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NEWSLETTER

SPRING2009

IN THIS ISSUE:Christmas ShowDavid CookeNic CollinsOsaka & Paris

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EDITOR’S NOTES

CHAIRMAN'S REPORTAll Saints’ ExhibitionOur Winter Exhibition at All Saints’Church,Jesus Lane, Cambridgewent very well. The support wasgood at both setting up andbreaking down, and I thank all whocontributed in any way. Even themost mundane task is essential tothe running of any venture.The display looked good and theopening Saturday saw plenty ofvisitors and patrons. The takingswere a little down on last year’srecord, but still good for thesedifficult times. It appears that asmall but bearable financial lossoccurred.Future EventsYour Committee has arranged anexciting and full programme for2009, including Summer andWinter open Exhibitions, aSelected Members Exhibition at ElyCathedral, a Raku day led by BerylHines, the Wood Fair at IckworthHouse, the Potters Camp andregular Day Events. I hope to seemany of you at some or all these.PublicityWould you like to see your work onour exhibition posters and otherpublicity articles? Then do pleasesend your photos to SallyMacpherson, our PublicitySecretary!They can be sent as prints, on diskor via email, and need to be sharpand with a contrasting backgroundto facilitate digital manipulationonto a poster design. We always

need up-to-date images for allforms of publicity.Annual General MeetingThis event may seem some way off,but we do need to think ahead. Ourconstitution requires one third ofthe officers to stand down, but thisdoes not happen. The Associationseems to accept this situation andappears to be thriving, but Isuggest that you give this somethought. I am not aware that any ofthe current committee intend toresign, bur do please proposecandidates if you think itappropriate and try to support usby attending the AGM.Day Event EquipmentSecure and dry storage of ouraudio and visual equipment isurgently needed. It is quite heavyand bulky and needs to beavailable at each day event. Weare looking for a volunteer who isable to store it for us and to bring itto each of our day events.Victor

The Committee decided at a recentmeeting to take paidadvertisements in the Newsletter(see advertising rates on the backpage), so the biggest change inthis issue is the inclusion of extrapages.This has given me moreopportunities to showcasemembers’ work and photographs. Ihope the result will encourage youall to send in articles andphotographs for future issues.For those members who were atBen Brierley’s demonstration day atMundford in February (report in the

Cover: figures by Rowan Humberstone andthe arches of All Saints’ Church in theChristmas Show Potters in Jesus Lane. Seepage 14 for more photographs.Photo: Carolyn Postgate

next issue), Anja Penger’s articleon page 6 should strike a chord!Pat Southwood (page 8) andRichard Baxter (page 11) sendnews of events in Japan andFrance, and David Cooke’sfascinating demonstration day iscovered on page 4.Pictures of the Christmas show atAll Saints’ Church can be found onpage 14 - a great mix of new workfrom long-standing members andrefreshingly different work fromnew members.Carolyn

ANGLIAN POTTERS OFFICERSPRESIDENT LADY SAINSBURY

CHAIRMAN

SECRETARYSusan Cupitt

TREASURERLiz Chipchase

EDITORCarolyn Postgate

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARYMary Wyatt

PUBLICITY SECRETARYSally Macpherson

EXHIBITIONS ORGANISERSCathy D’Arcy

Helen Humphreys

SELECTED MEMBERS SECRETARYAnja Penger

COMMITTEE MEMBERSBrenda Green

WEBMASTERIan George

EVENTS ORGANISERSHeather Graham

Felicity Hoyle

POTTERS CAMP ORGANISERJerry Finlayson

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ANNUAL SELECTION MEETINGOur annual selection meeting will takeplace on 25th April 2009.To apply, please contact Anja Penger assoon as possible. She will send you anapplication form and a letter pointing outyour commitment to Anglian Potters aswell as the benefits of becoming aSelected Member. Your application has tobe sent back to her by the 20th March2009. Please be aware of this deadline asshe is unable to answer your letters fromthe 22nd March until after Easter.Selections will be made in the followingseven categories:Ceramic Sculpture; ArchitecturalCeramics; Domestic Production; CeramicJewellery; Semi-Industrial; One-off(wheel& hand built) Pottery; Others (notcovered by the above).You will need six pieces of pottery. Theselected ceramic pieces should representthe best of your work. All the piecesshould be appropriate to the category youapply for.We also need two good photographs ofyour work and six digital images, whichwe will retain if your application issuccessful. We will also require yourCurriculum Vitae and any supportingmaterial that you have. They will be usedon the Anglian Potters website SelectedMembers’ page and for the SelectedMembers’ folders which are shown atSelected Members’ exhibitions.The selection committee varies everyyear. It has not fewer than seven SelectedMembers, three of whom are members ofthe Anglian Potters committee.Informal feedback session:If you are not sure whether to apply forSelected Member status, you may still liketo consider an informal feedback session.We would like to offer this informal reviewto any member who would like their workreviewed by three Selected Members.The informal feedback sessions takeplace in conjunction with the AnglianPotters demonstration days, after priorarrangement. Please book such a sessionwith Anja.The next demonstration day is the 19thApril 2009. If you want informal feedbackabout your work on that day please bookwith Anja before the 20th March.Anja Penger23 Park Lane, Blunham, BedfordshireMK44 3NH 01767 641435anja.penger@gmx.de

We have very sad news ofthe death of Dave Kirkmanon 31 January, after a longillness.Dave had been a memberof Anglian Potters for manyyears. His work has beenmuch admired by his fellowpotters, as well as beingtremendously popular withour customers.He will be much missed,and our very best wishesgo to his wife, Averil andtheir children.You may remember Dave’swork: left are two pictureswhich Dave exhibited atChristmas in 2005 and2006. The vase below with,in the background, thewindows of All Saints’Church echoing its shape,was in the 2006 show.Words and pictures:Carolyn Postgate

DAVE KIRKMAN

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DAVID COOKE AT MUNDFORD

David Cooke grew up with easyaccess to clay and glazes since hismother, Rosemarie, is a wildlifesculptor. This opportunity for earlyexperiment with ceramic materialsmay be responsible for his presentreadiness to push clay to its limitswhen making the impressive animalsculptures for which he is now bestknown. David may have thought toturn his back on ceramics when hestudied for a degree in 3D designat Leeds but, although this gavehim an opportunity to work withother materials, clay and animalforms somehow crept into his finalyear show. Not that he is preciousabout the use of clay: any materialthat produces the effect he needsis pressed into service with carbody-filler and threaded metal rodproving particularly useful for legs,antennae and tentacles.David has worked on a wide rangeof animal forms but appears to beespecially drawn to birds andreptiles, so it was fitting that thethree pieces he made during hisdemonstration were a hen, aniguana and a remarkably realisticlog, which formed a supportingstructure for the reptile. All threepieces started out in essentially the

same way: half a bag of crank clayrolled out to a thickness of 2 to 3centimetres and formed into acylinder that could be pushed outfrom the inside to form the requiredshape. They all differed in surfacetreatment however, so the effectsobtained were extremely varied.To produce a log, the clay cylinderwas coated with white slip, whichwas encouraged to dry with a hotair gun so that gentle pressurefrom inside the cylinder caused theouter clay layer to crack into a mostsatisfying oak bark texture. Forextra effect a hole could be pushedright through to the outside of theclay and either used as an exitpoint for a side branch or smoothedoff to form a callus.For the iguana, texture was appliedby rolling out the clay over a piece

of netting with an appropriatelysized mesh to give a snakeskin-likeeffect on the surface. As the claywas shaped from the inside to formthe curves of the lizard’s body andpushed out at the points where thelimbs would be attached, a patternof scales developed that varied insize with the degree of stretching ofthe clay. Use was made of theseam formed as the edges of theclay were drawn together in acylindrical shape to develop thecrest of scales that runs along thebackbone of the animal. Handlingof the outer surface of the clay wasreduced to a minimum so that theinitial markings were preserved.The chicken was made using acombination of these techniqueswith a rather fetching lace-patterned cardigan being rolled intoa slab of terracotta crank andcoated with the white slip beforepeeling it off to leave a bold patternof white-on-red. David then formedthe slab into a conical shape thathe pushed out to give the roundedcontours of a hen’s breast. A bitmore magic produced a realistichen’s body, which was supported ina rounded plaster mould whilecrop, wattles and a head wereadded.After demonstrating how to make a

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bird’s foot and a wing, David wenton to discuss how some of theanimals he made could berendered as more abstract forms.Birds such as barn owls andseabirds particularly lendthemselves to this sort of treatmentand David gave us a lightningdemonstration of how to constructa minimalist tern.There were lots of questions fromthe audience, many of themconcerned with glazing and firingtechniques. Although these willvary, David routinely coats hisbiscuit-fired pieces with a thin layerof glaze containing manganese andiron. This is then sponged offleaving it in the recesses of thesurface detail. He then applies anash glaze and colours this withoxides or stains to achieve thedesired effect. The work is fired to1230°C. He might then apply a waxfinish or a coloured polishdepending on how he wants thefinished piece to appear.It was a pity that some AnglianPotters members were unable tocome along to David Cooke’sdemonstration because they wereinvolved with the event at Ickworth.They missed a most entertainingand action-packed demonstrationbut anyone who feels reallydeprived can always attend one ofthe courses that David runs at theSculpture Lounge Studios inHolmfirth.Words: Liz ChipchasePictures: Sally Macpherson, LindaLuckin, Carolyn Postgate

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NIC COLLINS KILN BUILDING WORKSHOP

in parallel with further work.More woodwork was completed. Asmaller catenary arch former wasrequired for the connection of thechamber and the chimney.Additionally a chimney former forthe construction of the 8 foot highchimney was built. The bricksforming the chimney weresupported by a steel bracing.The first sight of fire was theburning out of the chimney formerat the end of the fourth day, evenmore spectacular because it wasalready dark.Loading was completed on the endof the fourth day, the entrance ofthe fire box was closed with bricksand the whole kiln construction wassealed with mortar in order toimprove insulation.Firing was started on the eveningof the fourth day with a small fire infront of the fire box to dry out thepots and to achieve a gradualheating of the kiln. In the course ofthree hours the fire was moved intothe fire box and the fire was builtup more and more. The firing wasdone in groups of two people in

Since I started using a gas kiln Irealise how much a kiln influencesthe final appearance of a pot andhow much intrinsic life is in a kiln inwhich flames do the “work” to meltand form the glaze.Wood-fired kilns have a similarfascination for me. I decided to getmore familiar with one, anAnagama type tunnel kiln.Nic Collins’ one week workshoplast August in Moretonhampstead,Dartmoor, entailed building,packing, firing and unpacking sucha kiln.The afternoon of the arrival thenine ‘students’ and all the helpersheard a talk from Nic about hiscareer and about wood-fired kilns.We looked at the foundation of thekiln which was already in place.On Saturday morning we startedconstruction of the woodenframework. I was not aware howmuch woodwork is required inbuilding such a kiln. Of course thecatenary brick arch of the kilnneeds to be supported by awooden structure during thebuilding phase.These so-called arch formers wereconstructed in three parts and eachgroup handled one part. Thechallenge was that all three partsultimately had to fit together inorder to form the 15 foot longchamber and firebox.By the evening of the first full dayall three parts were placed onto thefoundation and the first twocourses of bricks were laid. Themortar was a mixture of sand andclay with water. No binding agentwas added since the mortar has toexpand and shrink when the kiln ishot and cooling down after firing.The final course of bricks was laidon the end of the second day. Tofinish the arch, cement was cast onthe very top. The next morning afterthe cement had set the woodenarch formers were taken out of thebrick construction. This was thequality test for the brick-layingwork. Our kiln passed the test andthe arch stood without the woodensupport! And the arch wasbeautiful!The loading of the kiln was started

Foundation for the Anagama kiln

Arch formers on the foundation

Stoking hole in arch wall

Small catenary arch towards chimney

Finished arch with arch former inside

Firing in full swing

Burning out the chimney former

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Despite the party, everybody was obviouslywaiting for the opening of the kiln! Sundaylunchtime we slowly opened the first littlehole and soon the front of the firing box wasdismantled. It was quite cosy still but thecuriosity was bigger. We unloaded the kilnand placed the pots on the ground inapproximately the same order as they wereplaced in the kiln. This was done to observethe different effects of flame, ash andembers according to the position of the potsin the kiln. The pots placed more towardsthe front showed more ash/ember effectscompared to the ones in the back. I thinkeverybody was very pleased with their pots.Nic stressed that even after 30 years offiring wood kilns you can never predict theoutcome of the firing. His work showsextreme effects of ash, flame and ember butthen he fires for four days!Nic and his partner Sabine have run thisworkshop for the 10th time. Theorganisation of everything was spot on! Ithoroughly enjoyed the experience and Iwas amazed how good a team 9 totalstrangers can be when there is a commongoal ahead!Words and pictures: Anja Penger

shifts during the next two nightsand days. Initially we fired onlythrough the firebox, later additionalstoking was done through sidestoking holes. Fresh stokingresulted in a reduction atmosphere,which was confirmed by the flamescoming out of the stoking hole.Towards the end of the firing thestoking was done at 30 secondintervals. The kiln was definitelyvery hungry for fuel. Thetemperature reached 1250°Caround noon of the second dayafter about 42 hours of firing. At theend of the firing the stoking holesand the front of the firing box wereclosed and sealed with mortar. Thekiln was left to cool down for twodays. These days were filled with agood program:

* Throwing demonstration by Nic(you might remember his APdemonstration day in September2007).

* Visits to other potters in the area,Svend Bayer in the middle of firinghis kiln, Clive Bowen and DouglasFitch.

* Preparation for the party onSaturday night!

Fruits of the fire

Kiln loading almost complete

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to protect themadequately was mymain concern, but Iobviously had adefined space thatthey could fit into.The work waspacked and sent bythe middle of

September and I was left to brushup on my dodgy Japanese andread about the many attractions ofKyotoI love Norwich Airport: only half anhour and you are somewhere moreinteresting - Amsterdam, to beprecise. The 11 hours to Osakaairport passed and after my retinashad been photographed and mybags sniffed by dogs, I was on thelovely train to Kyoto. The journey toKyoto is a long one, even on fastJapanese trains, past a landscapefull of contrasts. Grey concreteindustrial works and stunningpatchwork fields. Every inch ofspace is used economically; eventiny corners of fields are used forhomegrown veg. I must havearrived after a rice harvest as thestooks were artistically tied in linesto dry. I kept thinking about all thatpotential Nuka glaze!Arriving in Kyoto Station one isgreeted by an arresting sight: thewhole structure of the station is anamazing, enormous, fabulous,futuristic steel and glass building.After only a few minutes I found mylodgings, a small ryokan oppositethe biggest temple I have everseen. Living in the middle of theNorfolk broads I am used to seeing

I was asked if I would like to takepart in a group exhibition in Japanduring half term Autumn 2008. Theevent was to be at Gallery Kiku inOsaka, one of many events takingplace throughout the year as partof the UKJAPAN08 initiative whichinvolved, among others, the BritishCouncil and the Foreign Office.Having already visited Tokyo andattended three workshops inMashiko, I jumped at the chance toboth exhibit in Japan and to stay innearby Kyoto. Invariably describedas Japan’s cultural heart and soul,Kyoto was the national capital from794 until 1868 and is justly famousfor keeping alive the flames ofJapanese tradition.There were to be 26 exhibitors, 13from the UK and 13 from Japan. Allexhibitors with 3D work were giventhe dimensions of the box that ourwork would be shipped in. The firstchallenge was to work out how tomaximise the space available toenable me to send as many piecesas possible.Was I to take lots of small pieces orfewer larger ones? After a lot ofconsideration, I decided on 3 largepieces and 3 small bottles. Packingthe pots was a bit traumatic. Failure

herons flying about. I was surprisedhowever to see them in the citycentre perched on the pavement!Apparently they live in and aroundthe moat that surrounds the temple.Upon my first visit to Japan in 2000I was not asked, “Do you likeJapanese food” but,“Can you eatJapanese food?” An entry from mydiary for my first evening mealreads “I think it might have beenchicken”. The knack is to stop awaitress before she slides a rawegg on top of what looked like apotentially reasonably edible meal -and quite how one is supposed toeat an octopus omelette in soupwith chopsticks, I’ll never know.The next day I had determined tofind The Raku Museum and KawaiKanjiro’s house. The word Raku isused in the West to define aprocess, but it is actually a familyname. The Museum was founded topreserve and exhibit the collectionof work by the Raku family andothers. Its most famous piece isthat by Chojiro, who died in 1589.Chojiro worked for Sen no Rikyu,

OSAKA AND OCTOPUS BALLS (AN ANGLIAN POTTER IN JAPAN)

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white spaces, amazing andinspiring inside. Our pictures weretaken for the papers and we allgave an interview. As we were partof the UKJAPAN-08 initiative theBritish Council also sent arepresentative. It was quite formaland a complete contrast to the restof the evening. I was expecting aJapanese private view to be a fairlyrestrained affair: I was so wrong!Rather than the usual glass ofwhite wine and a few nibbles, wewere treated to beautifullypresented food; sushi and sashimiappeared alongside daintysandwiches and some snacks ofunidentifiable origin. This wasfollowed by beeru (yes, honestly,that is what it’s called) wine, sake,and whisky. I was amazed. Severalbottles of sake later the dancingstarted: bizarrely, flamenco wasplayed. My friend and fellow potterWali Hawes who lives in nearbyMie had kindly come to see me atthe private view. He is half Spanish.You can image the rest. At about11pm I followed the weaving herdback to Osaka Station, negotiatedthe train to Kyoto and returned tomy ryokan. I was so pleased that Ihad pre-arranged a late pass withmy Mama-san (doors were usuallylocked at 11) and I stumbled in at avery disrespectful 12.30am. All inall, a most successful evening: Iwas happy with the way my saleshad gone, some very good contactswere made, and even better, Ididn’t get lost on the way back!The next few days were spentvisiting Wali up in the mountains,which was so different: rabbitsattack my vegetable garden,apparently monkeys attack his!My ten days in Kyoto werememorable and went far too fastand I plan to return to Japan assoon as I can, hopefully in 2009.Words & pictures: Pat Southwood

the Master of Tea, for whom hemade tea bowls for the teaceremony. All of his tea bowls wereapparently either red or a softblack. It is one of the soft blackpieces that is held in extremelyhigh reverence in the Rakumuseum The work inside is trulywonderful. Quiet, strong andhonest. Many Western potterswould do well to look and learn. Ispent a long time in this place andwas profoundly moved by theexperience.After a refreshing green tea ice-cream (yum!) I set off to find KawaiKanjiro’s house. It was quite easyto find, being on Ochawan Zaka.Even my limited understanding ofJapanese can translate this as“Teabowl Street”: the streets nearhis house are lined with tinypotters’ workshops and galleries.For those who are unfamiliar withthe name, Kawai Kanjiro (1890-1966) was one of the mostcelebrated potters of the early 20thcentury. Along with Hamada andSoetsu Yanagi he was a championof folk crafts and help to set up theMingei movement in Japan. Hishouse is both memorial andmuseum. It has been untouchedsince he died and his pottery,woodcarvings, brush paintings andwritings are beautifully displayedwith the furniture that he bothdesigned and used.I had discovered that on the 25th ofevery month there was a hugeantiques/junk/vintage sale at NishiTenman shrine. The advice was toget there early to get the bestchoice, or to get there as they areclosing to get the bargains. I’mafraid it was so good that I endedup doing both. It was like the mostglorious car boot sale ever, butmuch more dignified and a lot lessmuddy. Huge piles of antique silkkimonos lay on sacking on theground; ladies of every age werescrabbling to get to the bestpatterns and shades. ManyJapanese now buy them to cut upand remake into new clothes. I sawa few women wearing shirts andskirts that they had made from oldkimonos: they were very stylish. InKyoto, unlike Tokyo, kimonos arestill worn by women of all ages,mostly “for best”. The great thing

about kimonos and happi coats isthat one size fits all, even Gaijin(foreigners). I managed to stopmyself after I had bought 5. Theyare very beautiful.Street snacks at the shrine saleincluded cubes of green tea jelly onsticks, octopus balls (don’t ask)and sweet tasting fish-shapedspongy things with red bean jaminside, all of which lookedconsiderably nicer than they tasted.It was a fantastic and trulymemorable day, full of amazingsights, smells and tastes. As I leftat dusk, the monks were justlighting the stone lanterns thatlined the path to the Temple.On the day of the exhibition I hadplanned to travel by train to Osaka,locate the Gallery where theexhibition was being held and thenzoom off to find the NationalMuseum of Ceramics. Not so. My

instructions from Osaka railwaystation were largely through aseries of connecting undergroundmalls. I eventually popped up like aslightly startled rabbit at street levelfairly near where I need to be.Unfortunately very few streets arenamed, and if they are then it is inKanji and not at all helpful. Ieventually found a postman, whoafter consulting his map for ages,very kindly delivered me to the rightplace. Having found the gallery,quite frankly I was somewhat loatheto stray too far away in case Icouldn’t find it again, so theNational Museum of Ceramics willhave to wait.Gallery Kiku, where the exhibitionwas being held, was in a network ofstreets filled with galleries andantique shops. They were not verypretty from the outside, yet moredrab grey concrete, but clean,

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ANGLIAN POTTERS

SELECTED MEMBERS’ EXHIBITIONJune 6 - 21Ely Cathedral

EARTH & FIRE 2009June 26-28Rufford Abbey Country Park,Ollerton, Newark, NottinghamshireNG22 9DFOpen: 10.30am-5pm dailyTel: 01623 822944www.ruffordcraftcentre.org.uk

ABERYSTWYTH INTERNATIONAL

CERAMICS FESTIVAL 2009July 3-5Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Penglais,Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3DETel: 01970 623232www.internationalceramicsfestival.org/

CAMBRIDGE OPEN STUDIOS 2009July 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26www.camopenstudios.co.uk

ART IN ACTION 2009July 16-19Waterperry House, Wheatley,Oxford, UK, OX33 IJ2.Open: 10.30am-5.30pm dailyTel: 020 7381 3192www.artinaction.org.uk

POTFEST IN THE PARK 2009July 24-26Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith,CumbriaOpen: 10am-5pmTel: 017684 83820www.potfest.co.uk

ART IN CLAY 2009August 7-9Hatfield House, Hatfield,HertfordshireOpen: Fri-Sat 10am-5.30pm; Sun10am-5pmTel: 0115 9873966www.artinclay.co.uk

POTFEST IN THE PENS 2009August 7-9Skirsgill Auction Mart, Penrith,CumbriaOpen: 10am-5pmTel: 017684 83820www.potfest.co.uk

ANGLIAN POTTERS SUMMER SHOWAugust 18-31Emmanuel College, Cambridge

COUNTRY LIVING SPRING FAIRMarch 11-15Business Design Centre, 52 UpperStreet, Islington London N1 0QHOpen: Wednesday-Friday 10am-6pm; Saturday 9.30am-6pm;Sunday10am-3pmTel: 020 7288 6502www.countrylivingfair.com

THE OLD FIRE ENGINE HOUSEExhibition by Sonia Lewis & PeterCavaciutiApril 2-May 325 St. Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4EROpen: Mon-Fri 10.30am-10.30pm;Sat 10.30am-5.30pm; Sun12.30pm-5.30pmTel: 01353 662582www.theoldfireenginehouse.co.uk

ANGELA MELLOR GALLERYEarth and Sky: Exhibition by JanePerryman & Julia BallApril 1-May 238a St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4ESOpen: Wed-Sat 10.30am-5pmTel: 01353 666675www.angelamellorgallery.com

GRAPEVINE GALLERYExhibition by Ruthanne TudballApril 1 -30109 Unthank Road, Norwich NR22PEOpen: Tue-Sat 10am- 5.30pm; Sun10am- 4pmTel: 01603 760660www.ruthannetudball.com

ANGLIAN POTTERS RAKU DAYMay 2-3For details see page 13

COLLECT 2009May 15-17Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ,King’s Road, Chelsea, LondonSW3 4SQOpen: Fri-Sat 11am-8pm; Sun11am4pmTel: 0207 806 2500www.craftscouncil.org.uk

NORFOLK OPEN STUDIOS 2009May 16-31www.nnfestival.org.uk/openstudios/

CORNWALL OPEN STUDIOSMay 23-31www.creativeskills.org.uk/OpenStudios

ORIGIN 2009October 6-11 & 13-18Somerset House, Strand, LondonWC2R 1LATel: 0207 806 2500www.craftscouncil.org.uk

ICKWORTH PARK WOOD SALEOctober 10-11Ickworth House, Bury St Edmunds,Suffolk IP29 5QETel: 01284 735270www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-ickworthhouseparkandgarden

THE GREAT NORTHERN CONTEM-PORARY CRAFT FAIR 2009October 22-25The Manchester Grammar School,Manchester, Old Hall Lane,Manchester, M13 0XTOpen: Fri 12noon-9pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 10am-5pm.www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN SHOW

2009Millennium Grandstand,Newmarket, SuffolkNovember 6-8Open: 10am-5pm dailyTel: 0800 141 2823www.artcraftdesignshow.co.uk

COUNTRY LIVING CHRISTMAS

FAIRNovember 11-15Business Design Centre, 52 UpperStreet, Islington London N1 0QHTel: 020 7288 6502www.countrylivingfair.com

ANGLIAN POTTERS

CHRISTMAS SHOWNovember 14-Dec 13All Saints’ Church, Jesus Lane,Cambridge

MADE BRIGHTON 2009November 19-22www.brightoncraftfair.co.uk

13TH SOUTHERN POTTERY &CERAMICS SHOW

November 21-22Farnham Maltings, FarnhamOpen: Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4.30pmTel: 0115 9873966www.farnham.artinclay.co.uk

For more information seewww.studiopottery.co.uk andwww.anglianpotters.org.uk

CERAMICS EVENTS DIARY 2009

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Gas fired kiln for saleTwin burner gas fired kiln for sale complete with furniture and shelves,piping and regulators. It will be necessary to dismantle the kiln which willbest be done by the buyer and the seller together. The buyer will be solelyresponsible for transportation and re-assembly.

Specifications:Outside dimensions: H 157 cm W 110 cm D 110 cm.Chamber dimensions: H 66 cm W 45 cm (inside bag wall) D 60cm.

Priced to sell as owner is going abroad: £200 or near offer

For further details and to arrange a viewing please contact:Peter MooreBrooke Cottage, Duke St., Hintlesham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3QPt: 01473 652537 e: petermay.moore@btinternet.com

A POTTER IN PARISRichard Baxter writes: I have justmade a set of large porcelainpieces for Stella McCartney for hernew flagship store in Paris. Thestore opened in December 2008and is in the Palais Royale buildingjust opposite the Louvre. My largeshallow bowls are prominentlymounted on marble plinths in thestore and have stylish handbagsand stiletto shoes displayed inthem. I have been working on thisproject since early summer whenStella decided that beautifulhandmade porcelain pieces wouldlook terrific in her new store. I havehad to produce a large number ofglaze tests in order to achieve thedesired shades and effects as wellas finding forms that wouldenhance the object to be displayedin them.

Other news: I made 3 blue coiled vases for BBC’s Eastenders - Dot wasgiven one by Jim on the Christmas Day episode, allegedly made byhimself during occupational therapy classes following a stroke. I made 3 incase of breakages during filming. Dot has one on her sideboard in mostepisodes still. Also this spring on TV, one of the world’s top chefs HestonBlumenthal will use a Roman-style jug I made during the re-creation of aRoman feast - a Vesuvius Pie will erupt.

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! CORBY KILNS – your local agents for Potclays Ltd. AllPotclays products available to order – some clays andglazes available from stock. Decorating and casting slips.

! CORBY KILNS – for kiln and pottery equipment repairs,servicing and upgrades. Work undertaken for schools,colleges, universities, studios and hobby potters.Fabrication of kiln cages, stands., extraction equipment.

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! CORBY KILNS – good range of enamelling kilns, copperblanks, enamel powders, tools and accessories.Introductory courses.

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Unit 9 Pywell Court, PywellRoad, WillowbrookIndustrial Estate,

CorbyNorthants

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Telephone and Fax:01536 269229

Mobile:07711 773913

Email:info@corbykilns.co.uk

Web:www.corbykilns.co.uk

Please mention the Anglian Potters Newsletter when replying to this advert.

We are now CHAS accredited and can supply Health & Safety documentation on request.

UGANDAN ADVENTURE

Are you interested in volunteeringto teach pottery in Uganda?For more information onvolunteering with Soft PowerEducation, please email PennyShoubridgepennyshoubridge@tiscali.co.ukor visit the website atwww.softpowereducation.com

THE GREAT NORTHERN CONTEMPORARY CRAFT FAIR

OCTOBER 22-25 2009, MANCHESTER

Call for Exhibitors:The Great Northern Contemporary Craft, launched in October 2008, is ahigh profile, high quality selected event showcasing the finestcontemporary craft coming out of the North and gives makers from otherparts of the country an opportunity to establish a northern client base.To ensure high standards and cutting-edge craft, all exhibitors will beselected by an independent panel of craft experts.Further information and application packs will be available from the 1st ofMarch and can be downloaded from www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk orcan be obtained by emailing info@greatnorthernevents.co.uk giving yourname, email and address or by sending a large SAE to: Great NorthernEvents, 23 Belfield Rd, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6BJ.The deadline for applications is the 1st of May 2009

MADE 2009, BRIGHTON

NOVEMBER 19-22Applications are now open forMADE the 4th Brighton Craft Fair.We welcome applications fromindividual makers and groups.The deadline for applications is 31March. Please use the onlineapplication form to apply.www.brightoncraftfair.co.uk

ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN SHOW,NEWMARKET NOV 6-9 2009If you are interested in joining agroup of Anglian Potters exhibitingon the 4th floor of this prestigiousand well-attended show, pleasecontact Helen Humphreysimmediately - the deadline forentries is very soon.helenmh@tiscali.co.uk

OPPORTUNITIES FOR POTTERS IN 2009 LETTER TO THE EDITORWendy Gamble writes: Afterattending yesterday’s event atMundford and enjoying myselfimmensely, I just had to write tothank all those who helped to makeit such a terrific day.Ben Brierley was superb - justinspirational! I have come awayfeeling all ‘fired up’ to do somemore pottery despite the cold.I would also like to thank all thosewho contributed to the wonderfulspead in the middle of the day andthe fab cakes at the end. Lookingforward to the next event!

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CERAMIC HELPLINE

Having a bit of bother that your suppliercan’t resolve?

Why not contact one of these memberswho have agreed to share their exper-tise?

Alan Foxley – handbuilding & reductionfiring 01799 522631Colin Saunders – mould-making,slipware, transfers 01379 588278Victor Knibbs – oxidised stoneware,electric kilns, modifying clay bodies

01480 214741Deborah Baynes – raku, stoneware,earthenware (reduction & oxidised),salt glaze 01473 788300Beryl Hines – general, earthenware,raku 01473 735437Usch Spettigue – raw glazing/singlefiring 01473 787587Margaret Gardiner – salt glaze

01279 654025Sonia Lewis – high-fired ware includingporcelain 01353 688316

If you are willing to give advice, and arewilling to be added to this list, pleasecontact the Editor.

Pat Armstrong writes: As a Raku potter I use a lot of High Alkaline Fritglazes and whilst it has never been a foregone conclusion that the glazewould be perfect each time, it has been fairly stable until recently. Inoticed in early summer that I seemed to be getting white spotting moreand more which I couldn’t pin down to a reason.I was talking to another Raku potter at Potfest South West and he assuredme that it was caused by using old frit. Absolutely convinced, I returnedhome and ditched all my glaze and used a new batch of frit and lo andbehold, if anything, it was worse. I then contacted my supplier who put meon to someone at Potterycrafts. He had formerly worked for JohnsonMatthey who used to produce the frit, but now, it appears, no longermanufacture it. He said that all the high alkaline frits are imported from (Ithink) Spain and Portugal. He made some suggestions to try to overcomethe problem, but I haven’t had time to put them to the test.Am I alone in experiencing this problem? Email me if you have had thesame problem or have a solution: pat@patarmstrong.co.uk

Colours ready for action

MEMBERS' WEBSITES:www.angelamellor.comwww.angelamellorgallery.comwww.broadwayceramics.comwww.cathydarcy.comwww.corbykilns.co.ukwww.chrisrumsey.co.ukwww.heathergrahampotter.comwww.helenhpottery.co.ukwww.helenmartino.co.ukwww.iangeorgeceramics.co.ukwww.janburridge.co.ukwww.janehollidge.co.ukwww.jjvincent.comwww.judsonsinfrance.comwww.madeincley.co.ukwww.maggygardiner.comwww.potterycourses.comwww.potterycourses.netwww.rebeccaharvey.comwww.richardbaxter.co.ukwww.sculpturelounge.comwww.secretceramics.co.ukwww.susancupitt.co.uk

Contact the Editor if you want toadd your site to this list.

Check out our website for thelatest news:

www.anglianpotters.org.uk

PROBLEMS WITH FRITP

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RAKU DAYCathy D’Arcy will host

a raku class at herhouse in Mildenhallon Saturday 2 May,

and also on Sunday 3May if enough people

want to come.The group will be led

by Beryl Hines.If interested pleasecontact Susan Cupitt

email:susan.cupitt@gmail.com

Tel: 01223 311937

UPDATE!A CELEBRATION OF WOOD

FIRING

Saturday 25th and Sunday 26thApril 2009Guest potters now confirmed:Svend Bayer, Charles Bound,Nic Collins, David Garland,John Jelfs, Jim Keeling, GasKimishima and RobertSanderson.The timetable for the weekendwill include master classes, kilnfirings and openings, buildingand firing a raku kiln, discussionforums, slide talks and more.For more information or to booka place, contactWhichford PotteryNr Shipston-on-StourWarwickshire CV36 5PG01608 684416theoctagon@whichfordpottery.com

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Clockwise from top:three dramatic heads byBruce Cleghorn; CathyD’Arcy’s silvery Romanpots; sailing boat byRowan Humberstone;red snail by LorraineIzon; JJ Vincent’sleopard cub guarding theChristmas tree; EstelleWestlake’s cheeky cats.Photos: Carolyn Postgate

CHRISTMAS SHOW IN ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, CAMBRIDGE

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FOR SALEMaterials and second-hand equipment including:

♦ Cromartie top loading electric kiln ? CTL 182. 6.5 cu ft. 11kW, 50Asingle phase. External dimensions 61cm diameter, 94cm ht.♦ Ipco studio 3000 program controller

♦ Lots of kiln furniture

♦ Compressor and spray gun

♦ Large variety of glaze ingredients, oxides, stains and some glazes.

♦ Sieves, whirlers, chipboard batts, insulating firebricks, fibre forpaper clay and many other miscellaneous materials and equipment.Contact Anna McArthur at annamcarthur@hotmail.com for moredetails and a price list

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Clockwise from top:the Saturday opening; flyingelephant by David Ross; spot potsby Cathy D’Arcy; colourful horsesby Mary Wyatt.

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DIARY DATES 2009:Paul Young:19 April, MundfordRaku Day:2 May, MildenhallDeborah Baynes:17 May AGM, MundfordSelected Members:6-21 June, Ely CathedralSummer Show:18-31 August, CambridgePotters Camp:29 July-2 August, ShotleyJennifer Hall:13 September, MundfordIckworth Wood Fair:10-11 October, Ickworth HouseWendy Lawrence:25 October, MundfordChristmas Show:14 Nov- 13 Dec, Cambridge

MEMBERSHIP FEES:Ordinary £27 (half year £15)Joint £45 for two people at thesame address – half year £25Institution £45 for a college orworkshop – half year £27(details on application to theMembership Secretary)Student £10 for full-time stu-dents of ceramics – proof ofstatus is required

ADVERTISING RATESPrice per issue, 4 issues a yearFull page 18cm x 26.8cm £60.00Half page 18cm x 13.4cm £30.00Third page 18cm x 8.8cm £20.002 column 11.8cm x 17.6cm £26.002 column 11.8cm x 8.8cm £13.001 column 5.7cm x 17.6cm £13.001 column 5.7cm x 8.8cm £6.50Leaflet inserts (300) £30.00

Copy dates:Spring Issue 1 FebruarySummer Issue 1 MayAutumn Issue 1 AugustWinter Issue 1 NovemberCopy to be supplied as .jpg, .tif, .pdfAdvertisements can be designed if textand pictures (minimum 300dpi) areprovidedContact Carolyn Postgate, Editore: carolyn@clara.co.ukt: 01954 211033

COPY DATE FOR

SUMMER NEWSLETTER:1 MAY 2009FOR PUBLICATION BY:1 JUNE 2009

ANGELA MELLOR GALLERY

will be EARTH AND SKY, anexhibition of ceramics by JanePerryman and paintings by JuliaBallApril 1-May 2Gallery open:Wednesday-Saturday 10.30am-5pmAngela Mellor Gallery38a St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4ESt: 01353 666675e: angela@angelamellorgallery.comwww.angelamellorgallery.com

MEMBERS' SHOWS

SONIA LEWIS

is exhibiting recent work togetherwith paintings by Peter Cavaciuti atThe Old Fire Engine House, ElyPrivate View:Wednesday 1 April 7-9pmExhibition ends Sunday 3 MayGallery Open:Monday-Friday 10.30am-10.30pmSaturday 10.30am-5.30pmSunday 12.30pm-5.30pmThe Old Fire Engine House25 St. Mary’s Street, Ely CB74ERt: 01353 662582e: soniapotlewis@phonecoop.coopwww.theoldfireenginehouse.co.uk

FREE: KICK WHEELSTwo Leach style kick wheels are available free to a good home.They have not been used for many years, so may be in quite goodcondition. They are in Redgrave, Suffolk, and will need a van to movethem.If you are interested, and can collect, please contact Claire Llewellyne: stephenllewellyn@waitrose.com t: 020 8647 0076

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