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.

Announcing our May 16 meeting

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, we'd love to invite you to our next meeting.

We will be sponsoring 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.

Our meeting on May 16 will be at Vina's home. We start promptly at 2pm.

Marcia, our president, always has an agenda that we follow but new ideas and thoughts for our group are always welcome under "New Business", so we'd love to hear from all of you.

After the business meeting, Vina is going to show "How To Make A Group or Personal Totem Pole with Clay".  Several of her students, who each work with clay in very different ways, have pieces on the totem that  they will be able to discuss.

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

Anyone interested in joining us is welcome.  If you would like directions to Vina's home please contact our Secretary at Claynetwork.com@gmail.com.

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