North Beaches Art Walk and Clay Network

Clay Network will be participating in North Beach Art Walk on Thursday, November 15, 2018 and Thursday, December 20, 2018  from 5p-9pm.  We will be located in front of Mezza Restaurant and Bar (110 1st St. Neptune Beach, FL 32266).  Members will be selling their one-of-a-kind, handmade pottery.  This is where you will find that unique piece of art that you've been looking for!  Stop by and see us!

JAX VEGFest and Clay Network, Saturday, November 10, 2018 10a-4p

Clay Network will have two booths at the JAX VEGFest on Saturday, November 10th, 2018 from 10a-4p.  Our members will be selling their handmade, unique pottery at this wonderful event.  We will also be providing demos on the wheel throughout the day and will be available to answer questions regarding all things clay.

Stop by and say "Hello" and support your local artists!

Clay Network General Meeting on November 11, 2018 @ 2pm

Please join us for our next meeting on Sunday, November 11, 2018 @ 2pm.  Our meeting will take place at Florida State College at Jacksonville South Campus (Beach Blvd).  Michael Cottrell, Director of the Ceramics Department will lead the demonstration for this meeting.  He will provide an overview of 3D printing and digital fabrication technologies as they relate to art, specifically ceramics.  He will reveal how the technology is used to create ceramic forms and tools to achieve a specific form using handbuilding and slip casting techniques.  Below is a pic of some examples.  This should be a great meeting that gives us a glimpse of cutting edge technology.

We will also have our general meeting and potluck.  Find us on FaceBook and Instagram, as well.

September 2018 Meeting at Wild Ginger Studio and Pottery

We had a great meeting at Wild Ginger Studio and Pottery in September 2018.  Sandy Woolley owner/operator of the studio kindly provided the space and led the demonstration.  Sandy showed how to create your own stains for adding to textured slabs.  She provided a recipe and provided tips and tricks to achieve the best results.

Sandy's Demo

Surface texture with stains

*using washes/stains to texture slabs, they don't stick to kiln shelf

*make buttons from scrap clay and then with the cord (fishing line) can use as a cut off      tool (made with 10 lb test)

*Use homemade mason wash (mason stain, flux, and water). The recipe is as follows: 1pt mason stain to 1 pt flux (gerstley borate or frit 3134) and 1 pt water, if going to cone 6.  If firing to cone 10 (gerstley borate or frit 3195) and 3 pts water is needed

There are 2 ways to proceed: 

1. take a slab and maybe begin with the light colors as the background and the darker colors dry brushed after the lighter colors
2. Be sure to have a plan for what you are going to make.  Using the least amount as possible on brush and using a fan brush, paint the slab. Then, using the texture mat on top of the stain. This then will cause the texture to be actually white or of less color as they are spread out more.  Moving in the same direction, basically dry brush the color on.  On the second slab, textured first and then paint on the stain.  
3. Finally, use the press-n-go system to get a bowl or plate

Atlantic Pottery Supply, Inc will be offering monthly educational opportunities.  The first one is on October 20, 2018 from 11a-1p.  Looks like a great opportunity and we all love FREE events to mingle and learn!

Empty Bowls Duval County November 2, 2018

Clay Network will be participating in the Empty Bowls of Duval County in participation with Feeding NE Florida.  The event will be held on Friday, November 2, 2018 from 11:30-1pm at the Jacksonville Public Library-Main Branch.  Members will be creating unique, one of a kind bowls to donate to the cause.  These items will be available for purchase at the event.  Student bowls will be offered to the participants with their ticket purchase.
Stay tuned for more information and photos of the items that we will be donating!

Clay Network Bi-Monthly Meeting on Sunday, September 9, 2018 @ 2pm

Please join us for our next meeting tomorrow, September 9th, 2018 at 2pm at Wild Ginger Studio in Green Cove Springs, FL.
Please contact us for additional information.

Our meetings are free and open to all levels of clay enthusiasts - students and beginners to professional clay artists  If you are not a Clay Network Member, but would like information about this meeting or information about Clay Network membership, please contact our Corresponding Secretary at claynetwork2014@gmail.com or you can find the Membership Form on our Facebook page (left side under the "Notes" tab).
You are invited to attend even if you are not yet a member!

Clay Network Bi-Monthly Meeting held on July 8, 2018 from 2pm-5pm

Our bi-monthly meeting was held on Sunday, July 8, 2018 from 2p-5p. Polly Beach, owner/operator of the Clay Times Art Center in Fernandina Beach graciously offered to host our meeting, as well as organize our member workshop. 

Polly arranged for Herrick Smith to be the guest artist. Herrick is the ceramic tech for UNF and he demonstrated his technique for producing and assembling very large forms. He used his preferred, dug clay and utilized pre-made sections to show how he makes and joins the leather hard sections into completed forms. His finished, fired works were on exhibition at the Clay Times Center so that anyone interested was able support his art via purchase of his work.  Herrick was a pleasure to watch and he demonstrated his techniques with skill and ease.  

The Clay Times Art Center is a wonderful new addition to Northeast Florida.  The center offers classes, studio space, a gallery, and a pottery supply store.

We have been invited back to hold one of our meetings there in the future and we look forward to our next adventure there.

Clay Network Bi-Monthly Meeting Sunday, May 6, 2018 2pm-5pm

Please join us for our bi-monthly meeting on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 2p-5p. We have altered the date from the second Sunday due to the holiday (Mother's Day). Our meeting will be held at member Christie Rogers' home studio. The address will be provided in a separate email. 

Christie recently attended a workshop in Ellijah, NC by local potter (GA) Lora Rust (www.lorirust.com) and she will be providing a hands-on demo of what she gleaned from the program with the unusual technique of "pushing the clay". Christie will use the simple tools to demonstrate and we will have several to share, as well as some to be given as a raffle prize. If you would like to participate in the "hands-on" portion, PLEASE BRING A SLAB OF CLAY on a ware board to practice. 

As always, our meeting will begin with a fantastic potluck "Meet and Eat". Please bring a dish and a friend to share in the love for all things clay. There will be vegetarian and vegan options available.

Following the potluck, we will begin with the demo/hands-on session. The general meeting will ensue after the demo. Please bring ideas for future meetings, meeting place locations, classes, workshops, tools, tips, ideas, field trips, and pretty much anything clay related!

At each meeting, we have a FREE "Cool Tool" raffle! Who doesn't like FREE?? You don't want to miss that...

As always, our lending library will be available to members for check out. We are always adding new selections for up to date, cutting edge information.

Meeting Sunday

Our next meeting will begin at 2pm, on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at Clay Times Art Center, Fernandina Beach, FL
Please contact us for additional information.

Our meetings are free and open to all levels of clay enthusiasts - students and beginners to professional clay artists. If you are not a Clay Network Member, but would like information about this meeting or information about Clay Network membership, please contact our Corresponding Secretary, at ClayNetwork2014@gmail.com or you can find the Membership Form on our Facebook page (left side under the "Notes" tab)
You are invited to attend even if you are not yet a member!

***North Beaches Art Walk Spring 2018***

Clay Network will be participating in the North Beaches Art Walk in Neptune Beach, FL for the spring session.  The event is held on the 3rd Thursday of each month (April 19, May 17, June 21).  If you are a member and would like to participate, let us know and we will share the details.  This is a great sales opportunity.

Dana Drake of Om Pottery at March 11, 2018 meeting

Textured rollers and stencil making
(Clay Network Meeting 3/11/2018 hosted by Dana Drake of Om Pottery)

• choose various sizes of 1/2” smoothed edged boards in the size of the dish that you would like to make, eg: 3” X 6”
• on an 8.5 X 11 inch piece of paper, lay the board directly in the center and trace around the board
• now fold the piece of paper in half, and then half again
• the tracing of your board will be visible (a fourth of it)...you will then want to cut around the tracing of the board pattern to create a template (similar to making snowflake designs like we did when we were kids)
• open the template and see that you now have a template to lay on your slab to cut out that will then fit your pre-selected board (texture if first)
• roll texture onto your slab using textured roll pins (you can texture both sides)
• place your textured slab onto a piece of foam...PRESS down on to your textured slab with the board into the foam and VOILA! You just made a beautiful dish!

Dana suggested the following sites for more information regarding texture rollers and such:
www.etsy.com/shop/AlgisCrafts
www.vangilderpottery.com/online-store

She recommends VanGilder’s textured block set, as well as the sponges
www.joann.com/darice-foamies-foam-roll-36inx60in-white

Clay Network General Meeting on May 6, 2018 at 2pm

Hello All!  

Spring is flying by and the next meeting is rapidly approaching!  Our last meeting was well attended and a great success.  We want to thank Dana Drake for her outstanding presentation and attention to detail.  Everyone came home with new ideas and samples of utilizing textured rolling pins and stencil making for "press and go" dishes. Please see the attachment for various sources that Dana uses to make these beautiful dishes and the pictures of our group in action.  Also, post your finished items on our Facebook page or email here to share with all.

Please join us for our bi-monthly meeting on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 2p-5p. We have altered the date from the second Sunday due to the holiday (Mother's Day). Our meeting will be held at member Christie Rogers' home studio.  Please message here for the address to this meeting. 

Christie recently attended a workshop in Elijah, NC by local Georgia potter, Lora Rust (www.lorirust.com),  and she will be providing a hands-on demo of what she gleaned from the program with the unusual technique of "pushing the clay". Christie will use the simple tools she acquired to demonstrate and we will have several to share, as well as some to be given as a raffle prize. If you would like to participate in the "hands-on" portion, PLEASE BRING A SLAB OF CLAY on a ware board to practice.

As always, our meeting will begin with a fantastic potluck "Meet and Eat". Please bring a dish and a friend to share in the love for all things clay. There will be vegetarian and vegan options available.

Following the potluck, we will begin with the demo/hands-on session. The general meeting will ensue after the demo. Please bring ideas for future meetings, meeting place locations, classes, workshops, tools, tips, ideas, field trips, and pretty much anything clay related!

At each meeting, we have a FREE "Cool Tool" raffle! Who doesn't like FREE?? You don't want to miss that...

As always, our lending library will be available to members for check out. We are always adding new selections for up to date, cutting edge information.

See you at the meeting!

Cindy Ward
Secretary
Clay Network

***Clay Network General Meeting, Sunday, March 11, 2018 2p-5p

Please join us for our bi-monthly meeting to be held in St. Augustine, FL at the home of Dana Drake, owner of Om Pottery. She will be hosting the meeting in the clubhouse of her community association. Dana plans to share with a demonstration and hands-on of her technique in making templates for slab pieces. She plans to focus on pieces that she uses to fill the empty spots in the kiln. 
If you would like to participate in the hands-on portion, please bring a rolled slab (12x12) OR a few balls of clay that can be rolled out there on site, a bat to work on, tools (fettling knife, rib for compressing, sponge), and scissors for template cutting. 

Our meetings will start with a fantastic potluck "Meet and Eat", which will be followed by a Dana's demo. The general meeting will begin after the workshop portion. 
There is typically a FREE raffle for a pottery related item and our fantastic lending library is always available. We have new books for checkout so don't miss this meeting. 

**Directions to the meeting will be provided in a separate email

Clay Network Sales Opportunity

Clay Network will be participating in the NE Florida VegFest on Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 11a-6pm at Riverside Park in Jacksonville, FL.

If you are a member and would like to participate with our group, please email or message our group on FaceBook.

Best Regards,
Clay Network Secretary

Clay Network General Meeting TODAY from 2-5pm in Flagler Beach

Hello All!

We are excited for the meeting today at Down to Earth Pottery Studio in Flagler Beach at 805 N. Ocean Shore Blvd, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 from 2-5pm.   Please remember to bring money for the T-shirts if you have ordered one.

Have fun and bring ideas for future meetings!

Best Regards,
Clay Network Secretary
Cindy Ward