May 16 Meeting - TOTEM INSPIRATIONS

WOW!  What and eventful meeting!

Our Library display schedule is finalized through April 2011.  Member’s works are displayed at local libraries to increase awareness of the art of pottery.  Although no selling is allowed, artist information is displayed along with the art.  Displays typically remain in place for four weeks and then are moved to the next venue.  If you would like your art displayed at one of the libraries, contact our secretary at ClayNetwork.com@gmail.com.

The meeting schedule for the rest of the year is as follows:

-         The July meeting will be at Marcia’s.  She will demonstrate how to prepare items for Raku firing.

-         A horse hair firing is in the works for our September meeting at Karen's.

-         Our November meeting will be at the Wild Ginger Studios in Green Cove Springs with Christie sharing what she learned at a recently attended workshop.

We discussed the many sales opportunities coming up including the Fall St Augustine Art Festival, ARTrageous, and the Bark ’n Art festival.  Details for these events can be found in the column to the right labeled “Opportunities”. 

Marcia announced the board will be developing the protocol for giving scholarships to members to help them attend workshop, seminars, or national meetings.  The recipient would be required to host a program sharing what they learned with the other members.

          

After the formal meeting, Vina shared personal totem poles that she and some of her students created.  These totems were opportunities to build garden sculptures with very personal themes.  One was a memorial for a lost child; the others were combinations of individual pieces with special meaning to the artist.

-          Some segments were built using the tar paper support system

-          Some used the extruder

-          Some used drape molds of foam that had been carved.

-          Extruded pieces were used as spacers

-          The totems were assembled using a metal bar for reinforcement

THANK YOU VINA AND STUDENTS FOR SHARING A GREAT PROJECT!

The Clay Network of Northeast Florida is an organization where clay artists have the opportunity to improve their knowledge, to foster interest in sincere, creative craftsmanship and to educate the public in the appreciation of ceramics in our community.  If you have an interest in ceramics and pottery, please join us at our next meeting.

Clay Network sponsors different selling events throughout the year.  We have 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.  As a member, you are also have the opportunity to borrow the tent for your own event for a small fee.  If you would like more information please contact our secretary, Mary Ellen at ClayNetwork.com@gmail.com.

Join us for fun and informative meetings.  Be sure to bring your favorite food item to share during our traditional pot luck that follows each program.

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.

Next Meeting September 20th

Tim Bullard at the Riverside Arts Market

The St. Augustine Art Association seeks "Touchable Art"

The St. Augustine Art Association invites artists to submit "touchable" works of art into the 8th Annual Tactile Art Show, held Oct. 4 through 28. Artwork will be received on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, from noon to 7p.m. in the Main Gallery at 22 Marine Street. Entry fee is $15 per piece for StAAA members and $35 per piece for non-members. Artists may enter up to three works in any medium or subject matter.

The exhibit is part of the International Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month celebrated at such venues at the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind will prepare Braille labels for each entry.

Monetary prize awards, including the "Nancy Crisp-Ellert Memorial for Best Fiber Art," will be presented at the Opening Reception on Sunday, Oct. 4th from 2 to 5 p.m. A preview of the show will be open to the public during the First Friday Art Walk, Oct. 2. For information, call the St. Augustine Art Association at (940) 824-2310.

CONTACT: Elyse Brady

St. Augustine Art Association

22 Marine Street

St. Augustine, FL 32084

(904) 824-2310

staart@bellsouth.net

We are preparing for the next Clay Network meeting.

Please join us at Wild Ginger Studios in Green Cove Springs, on Sunday the 20th of September. We will begin our business meeting at 2pm.

Hot topics we will discuss include the Fall St. Augustine Art and Craft Festival. Clay Network will be there, November 28th and 29th, selling and demonstrating.
Margaret is already at work organizing for this show. Please contact her by September 20th to be included in the sale.
(Contact Lisa at stixandstonz@hotmail.com if you don't have Margaret's phone number or email address.)
Empty Bowls, the Riverside Arts Market, and some new opportunities will also be on the meeting's agenda.
Your participation and ideas are important to keep the Clay Network strong and growing.

After the business, we will enjoy a program "Techniques with Colored Slip".

AJ and Pat will demonstrate various techniques using colored slips. One of these is a transfer method with newspaper. An extension of this uses stamps and texture materials.
Come and learn something new that can be used to decorate and embellish your hand built or wheel thrown creations.

We will then enjoy a potluck meal and socializing with our clay friends.

I hope you can come we would all love to see YOU.

Clay Network has a clay art exhibit now on display at the Mandarin Regional Library. Please take a look if you are in the area. It will be there for the month of September.


A Note From Marcia

As most of you already know, former CN President Jonell Thatcher passed away July 29. Never one to accept defeat in any manner, Jonell’s long term battle with cancer never conquered her spirit, her laughter or determination. A simple look at the whimsical pottery she created tells her story and will continue to do so for all those fortunate enough to remember the person and the artist. She will be deeply missed.

Work progresses on the website. All that remains to complete the project are digital images from our membership. A number of members gathered for a photography session a short while back so we are well on our way to reaching that goal. As a reminder, the member’s on-line gallery will provide an outlet for each member to display their work, provide a contact link (if you desire), artist statement, or link your images to a personal website. This online gallery is open to all members from students to professionals and hobbyists to full time potters. Please contact me if you need additional information, have questions or need guidance photographing your work.

The Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens will host a First Anniversary Event on Saturday, November 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the arboretum. Last year's Grand Opening event was attended by approximately 600 people and attendance is expected to be greater this year. The event will feature great food, live music; guided nature walks with local biologists and naturalists, kids' activities, plant vendors, storytellers and craft booths. This event is free to the public. The coordinator of the craft event is looking for artist vendors who work within the “garden” nature theme. Each booth space costs $50, and each vendor is responsible for their own set-up. ClayNetwork will need to limit the number of members to no more than six and the vendor booth fee will be divided by the number of artists involved. Again, the tent, tables and shelves will be made available at no cost. So, if your work includes garden oriented work, consider taking part in this one day event….Christmas is around the corner! Contact me immediately if you have an interest.

Until the next time…

Marcia
Scheeterjm@aol.com