March Meeting Notes

We had a great turnout for our meeting at Christie’s.  AND we were treated to Valet Parking!  With the wet weather, it was a luxury appreciated!!   Thank you Bill!!!

We decided to continue the Library shows for 2010.  Each exhibit has a coordinator who contacts the library, obtains works to be displayed, installs the items, takes down the display and transfers the items to the coordinator for the next library display.  Watch this site for announcements of when these exciting displays will at the Beaches, Mandarin, and Regency libraries.  Members are investigating whether or not we can expand our displays to the Ponte Vedra, Fernandina, Deerwood and St Augustine libraries.

Once again Clay Network will be at the St Augustine Spring Art and Craft Festival (April 10-11). Several of our members will be conducting throwing demonstrations.   Look for us - we will be the tent with the big crowds and the bright Clay Network Banner.  Members are encouraged to contact Jerry if they wish to sell or demo.

Another selling opportunity is the Art & About (April 24) in Orange Park at the grassy park between Kingsley Ave. and Park Ave.  You will find several of our members displaying their pieces at this fun neighborhood artisan event.

We will be sponsoring other selling events throughout the year.  Clay Network has a tent and shelves. We split the entry fees, take care of applications, and we help each other. This is an easy way to get involved in art festivals.  Selling opportunities are only a small part of the advantages of membership in Clay Network.  If you would like more information please contact our secretary, Mary Ellen at claynetwork.com@gmail.com.

Program.

Marcia demonstrated Mitch Lyons’ broomstick method of forming seamless hand built cylinders.  Being able to hand build a seamless cylinder eliminates a lot of areas of concerns over a seamed cylinder like being able to stretch it uniformly.  Her beautiful teapot at the top of the page was made from a cylinder constructed in this way with some altering and darting.

-She started with a  one pound ball of clay (she recommends starting small and increasing your clay amount as you master the technique) that she rolled into a solid cylinder that was the approximate length she wanted the finished cylinder to be – the form will grow in width but not height.

-She carefully threaded a small dowel through the center of the clay – be sure to keep it in the center -  much like centering on the wheel.  Then she rolled the clay and dowel rolling in one direction until the hole in the middle was large enough for the next larger dowel to be inserted.

- She then inserted the next larger dowel and repeated the process until the cylinder walls were the thickness desired.  The cylinder was completed by adding a bottom. 

-Lastly she showed how to make the spout using the above technique starting with a small cone-shaped bit of clay.

After the program, people were encouraged to try this method, and then we ended our fun afternoon with our traditional sumptuous pot luck meal.

First dowel is small.

Roll in one direction.

                                                       Increase the size of the dowel

                                                                 Finished wall thickness

                               Making a small spout

Members give it a try