from noon – 1 p.m., at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. We will have our own table, with our Clay Network banner displayed. Our bowls will be sold to raise funds to support the food bank. We will also have a wheel to demonstrate throwing. All members are encouraged to donate for this worthy cause. Last year more than 1,200 people attended and the event raised over $75,000 for the Food Bank. We hope folks see the Clay Network name and get used to associating our group with fine clay works. There will also be a silent auction held, if you would like, you may donate a piece for that too.Pat and Marilyn are coordinating our participation in this event. Details and contact information has been emailed to members and friends.

Margaret will be collecting seaweed, as there is a good deal washing up at the beach behind her home now. Many members expressed interest in planning a sagger or pit firing workshop using seaweed, salt, copper, steel wool, cotton and various other ingredients to fire burnished low fired pots.

Marcia has made a “photo cube” from foam board. She will provide the opportunity for us to use her set up. We can all have nice pictures for our gallery pages on the up coming Clay Network web site.

The Clay Network will participate in the 2009 Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens First Anniversary Celebration. The event will be held Saturday November 14^th from 10am-4pm. We will be selling our garden art and pottery. Set up will begin at 8:30am and we will begin packing up at 4pm. You can visit http://www.jacksonvillearboretum.org/ for more information about the park. The celebration is covered under “things to do”. To participate in the sale, with the Clay Network, please contact Marcia.

Jane invited members to join her at the Unity Church on Race Track Rd. for a crafts sale Saturday, October 24^th, from 10am-4pm. An outdoor space of 12 x 12 is $25, an indoor space of 10 x 10 is $35. 15% commission on sales will be donated to the church. Please contact Jane if you would like to participate with her.

The Women's center of Jacksonville, and the St. Augustine Art Association also have a few upcoming events that they want us to know about. (Those items, and information about a workshop, have been posted under “opportunities in our area”. Please check the right side bar.)

Our next meeting will be held at 2pm on Sunday, November 15th at Marcia's home in the Arlington area of Jacksonville.

Program

AJ and Pat demonstrated a creative slip application method.

AJ began by brushing colored slip on newspaper, then carefully laying the paper, slip side down, on a prepared slab. She rubbed with her hand, and rolled the back of the paper with a “pony roller”. Then, carefully peeling back the newspaper, an irregular layer of colored slip was left on the clay. We learned that the slip she uses is colored with 20, 30, or up to 40% Mason Stains. She advised us to use another piece of newspaper to “blot” between applications. Next She added texture with a piece of netting. Then AJ trailed slip on a newspaper and waved it to dry “just until the shine goes off it”. She applied this to the slab as before. The layers of color and texture were built up a step at a time.

Pat showed us how to use a paintbrush handle to “write”on the backside of the slip coated paper. She uses stencils too. She noted that the stencils should be rolled into the clay well, so that the clay is pushing up through the openings. If slip is then applied with the paper, you get a “light effect” if you brush colored slip directly on the clay, you can get a darker, or more pronounced effect.

The “flinging” technique can be used to stretch the slab. The applied patterns will stretch too. Texture can be added with stamps, texture “sheets”, rollers, and stencils from craft stores, and with all types of “found” items. As she demonstrated, Pat's slab became rich in colors, textures and designs. So many possibilities!

What a wonderful demonstration! We all came away with great ideas to incorporate in our art.

Thank you AJ and Pat. You explained every step very well, and the beautiful pieces on display were quite inspirational.

A bountiful potluck meal was enjoyed by all as we chatted with our new members and friends.

If you have questions about any of the events, and do not know where to call, Lisa will be happy to put you in touch. (stixandstonz@hotmail.com).