May 2012

Our May 2012 meeting was held at Vina’s house.

The success of our 4^th Annual Ceramics in the Garden Show was our hot topic of discussion. The Network greatly appreciates all members who participated with a special Thank you to Rob, Christie, Jerry, Marsha and Mary for their above and beyond contributions. We learned many things at this years show that will make future shows even better. Our next Garden in the Ceramics Show is scheduled for December 8, 2012. Mark you calendars now!

The Network continues to display at various Libraries around Northeast Florida. So look for these displays at the following libraries this year:

June - The Beaches

August - St. Augustine

October - Mandarin

Additionally, we are hoping to add more Libraries as the year progresses.

No specific Tips, Tools, Techniques or Tidbits were brought to the meeting today. However, Christie shared pictures of a fascinating display of pottery and glass which she admired at a Museum in Arizona.

Program

Our presentation was by Vina who presented a program entitled “Colored Slip Decoration on Clay Tiles”.

Vina made her colored slip by crushing old clay with a rolling pin. The old dry clay in the instance was Phoenix “buff”. She used 100 grams of this clay and added 10-15% /grams of mason stain to achieve color. These dry materials were mixed together than sieved. Water was then added to a consistency that would allow flow through a bottle with a tip applicator. (Vina recycle’s hair color bottles for this purpose.) The slip is then applied to absorbent paper in the desired design. (Newspaper with or without the print as well as coloring books complete with designs work great for this purpose.) One must be remember that you need to work in reverse while putting on your different layers of colored slip. The paper with the slip design is then placed on clay that is a little softer than leather hard if the piece is finished or possibly softer if the piece is still yet to be formed. Once the paper has been place on the clay, the paper is then rolled onto the clay. After the clay has had time to absorb the slip, the paper can then be carefully removed. Be sure to check for adequate adhesion as you are slowly peeling away the paper. The advantage to placing the slip on paper and not directly on the clay is that the slip design is flat as opposed to dimensional. The ware is then bisque fired. Clear glaze, colored glazes or their combination are then painted on to coordinate with the colored slip. Vina used Amaco’s Potter’s Choice Glazes for her and her student’s samples. Vina then provided tiles and various colors of slip for everyone to try their hand at this technique which could then be taken home. Thank you Vina for not only sharing your expertise but for also hosting the meeting. Everyone enjoyed seeing your fabulous art collections!

March 2012

Our March 2012 meeting was hosted by Doug and Patty at their Dixie Pottery Studio.

The 4th Annual Ceramics in the Garden Show is April 14, 2012 with details available earlier in this Blog.

The Network continues to display at various Libraries around Northeast Florida. So look for these displays at the
following libraries this year:
June - The Beaches
August - St. Augustine
October - Mandarin
Additionally, we are hoping to add more Libraries as the year progresses.

One of the many benefits of Clay Network Membership is the ability to rent our tent to use in your personal
shows. The tent rental fee is $35 for a 3 day rental.

An exciting new meeting agenda item has been added to all of our meetings, entitled Membership Tips, Tools, Techniques and Tidbits: Here is what we learned this month and another reason not to miss a meeting!

•

Telescoping Sponge: Using a rubber band, attach a sponge to a telescoping magnet, to have the
perfect length sponge available at you finger tips. These telescoping magnets can be found any auto part
store and many hardware stores.

•

Level: Bubble levels, also available at hardware stores, are a must for a potter’s tool kit. However, these
are sometimes to small, the small plastic levels work great for larger needs as well as any leveling APP,
available for your smart phone.

•

Corks that fit!: Ever been frustrated by trying to cut a cork down to size? Try this instead: Put your cork in
boiling water, allowing it to thoroughly soak up the water. This wet cork will now be able it to be pushed
into a smaller bottle and once the cork has dried; it will retain the size and shape. No cutting necessary!

Our program was given by Doug from Dixie Pottery who presented a wheel throwing and altering demonstration. We watched Doug throw a beautiful collared vase starting with 6 pounds of clay. As he was throwing, he provided many valuable tips and suggestions:
• Place a mirror on a 2x4 piece of wood attached to the front of your wheel table. This not only
allows you to watch your throwing technique and the profile of your pot but will also assist in
limiting back strain.
• No trimming chuck? Try using a recently made pot for a chuck.
• Use your knuckle when throwing larger forms and amounts of clay.
• When coning and collaring in your forms, be sure to keep an upward pressure on the clay.
Speeding up the wheel as you are collaring also helps.

When altering a pot, Doug likes to add lines with interest using ribs at the wet stage. At a drier stage, Doug
completely covered his pot with slip. He then utilized different length strips of clay made from a slab and placed them in interesting patterns on the pot. Additionally, Doug believes it is OK to have a “thick” pot as long as the entire pot is well balanced. The result was beautiful! Thank you Doug for sharing your skill and expertise!

Our next meeting is in May. The date has changed to Sunday, May 6, 2012 due to Mother’s Day. The meeting will be at Vina's studio where everyone will try their hand at colored slip decoration on a small clay tile which you will get to take home! If you would like to join us, email our secretary at claynetwork.com@gmail.com for directions.

Our meetings are open to all. If you are not a Clay Network Member, but would like to attend this meeting, and need directions or other information, please contact our secretary, Lisa, at ClayNetwork.com@gmail.com

January's Meeting

Our first meeting of the New Year was held at Marsha’s. We thanked the outgoing board and welcomed the incoming board members.

Our library has expanded with many new titles for our members to peruse. With so many new books, we will be archiving a few titles, which may still be checked out upon request. Be on the look out for more details….

The Clay Network is very pleased to be sponsoring Jerry with his annual “Ceramics in the Garden” sale and show. This is an opportunity for potters to sell their art and others to browse and purchase beautiful pottery in a gorgeous garden setting. The show is scheduled for Saturday, April 14, 2012, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. If you are interested in participating, please contact Jerry. If you are not planning on participating, please bring your friends and stop by to admire your fellow potter’s art as well as Jerry’s beautiful garden!

 

The Network will be displaying at various Libraries around Northeast Florida. So look for these displays at the following libraries this year:

February - Fleming Island

April - Regency

June - The Beaches

August - St. Augustine

October - Mandarin

Marsha presented our January program in which she showed us how to add beautiful texture to both thrown and hand built pieces by using a “church key” (a.k.a. – can opener). She suggests adding this texture in the stiff leather hard stage and to use a rocking motion to achieve the best imprint. It is important to start planning for the last imprint, approximately 4-5 marks prior to the end when embossing a cylinder. It is necessary to reset your rim after such intense embossing; this is easily achieved by using a collared-in bisque pottery piece. Thank you Marcia for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!