Pottery In Australia Vol 15 No 2 Spring 1976

Editorial Committee
Editor
President
Janet Mansfield
Beryl Barton
Adele Salmon Shirley Moule
Derek Smith Margaret Tuckson
Janet De Boos
Business Manager Barbara Austin
State Correspondents
Connie Dridan (Vic)
Jean Robins ( WA)
Ron Rowe (SA)
Margaret McNaught (Qld)
Penny Smith (Tas)
Change of Editor
Margot Staples, wanting to be more actively engaged in the making
of pots, has resigned the editorship of this magazine.
We thank her sincerely for all the time, creative
energy and ability she devoted to this work.
Please address all correspondence to
The Editor 0/ "Pottery in Australia "
48 Burton Street, Darlinghur.,t, N .S.W. 2010
Telephone: (02) 31-3 151. Private: (02 ) 44-6396
COVER: The way to yOllr reIVard, by Bernard Sahm : part [ of the four-part tableau
Lollipop. 114 em, fired to cone 3-4, oxidising fire, high zinc glaze. Watters Gallery, April, 1976.
Photograph: John Delacour.

~~
POTTERY
IN AUSTRALIA
Published by the Potters' Society of Australia
Vol. 15, No.2, 1976
Two Dollars Filty Cents
CONTENTS
Editorial
Bernard Sahm
Leadless Earthenware Glazes
Don R eitz in Australia
A Low-cost Kick Wheel
Thoroughly Modern Milling
lanine King
George Snape
Janet Mansfield
Leonard M.Smith
page 2
3
8
12
15
Part Two: How to build a small ball mill Stephen Harrison
21
Potters' Society of Australia: Extract from President's report
24
Recent Work
25
A Report on Pottery Making on Choiseul Is.,
British Solomons Dale Ratliff 33
Kerala Pottery Trudie Alfred 36
Workshop---Wharfside Joan Campbell 38
An Ocker Oca Julei Korner 41
The Decal Image and Ceramics John Davis 45
Chris Headley talks about his Ceramics 48
Goolgowi Clay Janet Barriskill 50
Acquisitions 53
Clays supplied by Mervin Feeney, Queensland David Smith 56
Victorian Clay-body Tests 58
Pottery in the School Jeff Shaw 60
Caulfield Ceramics Lindsay Anderson 62
Exhibition Reviews
64
Book Reviews
72
Competitions and Exhibitions
75
News
78
Notice to Subscribers
104

EDITORIAL
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of
Pottery in Australia. Wanda Garnsey wrote in the
editorial of Vol. 1, No.1, in 1962 . .. "Pottery in
Australia has been produced primarily to
disseminate information among potters, and to
endeavour to promote a better understanding of
our problems, both technical and aesthetic." These
aims are as valid now as then with the practice of
ceramics growing to meet a demand both for the
activity and the product.
Pottery in Australia hopes to reflect the varying and
yet uniting interests of potters throughout
Australia. When Bernard Leach was here in 1962
(also quoted from Vol. 1, No.1) he said of us,
"You have not got old roots in the same way as
China, Japan and India. But you have everything.
The modem craftsman is not a village-minded
person-parish-pump-he has got to be a citizen of
the whole world. He has all of man's doings to
draw upon and he has not got the weight of
tradition behind him ... yet he is more
privileged in a way, for though these people who
did far better work in their villages than we can
were secure in their unity and we are insecure in
our universality, yet we have the maturity of
mankind to look towards with the hope and belief
that it will regain much that has been thrown away
too quickly, and will regain certitude and faith."
This challenge has been faced by Pottery in
Australia over the last fifteen years and is one that
we will continue to face in order to be of service to
potters.
2

BERNARD SAHM
Janine King
Anyone who is interested enough in ceramics to be reading this magazine will
most likely have heard at one time, at least, of Bernie Sahm. For 25 years Bernie
has worked with clay, including some 14 years of teaching ceramics at East Sydney
Technical College. He was introduced to pottery by a friend who invited him
to try his hand at decorating. Then, after working in semi-commercial potteries
both overseas and in the Sydney area, Bernie started his own workshop in 1960
in Mosman, where he has lived and worked ever since. From then on " .. . it was
just a constant development of my own work and development as a teacher, and
a long, long process of trying to find myself as a practitioner .. . " This development
produced well-designed functional stoneware, through to sculptural shapes
of anthropomorphic nature, to large-as-life-size figures and non-figures, seen in
Bernie's latest exhibition-one piece of which was selected to represent Australia
in Faenza. Italy, this year. For this piece, "Art Machine No.2", Bernie was
awarded the distinction of a gold medal.
This exhibition, shown at Watters Gallery in March of this year, was helped
along by a Crafts Board grant and some students, including Doug Hawkins, Judi
Gruin and myself, then of East Sydney Technical College, as well as Brigitte
Von Scheven. and of course Pamela Sahm, Bernie's wife. From this experience
we students learnt many things: how to reinforce (as much as possible) the piece
on the inside by putting together the required shape in an ordered way, and having
made the piece, how then to pick it up and dry it evenly and safely. All this
required Bernie's supervision and skill, and only with his foresight did the pieces
we assembled really "get off the ground". Most pieces met the limits of size and
fragility, some required the strength of two to lift across to the kiln. By careful
assembling, handling, drying and firing, Bernie managed to hold an exhibition
where his primary aim was to get from you, the viewer, a grimace or whateverso
long as it made you feel something.
Bernie has this to say of the exhibition: "In the development of any new art
process, what art experience is left-other than through the gut of a human
being? You can have it in the written form or take it sugar-coated, and if you die
in taking it, well-it was for art's sake anyway. So that is how the art machine came
about. We've mechanized everything. We've got everything in an easy-to-take
form-a sugar-coated pilL In this case T decided that the ceramic pieces were not
even to be in themselves works of art, but simply dispensers of works of art, so
that they were in the true sense functional objects- not to be taken into account
for themselves."
As time and effort continued, Bernie's pots " ... started to take on a slightly
anthropomorphic nature. They developed into the mechanical men and women
series and at that time I started fiddling around with other bits and pieces-those
fingers and eyes-but I felt that these were a little bit beside the point. The fingers
had possibilities that T thought I might extend one day. But I then went back to
this mechanical man idea, but a bit further. I started to think of something specific
and that's how I started with the pillars of society ... From those, other sorts of
ideas came out of my thinking of the function of man on this planet and what
the heck are we doing? And then I thought about all the sorts of things people
say they're going to do-like going to heaven when they die, and I thought, well
that's a pretty funny thing, and so I started thinking about death and the funerary
3

urns developed from this. There's something
humorous as well as sad when going to a
funeral ceremony and hearing the speaker trying
to say something nice about the deceased. He's
always a wonderful guy who did this and did
that. No one ever says, 'Well, he was a bit of a
flop reall y . . .'
"I thought about people who make New Year
resolutions, and all the resolutions I make and
never keep, so I made funerary urns based on
those resolutions which you could stick in the
middle of the box and just when you are on your
deathbed you open the box and read it all, and
then you realise how many you really fulfilled. I
think that would be rather intriguing ... "
The lollipop, which stood six feet high, proclaimed
a reward for you, and issued tickets
suggesting they " Admit One". Admission to
what? To a new life, to heaven, to the football
ground? "It took me ages to think up what to
write on that card. 1 wrote and wrote, and then
thinking that lean 't have a long rigmarole, I
thought what is there that is as stupid as a lot of
other things and doesn't mean anything, yet it
has all the meaning in the world." "Admit One"
seemed to fulfill that requirement.
"Then, the two little figures that stood side by
side-one requiring a pat on the head while you
make a wish, and the other presenting a card
which most likely lets you down, saying, 'If your
wish was an ego trip, forget it!' How many people
make wishes that always start, 'I wish that I .. .'."
However, all that culminated last Marchthere
are still years of work ahead. And of course
time to reflect on things. Bernie will still choose
to work in ceramics "because it allows me to do
the things that I want to do". Other media
can be employed, but these are peripheral. The
concept always comes first for Bernie and it's
always drawn, if only a pencil sketch at times.
The technique and materials are then employed
to realize the concept. That is to say . . . "the
technique provides the quality the job requires. I
have finished with the technique when it becomes
mechanical". So, while the technique of
working with clay has not become mechanical
for Bernie, he can say that it is "just like a trip
to Manly- it never loses its charm".
BERNARD SAHM : Big Thrill, 200 em (bot/om)
Dicky Bird, 173 em & 157 em ( /op)
Photograph : John Delacour.
4

"I've never really bothered much about one special school of thought,
although at times I've made typical tableware things (those periods fairly short
and incidental). I can't say that one person has influenced me. I have to say that
I've been influenced by just about everything I've seen and I think that's what
one is-a regurgitation of everything that one has seen or experienced. The
danger, as far as being a creative person is concerned, is getting yourself hooked
on one theme, one person . . . otherwise you can be your own. You could pick the
most currently fashionable style and mould yourself on that. But that would not
be satisfying for me. I'd rather do a lot of 'fizzers' and have fun doing them, feeling
that it was something that had been 'me', which, I suppose, is a big ego trip,
but l'd sooner that than follow one particular school.
"If people want to read other things in my work or see other influences, well
they can-they might be right, too. I remember, years ago, several people coming
up to me and remarking, 'Your work reminds me of rocketships', or another saying
it reminded him of a penis, or aboriginal and mediaeval influences. Well , I
think this is good, and I have probably been influenced by the lot.
"Before I took up potting I was wanting to be a painter. I don't know that
I would ever have made it as a painter. I think I was always a 3D person. The
sorts of things I was trying to do in painting are really all the sorts of things I'm
BERNARD SAHM
in his garden at Mosman
-Keep Going.
5

Detail of A rl M achille II.
BERNARD SAHM: Art Machille II, 177 em.
winner of gold medal, Faenza.
Pholograph: Crafts Council of Australia.
6

trying to do now- after all this time- after 25 years I'm doing things which are
not exactly the same, but coming from the same impetus-the same basic concern
for humanity on this planet. Not that I think humanity is all that crash hot.
If this planet is to survive it might do better without mankind here at all.
"Mankind could survive if we take a different view about what our purpose
in life is and forget that it's just to manufacture things to sell. I don't know
whether the little bits that I do are going to have any effect-but it's worth a try.
I don't know that I'm being that successful as far as my own actions are concerned.
I buy new this and thats. r don't think I'm wasteful though. I try to keep
things going. I recycle things. I think that this is important. This cuts down on
consuming the planet's resources."
Having worked with Bernie a little and spent some time with his family, the
first thing I noticed was the quiet and relaxed way of life that he leads. Communication
within the Sahm family is positive and loving. Bernie's wife, Pam, has
for several years worked as a puppeteer for Norman Hetherington and the Dental
Health Foundation. As well, there are three teenage children, Richard, Helen
and Kathy, all of whom seem to be on the verge of launching artistic vocationsall
of whom influence and are influenced by Bernie's attitude and life-style.
Bernie likes gardens, architecture, furniture and aU kinds of music.
Whenever possible, Bernie prefers to be called "Bernard", so perhaps from
this point on I should try to break an old habit.
Bernard tries not to predict future directions of his work or life, trying to
keep it as adventurous as possible. "If the direction is known too far in advance
then the wonder and adventure is lost." Nevertheless, perhaps all reach a point
where we must "Keep Going!" .
Further references on Bernard'. work: A riisl Cra/lsmen in A uSlralia (F. Bottrell) , pp.
58-61 ; Auslralian POllery (Garnsey, Hood, Thompson) , pp.136-142; Nine Artist Pollers
(A. Litt1cmore), pp. 24-39.
The CANBERRA ART SCHOOL will be starting a Ceramics Diploma course from February,
1977. This important and exciting course is designed to produce professional potters as
well as future teachers. The school now has 14 kilns, includmg a 300 cu. ft. climbing kiln,
several gas and electric kilns, oil kiln, wood kilns and a two-chamber Bizen kiln ; a new kiln
using brown coal and capable of reaching 1350' C in almost eight hours has proved successful.
The ROYAL DOULTON STUDIO in Chatswood, N.S.W., which was established by Derek
Smith three and a half years ago, has now been handed over to him to run as a private venture.
The studio and its present staff of six will continue producing at the Doulton plant in
Chatswood until the end of 1976, at which time it will be relocated in other premises.
7

LEADLESS EARTHENWARE GLAZES
George Snape
Many of the materials potters use contain potentially dangerous elements and
one of these is lead. We can only use the terms " Ieadless", "lead-free" and
"formulated without lead" to define glazes where not even the slightest trace of
lead is present. We are fortunate to have at our disposal the research of many
eminent ceramists from all over the world, people who have found eutectic mixtures
that melt at lower temperatures than anyone of the components does by
itself, and form the lowest melting point of mixtures for a glaze.
A few of these are (percentages by weight):
Eutectic
Melting Point
Potash + Boric Oxide + Silica 630 0 e
K zO 22.8 B 2 0 a 35.7 Si0 2 41.5
Soda
+ Boric Oxide + Silica 790 0 e
Na2024.2 B 2 0 a 35.2 Si0 2 40.6
Potash
+ Silica 880 0 e
K 2 0 17.5 Si02 82.5
Soda + Lithia + Boric Oxide 640 0 e
NazO 30.7 Li20 10.4 B 2 0 a 58.9
Potash + Alumina + Silica 870 0 e
K 2 0 17.3 AI20 a 5.2 SiOz 77.5
Soda + Silica 860 0 e
NazO 18.4 SiOz 81.6
Soda + Alumina + Silica 800 0 e
NazO 17.8 AI 2 0 a 5.1 SiOz 77.1
The usefulness of this work can be seen in the use of soda and potash felspars
in the opaque glaze at the end of this article. Soda felspar (albite) melts at
or below 1200°C. Potash felspar (orthoclase) melts at or below 1220 o e. The
eutectic of these is: Albite 58%, Orthoclase 42%, and it has a melting point of
11 60°C.
We can also be very thankful to Seger-all potters have probably used his
mixtures to record their firing and perhaps never give it another thought. The
cone-these remarkable triangular pieces-all have a formulation that works
every time. Some of these formulations are low temperature, and all are theoretically
lead-free; and whilst they cannot, in general, be used directly as a glaze,
they do give a starting point, bearing in mind the following rules for glazes
maturing in the 1040°C-1080oe range:
Rule J: The molecular proportions of the three groups of oxides be within the
following ranges:
Bases
RO
1.0
Amphoterics
Acids
RzOg
ROz
0.1-0.6 Al 2 0 a
1.0-3.5
0.5-1.0 B 2 0 3
(In this si mple rule alone there is a lifetime of glaze calculations.)
8

Rule 2:
Part (a) The % weight of the RO group be below 20% to soften (or flux)
the glaze and stabilize its solubility.
Part (b) The % of the R zOa group be below 30%, helping to soften the
glaze and stabilize solubility.
Part (c) The % of the B 2 0 a group below 16% will soften the glaze and
affect glaze fit.
Part (d) The % of the ROz group above 50% to increase the durability and
expansion of the glaze.
Rule 3: RO group is formulated thus:
0.4-0.6 Alkali metals, i.e. KzO, Na20 .
0.6-0.4 Alkali earth metals, i.e. CaO, MgO, BaO, etc.
As with everything, there are exceptions to all these rules; they are a guide only
but a reliable one.
CONE FORMULATIONS
Cone 021 (650°C) has the formula:
Na20 MgO CaO BzOa AlzOa SiOz
16.3 5.3 7.4 36.86 1.08 33.02 % by weight
This fires to a beautiful, bright, smooth, transparent crackle at 980°C. Notice
this formulation follows Rule I and Rule 3, but not Rule 2.
Cone OJ3A (835°C) has the formula:
Na20 MgO CaO BzOa AlzOa Si0 2
8.74 5.21 7.88 19.8 14.3 44.1
This fires to a semi-opaque crackle at 1040°C. Notice this formulation follows
Rules I and 3 but not Rule 2. But see recipes at the end of this article.
Cone OllA (880°C) has the formula:
Na20 MgO CaO BzOa AlzOa SiOz
7.55 4.37 6.68 16.7 14.3 50.4
This fires to a transparent glaze which can be opacified with zircon or tin. This
formulation complies with Rules I, 2 and 3.
GLAZES
Simple glazes used by ancient civilizations were raw. One of the best known is the
Copper Blue. Such a glaze would have the formula :
NazO AlzOa SiOz
31.95 10.31 57.73
These are percentages by weight, not molecular formula.
An addition of 2% Copper Carbonate to this will produce a blue crackle
at 980°C. It could be made up from:
NazO Alz0 3 SiOz
54 Bicarbonate of soda
16 China clay
28.4 Silica
31.95
The following recipes are derived from the above text:
(i) A possible line of development from Rule I.
RO
R 2 0 a
1.0 AlzOa 0.328
B 2 0 a 0.765
This could be made up as:
10.31 11.6
45.9
9

Molecular weight
Percent
Made from
49.2 Frit 2
12.7 Frit 96
18.2 Potash Felspar
18.6 China clay
4.2 Silica
4.92
1.51
0.38
K 2 0
0.07
2.02
2.04
Cao
0.572
9.85
9.85
3.4
6.88
B 2 0 ~
0.765
15.18
11.3
3.36
Si0 2
3.0
55.85
23 .12
7.79
12.01
8.74
4.19
6.81 2.04 9.85 10.28 .14.66 55.85
Fired to 1080°C this has a slight milkiness, good craze resistance, and good
surface gloss. Apart from a slight discrepancy in B 2 0 3 , this glaze complies with
the rules.
(ii) Another glaze would be:
RO
1.0
This could be made up as:
Na20
Molecular weight 0.6
Percent 5.55
Made from
33 Frit 96 4.92
50 Potash Felspar 1.05
7.5 China clay
10. 16 Titanium
K 2 0
0.4
5.55
5.55
Al 2 0 a B 2 0 3
0.86 0.86
12.9 8.89
9.3
2.77
5.97 5.55 12.07 8.77 56.91 10.16
Fired to 1040°C this glaze gives a cream satin matt with good craze resistance.
However, this glaze does not comply with Rule 3 (has a slight discrepancy
in B 2 0 :, ) .
8.77
R0 2
7.28
Si0 2
6.42
56.9
20.26
33.0
3.65
Ti0 2
0.86
10.16
10.16
CONE MIXINGS FROM TEST
Cone 09
MgO Cao B 2 0 3 Al 2 0 ~ Si0 2
3.73 5.61 14.1 14.3 55.6
53 Frit 96
14.1
32.7
3.6 Potash Felspar
0.51
6.9 2.4
12 Talc
3.72
0.27 7.2
18.4 China clay
5.0 Silica
7.16 8.3
5.0
10 Calcite 5.61
Fired at 980°C-1040°C this mixture will give a milky white with fair surface
and good crazing resistance.
Cone 011
63 Frit 96
14 Talc
7.4 China clay
MgO
4.37
4.37
CaO
6.68
0.32
2.88
Si0 2
50.4
38.7
8.37
3.33
11 .9 Calcite 6.68
11.1 Alumina 11.1
Fires at 980°C-1080°C to excellent clear with fair surface and good crazing
resistance.
10

Cone 013
Na20 MgO Cao B20 3 AI20 3 Si02
8.74 5.21 7.88 19.8 14.33 44.1
74.7 Frit 96 8.96 19.8 46.0
9.2 Magnesium carbonate 5.21
14.0 Calcite 7.88
14.3 Alumina 14.3
Fires at 1040°C to 1080°C to an excellent clear- fair surface with good crazing
resistance.
GLAZE USING THE FELSPAR EUTECTIC:
Na20 K20 CaO ZnO AI 20 3 B20 3 Si0 2 ZrO~
35.8 Frit 96 4.3 9.5 22.0
9.25 Potash felspar .3 1.0 1.75 6.0
13.3 Soda felspar 1.4 2.74 9.0
1.2 China clay .5 0.58
8.0 Zinc 8.0
8.4 Zircosil 2.7 5.5
16.7 Silica 16.7
14.0 Calcite 8.0
6.0 1.0 8.0 8.0 4.99 9.5 57.0 5.5
This fires to 1040°C to 1080°C to a semi-opaque fair surface and is craze
resistant. The addition of zircosil makes it opaque. Note that the potash felspar is
42% of the felspar component in the glaze and the soda felspar is 58%.
The formulations are all essentially true; trace elements have not been recorded.
The purpose is to show that one can make one's own glazes, indeed it is
possible that one can make one's own frits. Most frits are prepared below 1 200°C,
but it req uires a certain knowledge and time and patience. It is a hazard to fire the
solubles of soda, borax, etc., in the unfritted form in an electric kiln as it will
shorten the life of the elements.
I recommend the Borax Consolidated Company booklet entitled "Ceramic
Glazes", by Dr. F. Singer, for further reading on leadless glazes.
DON HOLLOW A Y
Don Holloway, well known in the Adelaide pottery world, died late last year. I apologise for
not having made his death known outside South Australia before this. He remonstrated with
some youngish yobs who were apparently driving carelessly and was beaten up for his trouble.
Whatever the cause of death, his injUries put him into hospital. He was discharged but was
re-admitted soon after and then after days in a coma he died.
He had early associations with Merrie Boyd and the Boyd family at Murrumbeena. In
Adelaide he was employed by AMDEL on clay testing. Later he began and managed the
Lordon Ceramics company. This " dream" collapsed for reasons not of Don's making and
South Australia lost a real pioneer ceramic venture. Later he worked with me at the School
of Art, then during my absence in Japan he taught there on a n almost full-time basis. Later
he taught there as a part-time Iccturer, teaching both "Clays and Glazes" and " Industrial
Techniques". He was a helpful teacher and offered all his experience to those who wanted it.
He was remarkably free of the worst human attributes and I both liked and respected
him. I am sorry he is dead. I am especially sorry for those who had faith in his "dreams"
but who missed sharing with him the rewards of all his hard work.
Millon Moon.
II

DON REITZ IN AUSTRALIA
Janet Mansfield
The Potters' Society of Australia. in conjunction with the Australian-American
Association. brought Donald Reitz. Professor of Ceramics. University of
Wisconsin. to Australia as part of the American Bicentenary celebrations.
Workshops were held in Sydney. Canberra. Perth and in various N.S. W . centres.
Don Reitz is an artist involved in the processes of change and development.
Working in ceramics, he is dealing with every part of an activity in which he is
able to bring into use all his knowledge and experiences. He believes that art is
a self-destroying process, a lump of clay is destroyed to get a different shape, a
round form is destroyed to gain another, something always being gained out of
the destruction of something else; so is an artist, always building and continually
changing.
A man of great energy, Don positively reacts to people, situations and to the
work in which he is involved, claiming also that standing on one's head every morning
is a great source of energy. Workshops in Australia were at a high level of
activity with pots being made, decorated and fired, information being freely given,
commonsense and complete honesty evident. Don kept up a continuous flow of
entertaining anecdotes not only about his life as a potter but as a teacher, a navy
diver, a meat-cutter or a tall-story teller. In the class situation, he proceeded as
he would in his own workshop and students gained something of his approach to
clay; making pots act as a catalyst for discussion, they also gained an understanding
of his direct philosophy. All the pieces made, the coloured slips and
oxides used, all the decorative techniques pertained to the salt glaze firing technique.
Clay, for Don Deitz, is a total commitment, a way of life which dictates his
famil y relationships, his geographic location and provides him with an exciting
material on which he can impose force, expression and value. Techniques are
important only in that they give one a frame of reference to express one's feelings,
but it is the spirit embodied in one's approach to work that is all important.
Centring large lumps of clay, Don threw bowls off the hump, then later large
jugs, platters and bowls. A large jar, over a metre high , was made in three sections.
Two high bowl shapes were thrown upside down, cut from the bats when
leather hard and joined rim to rim; a coil of clay was roughly thrown and then
added to the piece for final throwing to form the neck. Most of Dan's forms
have evolved from functional ware, but in the process of making, the form takes
over and many variations are made until he feels he has exhausted an idea. With
form all important, if he likes a shape, Don will find a way to use it, even to clean
it. Utility pots should enhance a meal, he says, making it more of a celebration.
Sometimes a pot in the course of making, glazing or firing will attain such a rare
quality that although made for a utilitarian purpose so transcends that function
it would be a desecration to use it except for a celebration of some kind. Not so
many pieces like this happen, but Dan's goal is to make ceremonial vessels. He
doesn't plan them as show pieces. For Don the wheel is the easiest and fastest
way to build a fo rm. However, he removes all the "wheel information" from the
surface by scraping the pot when it is dry. He likes a person to look at the total
piece rather than worry how it was made. Don admires and understands the
12

-- - ------------ ---,
DON REITZ at the Pollers' Society workshop,
Darlinghursl.
physical properties of clay and uses the salt-glaze to reveal these clay qualities,
the marks and scratches, the undulations and the interaction between the body of
the piece and the added parts. Salt also reveals the soft, pliable nature of clay,
its spirit and freedom, while allowing the inner volume of the pot to be stressed.
Don Reitz doesn't go in for pretentiousness either in his person or in his work.
His salt-glazed pieces have great variety of effect on one surface and yet all are
coherently part of one pot. Texture, burn-spots, blushing, subtle colour changes
and variations of salt build-up are 90% of Don's creating. By variable salting and
stacking patterns, Don makes stacking and firing the kiln as creative a process as
the making. While the firing is in progress, Don gives the kiln his full attention;
as he says, "keeping in tune with it".
For Don Reitz there is no such thing as an unsuccessful firing. One can
learn a lot from why something doesn't work and also we should question why
something does work. It is important to strive for something new and fresh about
one's work, not just the safe answers but working through one's own experience.
Don makes his own rules by his own aesthetic judgments- the clay, but not other
artists, helping to dictate what he can do. He doesn't sit and think about this,
rather gets in and does it and if it doesn't work he tries again. In throwing, for
example, if a piece isn't right he wouldn't stop even if he felt one more pull would
make it collapse. After all, if it isn't right he hasn't anything anyway, so he only
stops if it is finished. However, he never leaves a piece, as in trying to do something
with it he could arrive at new and exciting forms.
Don doesn't pre-plan what he will make on anyone day in his own workshop
except to say, as an example, he will make some bowls. What he makes will
reflect where he is mentally that day. All the things that affect him, past and present,
show up in his work. He likes throwing, saying it is a pleasurable experi-
13

ence, building a rhythm that continues throughout the piece. He works in multiples,
having several pieces all at one stage, juxtaposing different opposing forces
to make unity in each piece.
The workshops in Australia were conducted in a spirit of sharing knowledge
and ideas. Don feels that the esprit de corps amongst craftsmen is unique
across the world and of practical value for all. Being able to transfer knowledge
is, he says, what life is all about. Many students have preconceived ideas which
should be broken. To break one such idea, he has students make, decorate and
fire the wet pots in the one day. To make fresh and living pots one needs enough
experience to make valid judgments, but one has to think, to change, to be in a
state of flux and continually developing, not accepting the so-called facts. One
should consider not a handle but a lifting device, not a jug but a container for
fluid, a drinking vessel rather than a cup. Above all one must believe in what one
is doing. If household or other commitments interfere one has to sort out just
how deeply one needs to be involved. Work should be a total extension of a total
being. Students should choose the material that best serves their interests. For
Don Reitz, his thorough involvement is in clay and his work is a statement of
his life; direct, positive, creative and energetic, his impact in Australia was opportune.
I know we will be glad to welcome him should he choose to return.
DON REITZ: Salt glaze.
The Potters' Gallery school is conducted in the large basement of 48 Burton Street,
Darlinghurst. There are several classes each week and also special classes dealing with different
aspects of ceramics are held. Please contact the Potters' Gallery, telephone 31 3151, for
details.
The SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM of the Potters' Society of Australia will take place in
January, 1977. For details of schools please contact the Potters' Gallery, 48 Burton Street,
Darlinghurst. 2010. Telephone 31 3151.
14

A LOW COST KICKWHEEL
Leonard M. Smith
With the costs of pottery equipment rising prohibitively, even the basic necessities
are becoming a stumbling block to both the amateur and professional potter when
setting up a workshop. For this reason, when I was setting up my first workshop,
as I couldn't afford a new wheel, either electric or kick, and there were none
available second-hand, I decided to build one. 1 looked at the available wheels
and designs and eventually I incorporated their best features into the simplest
design I could envisage building myself. The cost, using all new materials, was
$50 and it took me two days to assemble once I had collected the materials. Using
second-hand wood and parts, the cost can be halved.
Features of the design that appear with this article are:
A simple, but stable, triangular wooden frame.
A cast concrete flywheel.
A home-made wheelhead.
A simple cam and kick bar mechanism requiring only one simple weld.
Following are step-by-step construction instructions, which, altbough plainly
detailed, presuppose a small amount of handy-person knowledge.
THE F R AME
Materials: 3- 25 in. x 3 in. x 3 in. hardwood legs; 6-32 in. x 3 in. x I in. hardwood
braces; 6-33 in. x %0 in. or i in. mild steel rods (threaded both ends);
12-%6 in. or i in. nuts, and spring washers; 12- 5 in. x i in. bolts plus nuts
and washers to suit.
Before I start, the dimensions of the timbers, excluding their lengths, can be
varied to suit the available materials, e.g. 4 in. x 4 in. legs, D .A.R . timber, etc.,
although it would be preferable if the above dimensions were treated as minimums
and dressed timber will give a better finish.
The three legs are cut to length then each leg has four galleries cut in it to
accept the cross braces, which have also been cut to length. The galleries should
be a close fit but not tight; Yt6 in. clearance is acceptable. To work out the depth
of the galleries I drew a plan of the legs in position, to scale, measured the depth
of the cuts, marked this on the legs, then cut them with a saw and chiselled the
unwanted timber out. Three-inch nails are now used to tack the frame together,
one per joint. The frame is now aligned, checking that all angles are equal. Two
i in. holes are drilled diagonally through each joint and the i in. bolts passed
through them. When all bolts are in position they can be tightened.
The tie rods can be either % 6 in. or i in. mild steel rods. They are cut to
length and threads cut on each end with a die of appropriate size and thread type.
Holes are then drilled in each leg to accept the rods, as per the plan, then the
nuts and washers placed on each end and the whole tightened up. Now we have
a strong, stable frame.
THE BEARING SUPPORTS
Materials: 4--4 in. x 1 in. hardwood; screws, approximately 8.
The plans aren't clear on the dimensions of the bearing support beams, but
4 in. x I in . or 3 in. x I in. will suffice. Place them in position on the frame, mark
them with a pencil and cut them to length. Now screw them into position with
two screws each end.
15

1" MILD STEEL SHAFT
LID
FlANGE
BEARING
NOT TO
SCALE ',
cast concrete flywheel
pressed metal
flange unit bolted
frame cross bars
"4.-04---- CAM
1 In. bearl ng
k ick bar
3/8 in. bolts, nylon IIn'd
9
KI~BAR
16

~---------- 36 "-----------~
A
A'
'" •
/COle:
0·2"=1"
kick wfieel
by
I.m./mil'
SECTION
AA'
b.kennMy
lid
60FF
25"
17

THE TOP BOARD AND PAN
Materials: 1 box 2 in. screws; I sheet 3 ft. x 3 ft. pyneboard; approximately 10 ft.
-4 ft. x 1 in. softwood; and wood screws.
The pyneboard sheet is cut to the shape of the top board, as per the plan,
including the seat, in one piece. It can then be placed in position and securely
screwed into the three legs. The side boards of the pan area are cut by placing
them in their position and marking them, then sawing. The pan can then be
assembled, screwed together, then screwed to the top board.
The frame is now ready for a coat of stain then clear lacquer; this is essential
to waterproof the tray area. A margarine container should be attached around
the shaft hole; after it has been drilled it will stop any water going down the
shaft and ruining the bearings.
Prototype wheel
in daily use.
THE FLYWHEEL
Materials: I bag Sacrete (complete concrete mix) ; 10 in- J in. i.d. water pipe
threaded both ends, I in. flange to suit; 2-i in x It in. bolts and nuts.
A suitable mould to cast the flywheel is a plastic garbage bin, but anything
between 12 in . x 18 in. in diameter will do; a hole can be dug into the ground if
you like, as it isn't essential that it be perfectly symmetrical, although it should
be as close as you can make it. I cut the top off a plastic garbage bin (12 in.
down) and placed it over a waste piece of board with a J! in. hole cut at its centre.
I made up a cross frame to hold the water pipe in position so that it is centralised
and vertical. The water pipe must first be cut in half and each threaded end
screwed into the flange. At each end of the pipe a nut is welded to it over a
drilled i in. hole; these will be the lockscrews.
With the pipe in position the Sacrete can be mixed as per the directions on
its pack and put into the mould. The next day it will be ready for assembly.
18

Materials:
The main shaft
The bearings
The cam
The extension
The connecting rod
The kickbar
The rod or chain
THE RUNNING GEAR
23 in. x I in. mild steel shaft.
I in. i.d. pressed metal flange units, the type with
two holes for the bolts.
3 in. x I in. i.d. water pipe with a nut and bolt
welded on as a lockscrew.
3t in. x I in. x t in. flat steel bar welded to base of
water pipe.
9 in. x I in . x t in. flat steel bar.
4 in. x I in. x t in. flat steel bar.
36 in. of H in . angle iron.
19 in. approximately of 0/, 6 in. rod or light chain.
6 x I t in. x t in. bolts, nuts and washers.
4 x 2 in. x t in . bolts, nuts and washers.
Assembling: The two bearings are located on the top and bottom supports,
as per the plan, so that the shaft is centralised and vertical. The flywheel is
rested on the bottom bearing and the shaft passed through the top bearing the
flywheel , then the bottom bearing. The bearing bolts can now be tightened. The
shaft is located half an inch below the top edge of the pan and the bearing collars
locked into position on the shaft. The flywheel locknuts can now be tightened on
the shaft also.
In my prototype wheel I drilled t in. holes through tbe cam, etc., and put
t in . bolts through them, giving a metal-to-metal contact that works quite will if
kept well oiled, but you can buy teflon tubing of t in. bore and tin. o.d. and
press it into the t in . holes then use t in. bolts to connect them. Although these
are more efficient bearings, I haven't found them necessary yet, so if you use the
t in. bolts you can always opt for the teflon bearings later.
The cam has a t in. hole drilled 2t in. from the centre of the shaft. The
extension, i in. holes at 8 in. centres and the connecting rod 3 in. from the middle
of the kickbar. The connecting rod can be located on the kickbar, its position
marked, then either welded or bolted into position. The kickbar is bolted to the
frame so that it swings freely. If special locknuts aren't available, a second nut
tightened against the first will act as a locknut. The whole cam assembly can now
be bolted together with a washer on either side, i.e. one below the head and one
above the two nuts and one in between the two bars. The first nut is tightened
until it just grabs then brought back one quarter turn. Then the second nut is
locked against the first. The pivot point on the frame is drilled and a i in. bolt
attached so that a o/t 6 in. rod or light chain can be taken from it to the kickbar
so that the kickbar can swing freely in an arc. The whole assembly should turn
freely when kicked and run on when the bar is released.
THE WHEELHEAD
Material: 1- 12 in. or similar A section aluminium pulley with a I in . bore; I
sheet 12t in. x 12t in. 16-gauge iron plate or aluminium, or 12 in. diam. 1 in.
water-resistant wood; I tube instant Araldite; I tile cutter.
A wheelhead can be bought, but as these cost $15-$20 it is cheaper to make
one. The 12 in. pulley is locked in position on the top of the shaft. The iron plate
is then Araldited to the pulley so that it overhangs t in. each side. When the
glue is dry the wheel is kicked so that the wheelhead rotates and the tungsten
carbide-tipped tile cutter brought into contact with its surface at 12 in . diam. so
19

that it cuts through the metal. The tool can now be used to scribe centring rings
on the wheelhead.
Alternatively, aluminium sheet of a thicker gauge can be used, or a thick
piece of wood of a water-resistant species could be screwed by drilling holes in
the pulley and screwing through from underneath, before attaching it to the
shaft.
Now, hopefully, you should have a completed wheel which, with oil and
occasional maintenance, should provide you with years of service. Mine has been
in almost daily use for 12 months now.
LEONARD SMITH completed his ceramics course lasl year and is setting up his pottery at the
Kings School, Parramatta, N.S.W.
TIlE AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
The Potters' Society of Australia and The Australian Ceramic Society are sister Societies as
regards fields of interest, but to date we have had little mutual contact and know too little
about one another. I hope this situation will change and increased contact will eventuale,
with benefit to both Societies.
The A.C.S. is a technical Society incorporated as a Limited Company under the N.S. W .
Companies Act in 1964. It was established "To promote and provide facilities for the exposition,
discussion and elucidation of all matters pertaining to ceramics and the allied arts and
sciences, or relating to ceramic research, trade, art or industry, . .. and for these purposes to
provide means for bringing into contact persons engaged in such trades, arts and industries."
The Society's principal activities in furtherance of these objectives are:
(i) Regular (approximately monthly) lecture-discussion-social meetings are held in Sydney
and Melbourne by our N.S.W. and Victorian Branches. Venues vary but the standard
ones are the Applied Science Building, The University of New South Wales and Clunies Ross
House, Parkville, Victoria.
(ii) Three-day Ceramic Conferences are held biennially, alternately in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Seventh Australian Ceramic Conference was held this year in Sydney, from
August 25th to 27th.
(iii) The Society has published since 1965 a scientific Journal (Journal of the Australian
Ceramic Society). This appears twice yearly, in May and November.
(iv) This year, the Society began to publish a quarterly Newsletter for the information
of members and friends.
(v) This Society has promoted a four-year scholarship known a~ "The Australian
Ceramic Society Scholarship in Ceramic Engineering" at The University of New South Wales.
The successful applicant for this scholarship, Mr. Grant A . Ackers, commenced his course
Ihis year.
(vi) The A.C.S. has recently exchanged reciprocal membership with the Australasian
Vitreous Enamellers' Institute and has granted a relatively new body centred in Perth "informal
affiliate" status with the A .C.S. This body is known as The West Australian Ceramic
Association.
The A.C.S. has approximately 300 members from all branches of ceramic research,
education and industry, but to achieve all our objectives as we would wish , we need more
members. Members and friends of the Potters' Society will find a warm welcome within the
A.C.S. and much to interest them. For example, this year's Melbourne program ha~
centred on the theme of "High-Temperature; Its Attainment, Containment and Control" and
there are often lectures on glazes, natural gas, ceramic raw materials, etc. While there are
few lecture-meetings specifically devoted to pottery topics, this balance would be quickly
redressed by an influx of pottery-oriented members who were prepared to air their views and
contribute to program planning.
For further information on meetings or membership, please apply to:
Dr. E. R. Segnit, CSIRO Division of Mineral Chemistry, Port Melbourne, Vic., 3207, or
Mr. F . Osterlund, c/ o. Doulton Potteries, Chatswood, N.S.W., 2067.
20
K. D. Reeve, Federal President, The Australian Ceramic Society.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLING
Stephen Harrison
Part Two: How to build a small ball mill
This ball mill is designed as a roller mechanism to accommodate jars from one
to five gallons. The principle is that which was described in Fig. 2 in Part I of this
article, i.e. two rubber-coated rollers set 8 in. apart, one driven and the other freemoving.
I've tried to use common and easily available materials wherever
possi ble, e.g. galvanised waterpipe for the rollers and frame support.
THE FRAME: The frame is made of 2 in. diameter galvanised waterpipe and
t in. thick mild steel plate. The unit is kept rigid by the clamping action of a 27 in.
piece of i in. diameter mild steel rod, which passes through the centre of the 2 in.
diameter waterpipe and on through the end plate, and is held tight by a nut at
each end. You must be careful when cutting the ends of this pipe to make sure
they're as close as possible to a 90° angle, as the angle of the end of the pipe
dictates the angle of the end plate clamped against it.
THE ROLLERS: The rubber-coated rollers on which the jar sits are made of
I t in. nominal bore galvanised waterpipe (approximately o.d. It in.) with rubber
"0" rings rolled on to provide the rubbing coating. This brings the o.d. up to
approximately 2 in. The ends are plucked with It in. diameter mild steel bar,
welded, and then turned down to i in . + .000 in., -.998 in. diameter to fit the
bearings. This represents a huge saving on the cost of getting solid bar turned
down and having the entire length coated in rubber. (Three years ago I was
quoted $200 for this alone.)
The rubber "0" rings are usually used as oil seals in bearings and cost about
$2 per pack of 10. I've used 30 of them. They are stocked by all the bearing
companies, so buy them when you buy the bearings.
THE BEARINGS: The bearings I've used are "pressed metal sided, self-aligning,
fiangette bearing". They are quite cheap and easily assembled. They are available
over the counter at any bearing retailer. There are huge discounts available
on bearings at the moment, so don't expect to pay the full list price-hagglethey'll
come down. There are even bigger trade discounts available, so ask the
person who does your welding or turning to order them for you; it should work
out cheaper.
The bearings are simply bolted to the frame at three places on their circumference
and they align themselves to the shaft. After the first revolution is complete
the bearings are fully aligned. The bolts that hold the bearings are best
secured with "Nyloc" nuts, as they resist being loosened by vibration.
THE MOTOR: The motor can be off a washing machine. The one I use is t h.p.
It needs a little push on the jar when starting- to overcome inertia. It runs a
little warm but is lasting well. So I should think any washing machine motor
would do, as these can be obtained very cheaply or for nothing. If you find you
have to buy a motor I suggest t h.p. , with capacitor start to overcome these difficulties.
Be sure when buying a secondhand motor that it is single phase.
MOTOR MOUNTING PLATE: The motor mounting plate is secured by four
bolts which are welded to the two pipes which make up the frame, two to each
21

pipe. This holds the plate rigid against any movement which would also move
the motor mounted on it, thus altering the belt tension. It is important that the
plate not be flexible, as this would also affect the tension.
CALCULATIONS: The critical speed is calculated as follows-assuming a fivegallon
jar of 12 in. internal diameter is to be used-
54.IS
Critical speed
y Radius in ft.
54.1S
Critical speed
Critical speed
.'. Critical speed
YO.5
54.IS
0.7075
76.58 r.p.m.
[For a jar of 12 in. i.d. the radius is
6 in. or 0.5 ft. The square root of
0.5 is 0.7075.]
Good grinding is said to occur between 64% and S7% of the critical speed. For
this example I will choose somewhere nearer the upper limit, e.g. SO%. This
works out to be 61 r.p.m.
lf the jar is to run at 61 r.p.m. and assuming that your motor runs at 1425
r.p.m. (this is most common), then it becomes obvious that it is necessary to
gear the motor down. This is best done by two pulleys and a rubber "V" belt.
The calculation will be as follows: if you are using a plastic jar of wall thickness,
1 in. , the outside diameter of the jar will be 12t in. and the rubber roller which
carries it is 2 in. diameter. So there is in effect a gear ratio of 1 : 6 approximately.
Therefore, if the running speed is 61 r.p.m. the speed of the roller will be six
times that, i.e. 366 r.p.m. So the large pulley fitted to the roller will also be travelling
at that rate. The pulley attached to the motor is going at the same rate as the
motor, i.e. 1425 r.p.m. So divide the rate of the large pulley into the rate of the
small one, and you will get the ratio of the two pulleys, e.g.:
1425 -;- 366 = 3.S9
or I : 3.9
So if the small pulley is 2t in. diameter, the big one will be 9t in.
If you decide to get a porcelain jar you will have to consider the thickness
of the wall of the jar in the calculation, e.g.: If the wall thickness is 1 in. and the
internal diameter is kept the same (i.e. 12 in.), then the external diameter will
be 14 in. This alters the jar-to-roller ratio to I : 7 instead of I : 6. So remember
always to calculate the critical speed on the internal diameter of the jar as this
is where the balls rotate. However, the outside diameter influences the speed also.
CONSTRUCTION:
(I) Buy materials as in materials list.
(2) Arrange with a boilermaker (or a friend with the necessary equipment)
to cut out and drill the sheetmetal; cut the pipe to length; weld the relevant parts
and tap the rods, etc.
(3) Get a fitter and turner (or someone with access to a lathe) to turn
the roller stubs down to fit the bearings. [Note: If you go to an engineering works
they will do these first three steps but you can expect to pay at lot more.]
(4) Paint all mild steel parts with metal primer and galvanised parts with
galvanised primer, then two coats of gloss, which will make for easier cleaning.
(5) Assemble all parts as per drawings. Place motor in the middle of the
locating slots on the motor mounting plate and measure distance around the
pulleys and buy a belt for this size (with the same section as the pulleys, e.g. "A"
22

section). This completes the roller mechanism. The next consideration is the jar.
JAR: Probably the best jar is one made of porcelain and will have to be imported
from England at a cost of some hundreds of dollars. This puts it out of the reach
of a lot of people. This then leaves two alternatives:
(l) A black plastic brewers' jar from your local home brewers' supply shop
or large department store. (I got mine from the local health foods shop for
$5.) There are two types of these jars-one has the handles internally and the
other externally. Try and get the one with the external handles as the internal
handles present a point of obstruction to the path of the balls and charge rotating
inside. The plastic substance is quite durable, and John Edye tells me that at one
of the English art schools they have been usi ng them for 200 hours of milling
time.
(2) The next best way is to build it yourself. The smaller ones, up to two gallons,
can be thrown on the wheel in one piece out of vitreous white stoneware body
(e.g. Walkers No. 10 White Stoneware). Remember to keep the sides as parallel
as possible. For the bigger sizes it is better to throw them in two or more pieces.
These are then cemented into a length of steel pipe. This ensures that the sides
are parallel and kept quite rigid.
A good recipe for a body is:
Plastic kaolin 60 (e.g. Steetley Kaolin 50)
Potash felspar 30
60# sand 10
The balls can be made of the same mix, by rolling them out in the palms of
your hands. Make them as spherical as possible. This type of body promotes a
strong mullite formation after firing to cone 10 and is not too bad to throw with.
Cardew discusses the making of mill jars on page 285 of his book, Pioneer Pottery.
I hope that this information will be of use to anybody who wishes to obtain
a ball mill.
Copies of a detailed plan and material list are available at cost from the
Editor, 48 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, N.S. W. , 20 ll.
STEPHEN HARRISON is a practising potter and is setting up a new pottery at Balmoral, near
Picton, N.S.W.
DIRECTORY OF POTTERS
The Potters' Society will be publishing this year an illustrated directory of the work of potters
in Australia. Potters are asked to submit to the Editor, 48 Burton Street, Darlinghurst:
(a) a glossy black and white photograph, 8 in. x lOin., of a piece of recent work;
(b) a brief description of the type of work currently made;
(c) a brief biography of relevance;
(d) address and phone number of workshop and times when and if visitors are welcome;
(e) a t in. square replica of your mark drawn in black ink on white paper.
Potters who are not exhibiting members of the Potters' Society and who would like to be
included in the directory should send six slides of recent work. A publishing fee will be
charged for non-members selected for inclusion. All material should be in the hands of the
Editor by 20th November, 1976. This Directory will be a valuable source of contact and
documentation of potters throughout Australia. It will contain maps showing where potters
are located and at least one major essay on the development of studio pottery in this country.
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
- An index of all the previous issues of Pottery in A uSlralia is being compiled.
- We are proposing to conduct a survey of commercially available wheels and would be
interested in hearing any comments from readers.
- Technical Notes-it has been suggested that potters may like to have published results of
experimental work, which although not of sufficient length for a full article would be of
interest to other potters.
23

SIX SYDNEY POTTERS, Fremantle Arts Centre, July 1976
Photograph: Noel Doyle.
POTTERS' SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA
Extract from annual report: Retrospection can be dull but J fcel there should be a thrill of
satisfaction and excitement on the contemplation of last year's attainments.
The excitement, I would think, was most keenly felt by those who travelled with Morgot
Staples through China, visiting cities and villages whose whole existence has depended and
still depends on pottery. This was followed by another band of 14 potters visiting China,
following a different itinerary, but gaining as much insight as possible into the crafts and
present day life-style of the Chinese people.
The visit of Prof. Don Reitz showed a strong, lively personality who could relate to the
Australian craftsman. The benefit of his instruction and philosophy will be apparent for some
time to come. The Society was pleased to be able to participate in the American bi·centenary
celebrations concurrently with Don's visit, by holding a special exhibition of members' work
at lhe Seymour Centre, Cleveland Street, City, a venue which was most sympathetic to the
display of ceramics.
On the interstate scene, the Society has recently been involved in having six New South
Wales potters exhibiting at the Fremantle Art Centre. The invitation was happily received and
accepted and the exhibition very successful. AU interstate members have been invited to
exhibit at the Darlinghurst Gallery, and our first exhibition, held in July, showed the work
of Vit Jurevieius from Mt. Gambier, S.A. There are two more interstate craftsmen scheduled
for this year and five in 1977. An exhibition at any time is an obligation to yourself the
craftsman, the gallery in which you exhibit and the public who view your craft. It is a
responsibility no craftsman accepts lightly, and we are proud of all those exhibitions held in
past years, and in the immediate past year. The New Members' Exhibition was of excellent
standard and I feel this indicates the growing strength and standard not only of the members
and the Society, but the craft as a whole. It is not only the making and selling of objects
but the constant search for quality, beauty and freedom within the medium.
For the Society to function, and to grow, remember we need your interest and help in
a very real way. We are a co-operative body- our aim is to '~serve its membcrs"- our reason
for existence is your use of the Society- for the Society to be of use to you , you must be of
use to the Society. We have been growing for 16 years and intend to continue to be a strong
and viable group of craftsmen within thc Australian art .cene, and we can do thi~ with your
continued, but fuller, support.
Beryl Barloll, Presidellt.
24

RECENT WORK
ALAN PEASCOD: Lidded pot, gas-fired 1300 ' C. Matt green, brown and grey with iron
oxide brushwork.
Winner of the W.D. & H.O. Wills prize.
Potters' Gallery, American Bicentenary Exhibition, March, 1976.
Plrotograplr : Verlyn Thompson.
25

RECENT WORK (continued)
ALAN WAlT: Slip-trailed porcelain
forms from his recent exhibition
at the Craft Centre, Melbourne.
Photograph: Byron Nicholls.
MILTON MOON : Flower Pltase 2.
Stoneware bowl, 47 cm; cone 8.
(opp., top)
SHUNICHI INOUE: Love 0/ Eve;
stoneware copper blue feldspathic ~Iaze. 1260· C.
HI. 24 cm, width 50 cm. Wmning exhibit,
1976 International Bendigo Pottery Award.
Photograph : Dennis O'Hoy. (opp. below)
26

27

CHERYL SMALL: Bird goblets. "The Drinking Vessel", June 1976. Craft Association of
Victoria.
IAN SPRAGUE: Carlton draught horse trough. ·'The Drinking Vessel" June 1976, Craft
Association of Victoria.
28

RECENT WORK (continued)
STEPHEN BENWELL:
Stoneware. painted with
cobalt. iron and manganese;
clear dolomite glaze.
Trinket box 23 cm.
From the exhibition " Wood
and Clay". arranged by the
Crafts Board for touring
in New Zealand. 1976.
Photograph by Norman
Nichols lor the A ustratia
Council.
KEVIN BOYD
(Year Ill, Diploma of Art &
Design (Ceramics), Bendigo
College of Advanced
Education): stooeware
lidded container; throwo
Epsom fire-clay with yellow
oxide rubbed in to the cut
textured surface. 1300· C­
Ht 30 em. Width 25 em.
Winning exhibit. Three­
Dimensiooal Section. The
Arts and Crafts Society of
Victoria. Student Crafts
1976 Award, Gryphon
Gallery. Melbourne. July­
August 1976.
Photograph : Dennis O'Roy.
29

RECENT WORK (continued)
PETER RUSHFORTH :
Ash-glazed stoneware. 28 em.
From his exhibition at David Jones, July 1976.
Photograph: Department 0/ Technical and Further Education.
30

RECENT WORK (continued)
HILDEGARD ANSTICE: Raku pot, burnished unglazed. 38 em.
Carved design, once fired , sawdust smoked.
From the POllers' Society Exhibition at
the Seymour Centre, March 1976. Photograph: Verlyn Thompson.
31

RECENT WORK (continued)
JOHN EDYE: Salt-glazed bum bowl. Width 34 cm. hI. 19 cm. Red clay slip.
Photograph: Richard Brecknock
NOEL FLOOD: Female Form; stoneware,
enamel decoration, lustre, 46 cm high.
Craft Centre, August, 1976.
Photograph: Tony Boyd (right).
JANET DE BOOS:
Stoneware, high calcium glaze, wood-fired,
1300· C.
Terra cotta slip-trailing.
Photograph: Max DeBoos (below).
32

A REPORT OF POTTERY MAKING
ON CHOISEUL IS., BRITISH SOLOMONS
Dale Ratliff
Cultural aid funds are made available to the South Pacific University by the Australian
Government through the Australian Aid Mission Preservation of Pacific
Studies. It was decided that some be given towards the study of the work of a
unique and isolated potter in an obscure village on the north-east of Choiseul
Island in the Western Solomon Islands.
I was privileged to be given the opportunity to carry out this study in May
of last year. There have been no reports of pots being made on any other islands
of the British Solomons and only a very few women know how to make pots on
Choiseul Island. Emma of Tarasidoko village, who was taught by her blind
mother, is believed to be the only active potter now. (Tarasidoko is on a river a
mile or so upstream.)
The clay, which is red in colour, was taken from a small hill not far from
the village. The hill seemed to be almost totally composed of this red clay. There
was very little if any foreign material in it, so it could be used almost as it was
found. Sand from where the mangroves grew near the salt water was added to the
clay in what appeared to be about a 50-50 proportion, until it "felt" right. The
sand and clay were pounded together by the end of a round stick for several
minutes until well mixed. The material was then kneaded by hand, wrapped in
banana leaves and usually left for a week in the house. But this was not essential
as the clay was used at once when I saw the pot-making carried out. It was at
no time allowed to dry out so that it became hard; when used, it was moist and
firm, but not sloppy.
The lump of sand-clay mixture was divided into five smaller pieces which
were each paddled into compact, roughly-shaped balls. Each ball was beaten into
a round slab against a large rock with a long flat paddle, using a little water from
a half coconut shell. A ring-shaped stand made from banana fibre and covered
by a green banana leaf was to be the support on which the pot was to be built.
The first round slab piece was shaped into a shallow bowl by beating it over
a smooth round stone which acted as the mould for the inside shape. This bowl
was set on the stand, tilted, so that one side of the slab was higher than the other.
The other slabs were cut in half and joined to the high side of the bowl, building
up the walls of the pot, paddling all the time with the stick and the round stone
kept against the inside wall for support. The half slabs were cut into smaller
pieces and further added to make the walls the height desired. The lip of the pot
was cut even around the top by using a piece of coconut fibre and then smoothed
with wet fingers; along the top it was serrated so that the top edge would not
crack while drying.
Later, in the evening, the pot was paddled more, the walls made thinner,
and the inside made smooth.
For at least one month the pot remained in the house, where it dried out
slowly and thoroughly. The pot which I saw fired was a different one from the
one I photographed and saw made. Luckily a pot was there ready to be fired, but
33

Each ball of clay was beaten
against a large stone with a
long ftat paddle.
One flattened slab of clay was
roughly moulded over a round
stone, to form the base of the
pot.
Using the paddle, other slabs
were joined to the existing
slabs. The round stone is used
to support tbe pot on the inside
as it is being formed. Banana
fibre in a quoit shape is also
used as support.
The POI is laid in a pig-sty
arrangement of softwood sticks
for firing. Smaller sticks are
placed inside the pol.
34

unfortunately it had been left out in the rain at one time and had cracked. It had
been drying now for over a month.
For firing the pot was laid on its side on a low foundation of soft wood
sticks. More sticks were cut and built up around it in a pig-sty fashion until the
wall of sticks was higher than the pot. Some smaller soft wood chips were put in
the pot also. The top of the wall was covered in by more sticks laid across it and
others leaning all around the outside. The "bonfire" was complete at about 18 in.
high with the pot unseen inside. The wood was lit. No further sticks were added
and the whole firing operation was over in 15 minutes.
When the pot was cool a nut from a common tree, the "tita" nut, which is
often used as a native glue or as a sealer in canoes, was rubbed inside and outside
the pot. The pot was then "fired" again for a short time supported on three
rocks over a small fire until the "tita" was dry. This cooking pot was now ready
for use.
The Tarasidoko pots are simple, roughly spherical uneven forms with wide
mouths and no neck or collar. They show distinct marks inside from the round
stone and have small indentations around the top edge but no decoration.
DALE RATLIFF was a teacher of art-craft and English for some years at a school in Honiara.
A RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE CRAFfS
At last it has happencd- a resource and information centre has been set up on the crafts to
provide you, the craftsman, with the kind of material you need and a centre which can give
educationalists and the general public comprehensive and authoritative information.
The need for such a centre was strongly emphasised to the Crafts Enquiry by craftsmen
from all over Australia and so the centre was set up in January this year by the Crafts Council
of Australia and funded by the Crafts Board to provide a broad range of craft information
in a variety of media- films. slides, tapes, books and leaflets-all able to be mailed to
anyone anywhere in Australia and provide a personal service to the whole country.
A slide record of most major craft exhibitions held in Australia is being maintained and
in the slide library there are now over 4,000 original slides plus multiple copies of craftsmen'S
work. Gallery owners, architects and others interested in commissioning craftwork use it for
reference as do journalists writing on the crafts. Craftsmen giving lectures or teaching at
vacations schools draw on it and groups planning to invite craftsmen as tutors. All of the
30-slide kits available for hire or sale from the library have been made in consultation with
leading Australian craftsmen. More are in preparation, including two for release early next
year on contemporary Australian ceramics.
The film library has 18 films for hire with a further seven available from the end of
September. This year, through its joint film program with the Crafts Board, the Resource
Centre has been involved in the mak.ing of nine films on craft in Australia.
Through our general information services we provide material on craft organisations,
centres and outlets, exhibitions, craft events in overseas countries, supplies and those able to
give technical advice on them, formal and informal craft courses both here and overseas.
Through our consultancy services we can assist craftsmen wanting advice on taxation, legal
and other problems. However, we wish to act as a referral point, not a monopoly, and
would like to co-operate with aU other organisations in craft, educational and community
areas in the exchange of information. The Reporter, the centre's newsletter, which comes
out four times a year, gives full details of current services and is available through subscription.
The Resource Centre has been set up to serve craftsmen and the community and to
respond to their demands. What would you like us to do? What arc your needs and priorities?
With a limited budget and a tiny staff it is unlikely we can meet them all, but we certainly
want to try.
Felicity Abraham, Djrector. Resource Centre.
Crafts Council 0/ Australia, 27 Kjng Street, Sydney 2000.
35

KERALA POTTERY
Trudie Alfred
To visit India is to go back in ti me and see how people lived in the Middle Ages.
I visited South India on my recent trip and my main interest being ceramics, I
was able to find a small village pottery some half-hour taxi drive from Cochin,
a city in the State of Kerala. It is an old seaport and ships have called there since
the sixth century B.C.
The pottery is at Always, run as a co-operative and people working there
are very poor; a few rupees a week is all they earn. They enjoy their craft and
are aware that the waterpots and pitchers and picklejars they make are used by
nearly everyone in the surrounding districts; in fact, every shop seems to have a
ceramic waterpot to keep the water cool and handy.
The Keezhumad Co-operative Pottery Society encompasses quite a large area.
In one area they make handbuilt pots, and the focal point is a primitive cartwheeltype
potters' wheel, pivoted on the floor. The second shed has a small electric wheel
and a pugmill which also acts as a drying area for completed pots. The kiln shed
is further along. They have a gas kiln but do not like using it and prefer a large
wood-firing kiln. They are used to this one and although every firing produces
some breakages it is less risky. Their profit margin is so low that it provides no
incentive to experiment. One bad firing and it's a disaster to the whole co-operative.
The pots are not glazed but lacquered a light brown colour on the outside.
The pots produced have a generous and handsome shape, are lightly decorated
with imprinted designs around neck or rim and are a warm terracotta colour.
Wheel work, kiln work and the kneading of clay is assigned to the men, the handbuilding
and decorating to the women. For kneading they have a large rope hanging
from the ceiling, from which they suspend themselves. The feet stamp on the
clay with rythmic movements.
I was intrigued to watch the making of a big pot on the floor-type handwheel.
The potter motivated the wheel by pushing a large stick into a notch on
the outer rim of the wheel, rotating it several times. The momentum carried the
action of the wheel and he was able to produce a fairly large pot without respinning
it. To produce many of these must be a backbreaking job as the potter
stands with his back bent double and feet wide akimbo. To my surprise the finished
pot was not cut off under the base but about one inch up and removed from
the wheel without a bottom. I had an interpreter with me, not a potter, and after
much questioning I found that the bottoms are always put on after the pot had
become leather hard. Then a separate piece of clay is paddled and compressed
and added on . If this is not done the pots develop shrinkage cracks.
They also produce pots with narrow necks. These are done in three parts, by
hand. Clay is patted out and formed around a bowl-shaped, bisque-fired clay
form and eventually two of these bowl shells joined and a neck piece added. The
bottom is reinforced with a strong coil. Most finished pots are carried on the
head, so the bottom shape has to sit comfortably for that purpose. They are
decorated with small indentations in a wavy line around the base of the neck.
The pod of a tamarisk tree has a fine edge and this is their tool to add fine vertical
lines. I have one of these pots in my possession; it is very light in weight and
36

"Kerala" pot, South India.
Photograph : Ken Cllrtis.
easy to carry. They told me they only fire the pots to 900 degrees, but this one
has a nice high ring when tapped.
I watched a kiln being packed. A fire mouth runs through the centre of the
kiln. Dry pots are put on to a pre-stacked mound of shards. Layers of pots, straw
and broken pieces are piled dome shaped on top of each other till they reach
about seven feet and then wet clay mixed with straw to the thickness of about
six inches is put over all th is to fo rm the covering. Various holes are left for the
steam to escape. They fire with fairly large pieces of wood for about a day and
then let it slowly cool. They work two kilns like th ese in rotation. The kiln is
unpacked and pots are varnished and left in the yard to dry. It makes a pretty
picture seeing them all neatly set next to each other ready for distribution.
There are two men running the business side of the pottery co-operative; they
speak a little English. They hoped I, as a visitor, might have some influence with
an appeal to the Director of Village Industry to procure more electric wheels for
them. Perhaps I will succeed and by chance be instrumental in bringing them
from a primitive to a more modern routine. This is really important, as spun aluminium
pots are rapidly taking the place of these lovely clay pots.
TRUDIE ALFRED is a Sydney potter, well known ror her teaching in Sydney and country centres.
37

WORKSHOP-WHARFSIDE
Joan Campbell
For many years I have worked in a cluster of small sheds at the rear of my garden
in Scarborough. The day before I left Australia to partici pate in the International
Ceramic Symposium at Gatlinburg, Tennessee, U.S.A., I was given,
after some years of hopeful waiting, the keys to what has become my new workshop.
Perhaps I should qualify the description "new", in relation to the workshop,
because it is over 120 years old, being one of the original buildings of the western
colony, and is situated at the Port of Fremantle, 13 miles from Perth. The limestone,
jarrah-beamed building has seen many uses, at one time being the town
morgue. For many years now it has been a boat-building workshop for the Harbour
and Light Department, and it was they who added the huge hangar-like
corrugated section to the southern wall, turning the working space into some
4,000 square feet. Outside is a large concrete courtyard (great for folk dancing)
and the whole complex sits just a few feet from the rolling surf of the Indian
Ocean. A railway line separates the beach area and workshop from the main
town, giving the desired natural seclusion that allows a potter's kilns to smoke,
smell and blow without disturbing neighbours. After years of cramped workspace
there is room to breathe, to take in all the stimulating freshness of the
surrounds and to give vent to the many ideas that have been simrrering for
years; ideas born of the problems facing potters trying to earn a reasonable living
within the inflated economic situation of the day.
For the past three years as a member of the Australia Council I have been
privileged to be intimately aware of the funding that has been afforded artists in
this country and have seen the many wonderful benefits derived from such assistance;
but whilst money may kindle the flame it cannot of itself sustain the fire,
and I am concerned about what creates incentives to the productive life in the
long term, the motivations to the joyful acceptance of its inherent disciplines.
I have come more and more to thinking that economic survival may depend
on potters working co-operatively, sharing resources and energies, marketing,
etc.
With these thoughts in mind I began pulling down my previous pottery;
there was not much money so I would have to re-use everything possible. My first
task was to restore the crumbling limestone walls of the Fremantle building; the
stones were soft and the slightest touch saw a cascade of dust. I stood and looke:l
at the huge, naked building, and the enormity of what I had undertaken began
to dawn. I decided the only thing was to ignore the size of the project and just
get working, doing what I could each day. In October I began. I excavated lime.­
stone from the adjacent beach (don't tell!) and reset stones in the wall, mended
huge cracks, rebuilt all the tops of the walls and limewashed the internal limestone
(have you ever had lime-burns?). The huge roofing timbers were crying
out for oil, as were the doors after their sanding-and how they glowed after oil
soaked the surfaces! AU my kil ns had to be pulled down, bricks cleaned and then
transported to their new home. Never a day passed without my little va n being
loaded with materials; in fact the carting semed to go on endlessly. I have been
concerned that this new workshop ve nture would not only be for my own work
development, but also it would be possible for other potters working in any field
38

Joan Campbell's ceramic workshop (two interlinked buildings). West side ocean front, Port of
Fremantle, W.A.
Joan Campbell's workshop interior.
39

of ceramics to be able to work there, and so four kilns have been built while
another is yet to be completed. There is a small electric kiln and four other kilns
are fired with gas and oil and include a sprung-arch high-fire, a catenary-trolley
and a catenary fixed and a corbelled arch. Gradually studio space within the workshop
has been defined with clay-making, glaze-making zones, etc.
In December, Graham Bond, a young Western Australian potter, came to
work here for eight months prior to travelling overseas. He is experiencing for
the first time the life of a full-time potter. His enthusiasm for the project and
unselfish assistance have been one of the most vital factors in helping complete
the setting up in a short four months. A third potter, Donald Grant, joined us
shortly after and for the past six months we have all been working toward our
first offering of wares, which took place on 29th August.
We early realised that visitors wanting to purchase ware could be a problem,
and so it has been made known that we intend working with a closed workshop
(for sales) for four/six-month periods, and then will open the workshop and
showroom, a beautiful, quiet limestone room, for one week, when the public will be
invited to visit, inspect and purchase wares. We expect to connect these occasions
with other local celebrations such as the Blessing of the Fleet and Fremantle Festival,
for we are concerned to involve ourselves in the community. We began by
expecting that each potter would give three days a week to workshop products
for the open week selling, the other time being devoted to exhibition preparation,
research or maybe swimming or snorkelling. However, it hasn't worked out like
that; in fact we all seem to be working six or seven days a week-just workingwith
no differentiation between what would be exhibition or workshop products.
Each person chooses five lines he would like to develop as ceramics for the
home; these range from soup bowls to mirror frames, complete freedom of choice
enabling the potter to determine personal direction of development has provoked
an intensity of ideas, production not meaning identical reproduction, but subtle
variation of each piece.
Each person in the co-operative has the responsibility of designing and making
things that will be worthy of a place in the homes of their fellows and there
is a constant free-flowing exchange of knowledge and concerned interest between
all. It is not an apprenticeship situation, though I rather think we remain that all
our lives, but a place for determining personal direction whilst at the same time
acquiring a respect for the many different paths of pottery-making. Our first
offering of wares included earthenware, stoneware, both oxidised and reduced,
raku ware and salt-glazed ware, and we hope the workshop will become established
as a source of diverse and well-made, lively pottery for the community.
We don't know yet if we will make a reasonable living, but at least we give
witness to the joy of the productive life, whilst we try.
40

- -------------------------- --- - ----------.
AN OCKER OCA
J ulei Korner
Sketches: R. E. Polglase
Photographs: M . Barnacoat
Ceramic wind instruments are well known to historians; in fact there is evidence
to suggest that flutes were made 25,000 years ago in Stone Age Europe(l) and
terra cotta globular flutes known as hsuan (China), cou cou (France) or ocarinas
(Italy) have been dated to Prehistoric China. (2) , (3)
An ocarina, according to Groves, (4) is an instrument in the shape of a
large, elongated, hollow egg and blown from one end.
The sound of this instrument has been described as "hollow, sweet and
rather muted". ( 1 ) I have found that each ocarina has a unique sound. This can
be altered by a number of variables; clay type, internal volume, firing temperature
and the number and size of the tuning holes. In fact the volume of air inside
the ocarina vibrates as a whole (forming a simple resonator), which, unlike a
pipe flute, gives a pure tone free from overtones. It is the size and number of the
tuning holes, not their placement, which modulates the sound.
I first became interested in these instruments when a friend brought one back
from London. As part of my Ceramics course at Ku-ring-gai C.A.E. with Bob
Polglase and Mike Barnacoat I had done some press moulding and so I decided
with their help to try to make my own ocarinas using this technique.
MAKING AN OCARINA
The press moulding technique was selected because it would allow me to produce,
quickly, a number of ocarinas of a standard shape and volume, thereby
reducing the number of variables involved at anyone time.
THE MOULD
A master, which represents the external shape of the ocarina, has to be carefully
made. A number of materials can be used, such as wood or plaster, but I
used clay in the leather (cheese) hard state.
The mould was made in two halves. It is possible to leave the master in
one piece and embed it in clay up to the parting line, but I found it easier to cut
the master in half and then cast one half first.
After about four hours, the cottle can be removed and the mould inverted.
Four natch or register holes are then cut into the plaster surface. When the two
halves of the mould are put together they will form a hollow exactly the same
shape as the leather-hard master (or original) . One half of the mould will have
four protrusions or natches which locate in the holes on the other half of the
mould. Without this locating device the two halves of the pressing would have to
be removed from the mould then slipped together.
A new cottle is placed around the first half of the mould. The second half of
the master is placed into position. Then the exposed surface of the master and the
plaster, including the natch holes, is coated with soap solution or similar mould
release agent.
When the plaster of the second half of the mould is ready (about four hours)
the two halves can be parted and the leather-hard master removed.
The two halves of the plaster mould must now be left to thoroughly dry out.
41

M A KING T H E HPPLE
~ 1. Top ("cislof\ , 45· InTo Hollow.
cur
Air Passa~e
oTSO°
If\cision for Fiff-I~ Ed~
cuT aT 2*0 10 L.cm., AJCI5.
42

Detail of tipple.
Detail of tipple.
Detail of fipple sticks.
First incision with tipple stick.
Second incision with fipple stick.
Third incision with fipple stick.
PRESSING THE MOULD
The clay is pressed into each half of the plaster mould. The end in which the
tipple will be cut should be solid. The edges of the two halves are slipped, then
when the bloom has gone from the slip, the two halves of the mould are pressed
together and left for about four hours. It is possible to release the now hollow clay
shape from the mould much sooner, but four hours ensures that the clay and
particularly the join line are firm enough to be handled with safety. As soon as
the object is released from the mould the join line is fettled. At this stage some
form of decoration such as slip painting or carving can be done.
The tipple or blowing hole and the tuning holes must be made at the leather
hard stage.
43

THE FIPPLE STICK
The tipple is the name of the passageway which jets the air stream on to a sharp
edge, causing the turbulance which produces sound in the ocarina. The tipple
stick is simply a tool for making the three incisions necessary to produce the
tipple.
I carved and sanded a thin sliver of cypress pine into a long flat shape of
equal thickness, leaving enough of the original piece to form a handle. Cypress
pine was used because it is hard yet flexible.
CUTTING THE FIPPLE
Three incisions with the fiipple stick complete the making of the tipple.
(i) The tirst incision in the clay is made at 45 degrees to the long axis of the
ocarina, through the top surface and into the hollow;
(ii) the air passage incision will intersect the tirst incision and emerge
through the thickened end of the ocarina to form the mouth hole;
(iii) the third incision will form the tipple edge. With the tipple stick resting
on the top front edge of the tirst incision and inclined at the lowest
possible angle (approximately 2-3 degrees to the long axis) the third
incision is made and the sharp tipple edge produced.
Points to watch
That the distance between the fipple edge and the air passage is not too
long.
That the tipple edge is tine and sharp.
That the clay which has been cut out is completely removed.
TUNING THE OCARINA
Once the fipple is made the ocarina will emit a note which will be its lowest. Any
hole made in the body of the ocarina and left uncovered will give a note of a
higher frequency. The larger the hole the higher the note. If these holes are cut
with steel drills instead of wooden tools the tin ish will be much neater. Since drills
are made in diameters that increase regularly by small amounts Of.4 th- Ya2 nd or
in millimetres) the initial tuning hole can be made with a small drill and gradually
increased to achieve the desired note. If the hole is made overly large (too high
a notet it may be tilled with moist clay, allowed to harden and re-opened again.
Placement of the tuning holes is governed by the comfort of handling the
instrument, i.e. at the natural finger positions.
The ocarina can be tuned to traditional modes and scales, or according to a
purely individual and intuitive tuning arrangement. With the assistance of John
Lloyd of the Music Department of the College I have tuned ocarinas to the major
scale, the pentatonic and the Dorian mode. At present I am working on the
possibility of standardising the basic note to a concert pitch by means of a tuning
hole and peg.
I found that the finer, more highly vitrified body gave a clearer quality of
sound. However, I often found the more muted tones to be most beautiful.
Holes of equivalent size give equal tonal variation, and the variation achieved
in the green state corresponded with the variation in the bisque tired state,
although the base tone of the ocarina is raised as a result of the tiring, raising all
other tuned notes in direct relation.
Notes
(I) Musical Instruments by Karl Geiringer. George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1943. Chapter on
Stone Age Instruments.
(2) The Prehistory of China by Judith Treistman. Natural History Press, 1972.
(3) Musical Instruments through the Ages by Antony Baines. Pelican, 1973.
(4) Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. VI. Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1954.
JULEt KORNER is at present studying at Ku-ring-gai College of Advanced Education, Sydney.
44

THE DECAL IMAGE AND CERAMICS
John Davis
For decades the camera has been used as a vehicle for portraying what the eye
perceives. Through the process of "decalcomania" the image recorded by the
camera may be reproduced on to ceramic ware. For the purpose of ceramics,
decalcomania may be thought of as the si lk screening of an image, using on-glaze
enamels, on to a special transfer paper. A coating of varnish is then applied to
provide an even film for transferring the image from the paper to the ceramic
ware. When it is soaked in water the image and the varnish slide from the paper
so that the decal may be positioned on the surface of previously-fired glossware.
During a subsequent low temperature firing the varnish or clear areas of the
image burns off. This leaves the on-glaze enamels to fuse with the glaze to provide
a permanent image.
A basic knowledge of darkroom techniques and the photo-silkscreen process
is necessary for those wishing to make ceramic decals. The actual process could
be condensed into the following four major steps:
I. Transferring a 35 mm negative on to positive ortho film, using halftone
screens.
2. Using the image produced by the ortho film to make a stencil for the silk
screen.
3. Printing through the screen on to decal paper and varnishing the image.
4. Positioning the decal on to gloss ware and firing to Cone 017.
The Halftone Screen
Any process which involves the silk screening of a photographic image must also
involve the use of a halftone screen. Halftone screens are simply a series of dot
patterns which are used to "break up" a continuous tonal range of the original
image. Density of the halftone is indicated by the number of dots per square inch.
Halftone dot patterns are generally spoken of in terms of "line". The more intense
the line per square inch the finer the quality of the image. For decal purposes
halftones of 85, 100, 120 and 133 lines per square inch are most suitable. Any of
these sizes can be obtained by using Kodalith Autoscreen Ortho Film.
The Film Positive
For the photo silk screening process our image must be not only broken up into
a series of small dots but also be shown in the positive. For this purpose it is
necessary to transfer the 35 mm negative image on to either ILFOLINE INS film
or KODALlTH ROYAL ORTHO FILM 2569. Thus instead of printing the
35 mm image on to paper we are developing it on to a semi-transparent film.
When combined with a halftone screen the result is a piece of film with intense
tonal areas dispersed and light areas transparent. It is this positive image with
open tonal areas that is needed to make the stencil for the silk screen.
The Silk Screen
Specially prepared silk screen frames can be purchased and if a considerable
amount of printing is envisaged this may be the wisest plan. However, any flat
frame which is at least one and a half inches thick and has mitred corners would
be adequate for the early stages of printing. The type of silk used is of the
utmost importance. I have found using monofilament polyester of 220-245 mesh
45

I. The decal paper is positioned, using masking
tape for exact cornering. The pro-film is dried on
the screen in the background.
2. The squeegee pulls enamels across
the stencil to print the image.
, a,
I
I
!!II)
3. The backing is removed from the
decal paper, allowing it to slide
around curved surfaces.
4. Decals used by the artist in conjunction with
porcelain for his railway carriage series.
ideal for decal work. If a posttlve image is required on the decal paper a negative
stencil must be on the silk screen. I use NZ9 Pro Film for my stencils.
Making the Stencil
To make a stencil for a silk screen the image produced on the ortho film is used
in the following manner:
1. Clamp the ortho film positive and a sheet of pro film together under a vacuum
press. Both films must be placed emulsion or glossy side up.
2. Expose films to arc lamp for five to nine minutes. Fluorescent lights may be
used as a substitute but exposure would be considerably longer.
46

-------------- ---------------------------------------
3. Develop pro film in hydrogen pyroxide diluted with water at a ratio of one to
twenty for one minute exactly.
4. Then clip pro film to a backing board and spray gently with an even flow of
water. Temperature should be as close to 65°P as possible. Within two to three
minutes the image will make itself clear and be ready for attaching to a silk
screen.
5. To attach image to screen simply lay pro film face down and place screen on
top of it. Then place a roller inside your screen and roll out until the image is
free of all air bubbles and lines.
6. Place screen upright in front of a small heater and within ten to fifteen
minutes a protective plastic coating on the front of the stencil will peel back,
leaving you with a crisp image ready for screen printing.
Printing
Once the image is on the screen the remainder of the process is straight-forward
screen printing.
I. Instead of using inks as one would in a normal screen-printing method, onglaze
enamels are used in conjunction with a specific medium distributed by
Blythe Colours, Victoria. The medium is known as "overprint medium for water
slide transfers" (OPL73). The decal paper is available from most printing dealers.
2. When the enamel and medium have been mixed to a flowing consistency
they are then squeezed through the screen on to decal paper.
3. Once the image on the decal paper is dry it is necessary for it to be sprayed
with a lacquer in order for the clear areas of the image to have a covering.
4. When the lacquer is dry the transfer can be immersed in water and the backing
paper will slide off. This leaves a flexible transfer which can fit almost any
shape.
Firing
The firing of the decal requires the most stringent attention of all the steps so far
completed. If the following points are remembered difficulties will be reduced to
a minimum:
I. Kiln temperature must be allowed to rise steadily at an average of three
degrees per minute.
2. The door of the kiln must be left slightly ajar up to 500 degrees. The consequent
flow of air helps the burning out process of the lacquered areas of the decal.
3. Once 500 degrees is reached (after about four hours) the door is closed and
kiln fired to 750 degrees or Cone 017.
4. It is important to allow the decal to cool completely before taking it from the
kiln, otherwise crazing may occur.
It is important to remember that the making and the firing of decals is a process
which often requires unending patience. However, once the techniques have
been acquired the possibilities for new visions in ceramics are apparent.
John Davis and Claire McHaffie presented a showing of decals on porcelain.
August 1976, at the Gryphon Gallery, Melbourne.
47

CHRIS HEADLEY
TALKS ABOUT HIS CERAMICS
After being in Australia for two years, my first exhibition finally got off the
ground in May of th is year at the Holdsworth Gallery in Sydney. I wanted to
have an exhibition which had a theme to it and not just an incidental collection
of previous works. The show, entitled "Personal Impressions of Australia", was,
or at least tried to be, just that. When one looks at something for the first time
one really sees it. Before coming to Australia I had been studying and making
ceramics in London for three years. It was an intense life-style to say the least.
On arrival in Sydney I was immediately aware of a more relaxed, easy-going
community. I was enchanted by the warm sunshine, the clear light and the
colourfulness of this new environment. A trip to Tasmania followed by a holiday
in Queensland were a demonstration of a new-found freedom of open spaces.
Thus my work took on a new direction. How could one be exposed to such a vast
change without reflecting it in one's work? I had previously concentrated on
stoneware and salt-glazing, but now I felt the need for brighter, fresher colours.
I therefore decided to work with earthenware and use low fired lustres and
enamels for decoration. I began to use plaster moulds which enable one easily
to repeat an image. Each image was considered individually and also as one of a
group of similar images, which, when viewed together, made up a total concept
taking on a more visually powerful form. Sometimes the individuality was given
to each piece in the forming process-by pressing a combination of coloured clay
bodies into the mould in a certain sequence so that when the images were viewed
as a group a definite pattern of colour could be seen throughout that group; and
sometimes the pieces would be formed in exactly the same way in the mould and
their individuality given later in the way they were glazed, enamelled and lustred.
Sometimes it was a combination of both methods.
A clay body can be coloured simply by wedging a clay stain (which are commercially
manufactured) or an oxide into the clay. The higher the proportion of
stain added, the stronger the colour. A more controlled method is to weigh out
the clay being used in a dry state, add the desired amount of stain or oxide as a
percentage by weight of this clay, mix enough water to form a very thick slip,
which after sieving can then be dried out on a plaster bat to a plastic state. This
enables one to repeat the colour more exactly and also distributes the colour more
evenly throughout the clay body. Coloured bodies can be used to stoneware temperatures,
remembering, however, that most oxides act as fluxes and lower the
vitrification point of the body being used. I used the coloured bodies to earthenware.
I started with a white clay base in order to acbieve the purer colours that
I was looking for, and simply glazed the pieces with a clear, shiny glaze to
llOO°C, the result being a very controlled solid agate ware.
Another decorative process I found idyllic to this way of working was transfer
printing, which enables one to easily repeat a two-dimentional image on to
a group of similarly moulded three-dimensional forms. The trip to Tasmania
allowed me to stay on a sheep and cattle property near Launceston. It was not
long before I was experimenting with this newly stimulated imagery of berds of
cattle and mobs of sheep silhouetted against a backdrop of gently rolling bills. I
press moulded stylised hill forms and applied silk screened images of sheep and
cattle via enamel transfers. For a detailed description of this decoration tech-
48

CHRISTOPHER HEADLEY: Pool Game. Holdsworth Gallery, April 1976.
CHRISTOPHER HEADLEY : Bob's Property in Tasmania. Holdsworth Gallery, April 1976.
Photographs: Jan et Mansfield.
49

nique I refer you to T. R. Moorhead's article, "Fired Silkscreen Images", in
Volume 14, No. I, 1975 Autumn issue of this magazine. *
For me, ceramics, by definition, is a term which covers all objects made of
fired clay. Whether they be materialised sculptural concepts or everyday utilitarian
wares is unimportant. Most craftsmen potters strike a balance between the
two without really travelling to both extremes. I feel that however utilitarian one's
approach is to ceramics by practising chords at both ends of the scale, one's overall
ceramic experiences are broadened, which can only prove beneficial to the
work carried out.
As far as my work is concerned I see it continuing in the direction I have
described. I see myself already on the path back to making practical wares reflecting
some of these techniques.
"Refer also to the article by John Davis on p. 45 of this issue.
GOOLGOWI CLAY
Janet Barriskill
This is a buff coloured stoneware clay I have been digging and preparing myself
for at least IS years. In the beginning in bucketsful and firing in an electric kiln
under oxidising conditions. Last six/seven years in much greater quantities, in
20-gallon plastic bins, preparation by the "wet" slip method as per Ivan
McMeekin's "Notes for Potters in Australia", and firing in a gas kiln under reducing
conditions.
The clay is dug from a large pit near Goolgowi, west of Griffith, N.S.W.
Area Brickworks, Willbriggie, near Griffith, has been using this clay for many
years to produce cream coloured bricks and irrigation pipes of high quality.
They are fired in wood-burning kilns to 1 100°C.
In my early potting days, Charles Sharam, the original promoter and later
director of Area Brickworks, and a family friend, heard of my potting interest
and introduced me to this clay and suggested I make some tests.
Geological surveys in the area had mainly related to the investigation of
mining fields and the search for underground water. Clays were supposedly
deposited in the late Tertiary period and are found under lateritic soil ... "Some
gypsum and lime deposits may represent old claypen developments which have
been largely obliterated by the encroaching sandplain. The vegetative cover on
these sand plain areas consists of maJJee with cyprus pine, belah, mulga and
box." Firstly I took samples to the Mines Department and they ascertained that
the clay minerals were kaolinitic-they did shrinkage and vitrification tests.
Two samples of raw material and two samples of prepared bodies were submitted
for investigation of clay mineral content and moulding and firing characteristics.
Sample l. Recent raw material.
2. Thirty mesh of sample I plus 5% felspar.
3. Weathered raw material.
4. Material sample 3 plus 5% felspar.
The raw materials are composed of mainly fine quartz and kaolinite with
small amounts of mixed layered clays. Sample 3 is less siliceous than sample 1.
50

Plasticity measurements show that sample 3, the weathered material, possesses a
higher plasticity than sample I. This is due to two factors-firstly, 3 contains less
fine quartz than I, and secondly, the weathering process tends to break down the
clay material into finer particles.
Drying
Sample Shrinkage Firing Shrinkage %
No. % looooe Iloooe 1200 0 e l300 0 e
1 5 0 1 3 9
2 5 1 1 5 7
3 7 2 5 8 9
4 6 4 7 7
The increase in drying and fired shrinkage of 3 and 4 is consistent with the
higher plastic properties of these samples. These two materials also produce
stronger fired bodies. Vitrification takes place at about 1250-1300 0
in the case of
1 and 2, and about 1200 0 with 3 and 4. The pale pink fired colours at 1000 0 and
1100 0 show the presence of some ferruginous material in the clays.
1 found there were beautiful gold specks throughout the bisque and thought
my fortune was made, but further tests proved these to be pyrites!! However, the
physical properties of the clay urged me to continue with its use. It was very
plastic, had a particularly pleasant smooth "feel" to work with, was clean to use,
and when screened had very few impurities (some small quartz and other rock
particles) .
I have proceeded by trial and error- sometimes finding the curing of one
problem caused another. For instance, when adjusting the bodies for dunting and
tender edges by decreasing the amount of silica and increasing the felspar, other
problems of crazing of glazes appeared and one has to think it all out again. My
latest batches seem to be satisfactory with only 5% silica and 10% felspar added.
For casserole bodies I add 5-10% high alumina grog as well. Recently I have also
tried using an addition of 5% fire clay, which seems to improve the "throwing"
quality, but also appears to have given the body a "greyer" fired colour, which
pleases me less than the usual warm "buff" colour.
Unfired characteristics
Good throwing qualities-although very fine grained, one is surprised at the way
it stands up to pulling up on the wheel. I find it does have a tendency to persuade
one to throw very finely because of its nature. However, the addition of grog
and/or other coarse material changes these characteristics and enables one to
have a more rugged approach to the work if this is the requirement.
. Pots dry under normal conditions without any warping or cracking. I always
dry pots with lids in place. I once fire 95% of my pots and the clay takes raw
dipping beautifully- in my case at the leather-hard stage a little before any colour
change occurs. With handled pots I usually glaze outside first to avoid the problem
of handles drying before the pot. However, if bisque firing and under normal
drying conditions there is no problem with handles or knobs, etc., cracking off.
When dry it takes a considerable amount of rough handling (tough green
strength); this is particularly so with raw glazed pots after they have dried. Drying
and firing shrinkage alters depending on the amount of non-plastics added.
51

..
Fired characteristics
Fires to 1300°C with no warpage. Smooth, silky appearance if no coarse material
added. Buff colour under oxidising conditions. Grey/ buff under reduction, sometimes
pleasant flashing on exterior possibly from re-oxidising at end of firing
between the last two cones 9 and 10 after a fairly heavy reducing firing. Firing to
1300°C produces a very tough, "stony" body. When removing some obstinate
lids after firing I often subject the pots to the severe test of ice to the lid and hot,
nearly boijing, water to the base with no disastrous effect to the pot ... and nearly
always the lid comes off!
Preparing the clay
1. Leave clay to weather as long as possible.
2. After weathering I store clay in a shed to dry thoroughly before breaking up
into small pieces.
3. Pour broken up clay into a container of water. For my easy handling I use
a convenient 20-gallon size plastic container. Very important to leave the clay
to slake in the water by itself at this stage, for at least overnight. Any attempt
at mixing in the early period results in a "gluggy" lump.
4. After slaking I use a paddle (from the ship's chandlery) with three I in. holes
bored at intervals along the broad end to mix to a thin slip consistency. It
may take several hours. I usually mix over a period of a few days for short
periods at a time. I find it a very pleasant rhythmic action and it gives me a
Jot of satisfaction to work it this way; somehow I feel I "get to know" my
clay by this direct method. I'm often called a romantic! When no lumps are
left J sieve the mixture and leave to settle for a day or so.
S. Remove clear water from top of clay. Mix up thick slip and proceed to
measure by a simple formula, Brongniarts, the amount of dry clay in the
batch of slip. This is to enable one to work out the percentage of dry nonplastics
to be added (formula to be found in most ceramic books) .
6. Weigh out the additional dry ingredients required and make into a slip with
water and add to the clay slip. Mix thoroughly and sieve again to make sure
no lumps are left. I now sieve the mixture straight into the drying beds.
7. Drying bed is prepared with a covering of terylene filter cloth which does not
rot ... mine has lasted for seven years with no sign of deterioration. (Available
from Roseths at Lane Cove.)
8. Dry to plastic condition. I cover mine with a sheet of fibre glass.
9. Best if it can be allowed to sour for as long as possible.
JANET BARRISKILL is a Sydney potter who has received assistance from the Crafts Board, Australia
Council. This assistance included experimental work on the Goolgowi clay.
A VAILABLE FROM THE POTTERS' GALLERY, 48 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, 2010.
telephone 31 3151:
- Shimpo and Talisman Wheels. Demonstration models of these wheels can be seen at
the Potters' Gallery.
- Talisman Glaze Sieves with interchangeable mesh sizes. The price is $40 and includes
one mesh of 120 gauge; this cost includes sales tax of $4.23. Single mesh, 40 to 200 gauge,
costs $5 each.
- Puggoon Clay- mid-fire and white stoneware, $2.60 per 28 lb. pack.
- Bendigo Clay-ovenware, $2.60 per 28 lb. pack.
52

ACQUISITIONS
DEREK SM IT H : Slab form ; stoneware, hI. 49 cm. Fired at the Royal Doulton Studio,
Chatswood, N.S.W. National Gallery of Victoria. purchased 1976.
Photograph: National Gallery of Victoria.
53

BOWL. Stoneware with celadon glaze. Ht. 8 cm, width 16.5 em.
Korean (Koryo Dynasty) 14th century.
National Gallery of Victoria. Felton Bequest, 1976 (opp. lOp).
PENNY SMITH, Tasmania. "Elliptical form with marked and folded centre piece".
Iron oxide decoration, oil-fired stoneware. Ht. 47 cm. Width 47 em.
Acquired by the Bendigo Art Gallery. Photograph: Dennis O'Hoy (opp. below).
STEM CUP. Porcelain, ht. 9 em. Chinese (Ming dynasty, Hsuan-Te Period) 1426-1435.
National Gallery of Victoria. Felton Bequest, 1976 (below).
54

55

CLAYS SUPPLIED BY
MERVIN FEENEY, QUEENSLAND
David Smith
Mervin Feeney of Byrne Street, Bundamba, Ipswich, is the main su pplier of
clays for studio potters in Queensland. These clays are shipped to potters in most
Australian States and have been sent as fa r as New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The Ipswich area is rich in a variety of clays, including fire clays associated
with the Ipswich coal measures. Some of these local clays do contain some montmorillonite
and need to be used in bodies containing sufficient flux to counteract
this.
Mervin bases most of his prepared bodies on a local, light burning clay with
general ball clay properties, known as C5 clay. To this, depending on body recipe.
he adds a local medium red terracotta clay, silica, feldspar, fire clay grog and
rock dust or sand.
Feeney clay bodies should be bisque fired to approximately JOOO°C. Lower
bisque firing to 900°C. does not harden the ware sufficiently to prevent stresscracking
during cooling.
Clay bodies produced at Bundamba are:
Earthenware body
A fine grained, reasonably plastic body firing to a light buff colour at 1l00°C. It
will stand firing to a considerably higher temperature. Working properties improved
by the addition of a little terracotta, colour then a light tan. Price per
cwt, $5.60.
Terracotta body
A fine grained plastic clay of variable iron content, usually firing at lIOO°C
to a medium red brown. Care required in drying, and problems may be encountered
in getting a white slip to fit it. A useful additive in small amounts to higher
temperature bodies. Price per cwt., $4.50.
Sixty-mesh stoneware body
A fine grained plastic body firing to a light grey-buff colour at 1280°C, depending
on atmosphere. Throwing qualities vary from good to very good depending on
batch and care in working up. Excellent for turning. Warping at 1280°C can be
a problem wi th some shapes. Price per cwt., $7.50.
Thirty-mesh stoneware body
A medium grained plastic body firing to a similar colour to the 6O-mesh but with
a sligh tly textured surface and a light speckle. Throwing qualities good to very
good. Turns smoothly, leaving slight grog marks. Drying shrinkage less than the
60-mesh but total sh ri nkage the same. Warping does not appear to be much of a
problem. Modulus of rupture test showed lower strength in reduction firing, but
figure obtained is suspect and I did not have time to re-test. Both the 60- and 30-
mesh bodies are very popular with potters. Price per cwt., $6.75.
Plain stoneware body
A body similar to the 30-mesh but containing no added silica or feldspar. General
properties are good with high fired strength. This body is made only occasionally
or to order. Price not given.
56

Buff raku
Note: Both the raku bodies are sold as raku clays, but because many potters use
them at much higher temperatures their qualities in this regard will be covered.
The buff raku is very satisfactory as a raku clay. It is a coarse grained body,
extremely good for large hand-built pieces, particularly ceramic sculpture. Throwing
properties are good if thrown fairly soft and quickly. Drying qualities are
good. As manufactured to 1975, it contained granite dust in addition to grog.
This body fired extremely well to stoneware temperatures with a warm buff
colour and an attractive textural surface. This latter was due partly to tiny glassy
bubbles erupting on the surface, apparently caused by the melting of feldspar
fragments in the rock component. These did sometimes result in small glaze
blemishes. However, apart from this the body took stoneware glazes very well
and the clay was popular with stoneware potters, particularly as it vitrified sufficiently
to hold water. Fired strength approximately two-thirds that of S. W. 60.
Unfortunately granite dust became difficult to obtain and uneconomical for
Merv to crush, so trachyte was substituted. This was a fairly dark variety causing
dark, glassy spots to appear on the surface of pots and sticking grog or kiln wash
to their bottoms and lids to their tops. This obviously did not prove popular with
all potters and sand has now replaced the trachyte. This, however, has resulted
in a weakened and porous stoneware body. Mervin does hope that granite dust
will be available again, allowing him to reproduce the original body in the near
future. Price per cwt., $5.60.
Red raku body
A raku clay with good working properties, firing to a medium red-brown. Has
much greater drying shrinkage than the buff and greater firing shrinkage at higher
temperatures. Because of the attractive colour many potters have tried firing it to
stoneware temperatures, but internal darkening of the body, cracking and glaze
shivering usually result, particularly under reduction. However, it can be suitable for
ware fired under l200°C, particularly unglazed sculpture. Price per cwt., $4.75.
Clay is sold in 56 lb. blocks, plastic wrapped.
Some technical details on S.W. 60 and S.W. 30 and buff raku are given below.
All shrinkage figures are a percentage of the original plastic length. Modulus of
rupture tests were made on specimens fired to approximately 1290°C. These
were bars of .5 in. x .25 in. cross-section with supports 2 in. apart. To render the
result more understandable to the average non-technical potter I have shown the
weight in pounds required to break these bars. The technically minded who want
the modulus figure may work this out for themselves.
Clay purchased in 1976.
OXIDATION
REDUCTION
Plas. Plas.-Bis. Plas.-S.W. Porosity Lbs. to Plas. -S.W. Porosity Lbs. to
Dry IOOO· C 1290· C 1290· C Break 1290· C 1290·C Break
S.W.60 8% 8.5 14 0.0 60 14.5 0.0 65
S.W.30 7% 7.5 14 0.0 61 14.5 0.0 46?
B.R. 6% 6.5 9.5 4.6 24 10 4.1 24
(Aug. 1976)
The above figures do not entirely agree with tests carried out on the same clays
purchased in 1975.
DAVID SMlm is instructor-in-charge. Ceramics Section. Coorparoo Technical College. Brisbane.
57

VICfORIAN CLAY-BODY TESTS
The Victorian Ceramic Group are now up to clay test No. 39. We are pleased to
present more examples of this work . For explanation of the purpose and significance
of the various sections of the tests please refer to Vol. 14, No. 2, of Pottery
in Australia.
V.c .G. CLAY BODY TEST NUMBER 75/14
NA ME ON LABEL - NIL (Bennetts Terracotta.filtered) PACKAGING - Plastic bags.
DA TE OF PURCHASE - 20/5175 SUPPLI E R - BennellS Magill Pottery. SA
NOM INAL COST PER kg EX SUPPLIER - 10c. (Nominal COst per kg incl. freigh t to Melb. - 12.5c
NOMINAL COST AT TIME OF GO ING TO PRESS/kg t 2.Oc. Water content as received - 27.40 % wet basis.
NOMINAL WE IGHT OF PACK - 20 kg. (A ctual avo wt. o f 4 packs purchased - nd kg) .
1. GRIT/GROG RETAINED ON 14 mesh sieve 0.0 % of dry weight
2.
3.
5
36 0 .4
72
1.B
200
6 .2
Note - Tesu 2 to 5 below are made on rolled bars of circular section. The strength results are higher than those
that would be obtained on the same material if the bars had been made by other methods, or in another
shape.
DRY STRENGTH - 6483 kPa
("Modulus of rupture", mean of 10 bars)
ATTERBERG LlMITS­
Lower rolling limit
Upper plastic limit
Range
FIRING B EHAVIOUR:-
23
36
13
% water
(dry basis)
ORTON CONE % water absorption, dry basis
NUMBER Oxidising Reducing
09 t4.9 nd
06 13.6 nd
03 8.3 nd
1 6.5 nd
6 4.4 3.4
8 2.9 2.7
10 0.5 0.1
12 nd nd
Estimated cone No. at 2% absorption, oxidi sed - 9
Manufacturer's recommended range - na
4. fill SHRINKA GE (Drying and Firing) -
~ as received to dry 4.4 % of wet length
x dry to Orton Cone 06 0.3 % of wet length
o dry to Orton Cone 03 1.9 % of wet length
o jctrv to Orton Cone 5 3.2 % of wet length
g dry to Orton Cone 9 3.9 % of wet length
fa dry to orton Cone 11 4.0 % of wet length
([. Total, to 2% abs. 8.2 % of wet length
Observed colour, texture, warping, bloating. etc.
Oxydised:-
Light terracotta at Cone 09, darkening very
gradually to mid·brO'vVn at Cone 7.
Between Cone 7 and 9 the colour changes
rapidly to medium grey·brown.
Even colour; no bloating.
Reduced:- Oark. chocolate brown at all temperatures
between Cones 7 and 10. Some black flecking:
very slight bloating.
, reduced - 8K
6. EST IMATE OF WOR KABI LIT Y
Subjective determination by fou r experienced potters who comment as fo llom :-
A. Good throwing terracotta; extremely fine grained; handles, lips, lugs and spouts were fo rmed easily. A minimum
amount of water should be used while throwing this clay as there is a tendency fo r fines to be washed from the
surfare. I found turning pleasant. and a clean precise finish could be achieved. It was difficult to form
extrelT'ely large pieces. presumably due to a low grog content.
8. Fine, plastic, easy to manage. Excellent for throwing. Good colour.
C. A very smooth texture, and an assu ring clay to throw. It has a lot of strength and presents no difficulty in
throwing large thin bowls. Na rrow necked vases can be collared without any tendency to collapse. I t is also an
excellent clay to turn,
D. na.
58

V .C.G. CLAY BOOY TEST NUMBER 75/6
Note -
Oays are purchased anonymously for the tests.
It is assumed that the bodies are homogenous as sold, and no attempt has been made to take more thin one
sample per tett, except where indicated below.
NAME ON LABEL - RUSSELL COWAN STONEWARE NO. 4 PACKAGING - Plastic bags. plus outer bag
for rail . extra.
DATE OF PURCHASE - 17·3·75 SUPPLIER - Russell Cowan. Waitara. N.SW.
NOMINAL COST PER kg EX SUPPLIER - 17.6 c (Nominal cost per kg incl. freight to Melb.- 22.7 c
NOM INAL COST AT TIME OF GO ING TO PRESS/kg 20.8 c. Wa ter content as received - 22.6 % wet basis.
NOMINAL WEIGHT OF PACK - 12.5 kg. (Actual iN. WI. of 4 packs purchasec - 12.40 kg).
1.
2.
3.
GRIT/GROG RETAINED ON 14 mesh sieve 0.4 % of dry weight
Note -
36
72
200
2.6
12.3
5.3
Tests 2 to 5 below are made on rolled bars of circular section. The strength results are higher than those
that would be obtained on the same material if the bars had been made by other methods, or in another
shape.
DRY STRENGTH - 3679 kPa
("Modulus of rupture", mean of 10 bars)
ATTERBERG L1MITS-
Lower rolling limit 17
Upper plastic limit 37
Range
20
5. FIRING BEHAVIOUR:-
% water
(dry basis)
4. o ( SHRINKAGE (Drying and Firing) -
~ as received to dry 4.35" of wet length
X dry to Orton Cone 06 nd % of wet length
a dry to Orton Cone 03 21.0 % of wet length
o j drY to Orton Cone 5 nd % of wet length
~ dry 10 Orton Cone 9 7.5 % of wet length
§ dry to orton Cone 11 6 .0 % of wet length
a: Total , to 2% abs. 11.4 %.of wet length
ORTO N CONE % ~--~~--~~--r-------------------------------
w ater absorption, dry bas is
Observed colour, texture, warping, bloating, etc.
NUMBER Oxidising Reducing
09
06
03
6
17.0
16.5
14.5
10.5
7.5
nd
nd
nd
nd
3.0
Ox id ising - Warm buff at cone 2; even colour. Little
change up to cone 7. but at cone 9 a grey fleck develops.
Aeduced' - 'Milk Chocolate' brown with buff flec k at cone
7. The brown gradually turns to deep warm grey at
cone 11 and the buff fleck persists.
No warping or bloating ev ident.
8
4.5
2.5
10
3.0
2.0
12
nd
1.5
Estimated cone No. at 2% absorption, oxidised - 10% ,reduced - 10
Manufacturer's recommended range - 1280 0 C
6. ESTIMATE OF WORKABILITY
Subjective determination by four experienced pot ters who comment as follows:-
A. Good throwing cl ay but inclined to slump if not thrown Quickly. Groggy body - not recommend for functional
ware.
B. Uneven colour was noted in the packet and blending by hand kneading was necessary. Very good clay for
throwing but grain size a little too large for my taste. Excellent for large pots due to strength of the clay, and it
can be fettled Quite easily; handles and spouts pose no problems. Dries well.
C. The clay in the packet was much too soft for throwing pieces above 6" in height, or bowls with a diameter of more
than 8". However I should add that I personally prefer soft clay on delivery as it tends to store better. 1 kneaded the
cl ay and a noticeable improvement ocqJrfed. The clay threw well but had a fairly large grain size which, however,
did not seem to affect rims and lips, but soon rose to the surface on pulled handles. Turning also exposed the
groggy nature of the clay and several marks had to be patched up. I allowed some of the clay to stiffen up and was
pleased to find that this allowed a cylinder of 24 " to be thrown. This drier clay was tough and resilient. although
several bowls that had retained some slurry showed a marked tendency to open up in the base while they were
still on the wheel.
O. Gritty clay. not particularly plastiC, tendency to split.
nd - not dettnnlned btcau_ not approprm. or mMlU,....,..,.t outside r.nge of equipment.
na - not wtifllbl • • t time of gome topr ... Mev tMpubnt~ at a l.terdet •.
Th. con. of thi6 .. rift of tllSt. h.w N." m« by.n Aun,./;, Couf'lcil Grant. 59

POTTERY IN THE SCHOOL
Jeff Shaw
When pottery replaced canework and other traditional school crafts most teachers
heaved a sigh of relief, pleased to get away from those awful little baskets. The
development of pottery in the schools has not, however, been a complete success,
despite its enthusiastic acceptance and remarkable growth; and the sad products
of so many school pottery programmes are all too evident because of the rather
permanent nature of the product.
The reasons for such failures are certainly not the lack of enthusiasm, and
rarely the lack of expenditure or equipment. Indeed many school and amateur
potteries have technical resources and equipment which would have astonished
even the Sung potters. The disparity in the products, however, leads us to agree
with Bernard Leach, who points out that techniques and equipment are too readily
available and what is really lacking is a soundly based philosophy or attitude to
the medium.
The confusion which is now apparent in the approach to pottery in the
schools should not be regarded as representing an irretrievable failure but rather
an interim period of change in which ideas are being re-thought and new philosophies
adopted. Basically the problem is not that of school administration, which
has been sympathetic to change and often generous in financial support, but that
of teachers and educators generally, who have failed to reach agreement on the
place of pottery in the school.
The problem is admittedly complex but must be faced: pottery in its narrowest
sense has no real place as a subject in primary school and very little place
in secondary school. It must be admitted that a children's course should be significantly
different from courses designed for other student groups, whether hobby,
production, or studio oriented, and that teachers involved in such courses should
have specialist qualifications and experience.
The problem is accentuated when courses of pottery, again in its narrowest
sense, are attempted in the schools by teachers who often lack the necessary
skills, techniques and experience, or by potters who occasionally lack understanding
of the educational needs of the child or of the aims of the school generally.
In either of these instances the child and the subject tend to suffer. If any
value is to be derived from the subject, pottery must be thought of in a much
wider sense than the production of teapots and ash trays; and it will be seen that
much of the value will be from contact with the medium, the processes and the
disciplines.
The most difficult part of this for potters to accept is the lack of emphasis
on the production of functional ware; but at school level to attempt the production
of ware with a critical function such as jugs and teapots is usually a futile
exercise and is too often inhibiting. It is evidently not the function of the schools
to train apprentice potters.
The virtue of pottery in the school is that it involves the child in a medium
and activities in which the child and most people for that matter are intensely
interested. Playing with fire, mud, and water in the process of potting introduces
an element of valuable, directed excitement into the school programme. John
60

Dewey suggests that children are naturally interested in the activities "by which
society sustains itself" and, therefore, involvement of crafts within the school
framework gives access to a whole system or approach to learning.
Many teachers from experience would agree with Dewey, but almost as
important is the growing recognition of clay as one of the most valuable expressive
mediums in an expanding art programme. It appears that given equal opportunity
in a plastic medium as well as drawing and painting mediums young children
will progress through the normally accepted developmental stages at an
equal rate, but some children develop descriptive and expressive capabilities
noticeably more quickly in clay than in other mediums.
If potters and teachers can concentrate on the development of awareness
and dexterity in this creative medium it must prove of much greater value in
human terms than any number of malformed teapots.
JEFF SHAW is senior lecturer at Kelvin Grove CAE, Brisbane. is on the executive of the Crafts
Council of Australia and is a practising polter.
THE
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DARLINGHURST NSW 2010
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61

CAULFIELD CERAMICS
Lindsay Anderson
During May of Ihis year, "Caulfield
Ceramics", an exhibition 0/ student work,
was opened at the A ustralian Design Centre
in Norlh Sydney. 11 was arranged by Ihe
Ceramic Design Seelion of Caulfield Insli­
IIlle of Technology in Melbourne.
The choice of training for the student of
ceramics in Sydney is probably less complicated
than for his counterpart in Melbourne.
Even excluding State Colleges of
Education, there are, in Melbourne itself,
four tertiary colleges that conduct courses
in studio ceramics. There are also, in Victorian
country centres, two tertiary colleges
offering similar courses. There is nothing to
recommend such duplication and, beyond
doubt, the time has come for a rationalisation
of the situation. The exhibition in
Sydney set out to show a cross-section of
current student work but, more particularly,
to elucidate, by means of photographs
and annotations, the scope of the
two new ceramic design courses introduced
at Caulfield Institute.
The exhibition stressed the need for combining
an understanding of the basic elements
of ceramics and the fundamentals of
design. In subjects such as Appreciation of
Ceramics and Design Studies, students are
encouraged to recognize the relationship between
their own ceramic work and the
total cultural environment. We believe that
each ceramic artist has his own mode of
expression and his favourite materials and
techniques, so individual differences are en·
couraged. As evidence of this, John
Coombs-Shapcott, a graduate student of
1975, was invited to exhibit his most recent
work in a room adjoining the exhibition of
"Caulfield Ceramics".
Also included (in the exhibition) was a
report entitled "Research into Clay Bodies
for Whiteware Production", and perhaps
this deserves special mention. It is an
attempt to prove that we have in Australh
a bountiful supply of raw materials to support
our own whitewares industry. The report
could prove helpful to studio potters
who wish to work with white bodies requiring
a firing range from 1280· C to
I 320·C. Samples of the six most successful
bodies tested accompany this report. The
project described was prompted by enquiries
made by the Department of Foreign
Affairs, who requested the assistance of the
Industrial Design Council of Australia to
help determine the viability of producing
china tableware in Australia. The Ceramic
Design Section of Caulfield Institute set out
to discover whether suitable bodies, incorporating
commercially available Australian
materials, were a possibility. This was done
with the financial assistance of the Crafts
Board of the Australia Council and under
the guidance of the Ceramic Technology
GEOFF HULME: Tank-stand pot. Stoneware
fired to 1300· C with engobe and
restricted glaze decoration. Idea taken from
landscape sketches. HI. 66 cm,
JOHN COOMBS-SHAPCOTT: Circular
keyed form. Fireclay slab-form fired to
1320· C in an electric kiln. Diameter 45 cm.
Photographs: Gene Vers/raeten.
62

Section of C.S.I.R.O. The investigations led
to very encouraging results.
Probably one of the most important aspects
of this work was the introduction of
pyrophyllite into the china body composition.
The use of pyrophyllite is interesting
because it lowers the firing temperature to
achieve the same degree of vitrification obtained
with china bodies based only on a
clay-feldspar-silica system. The presence of
pyrophyUite also lowers the a mounts of
colouring impurities (Fe20 3, TiO,) which
are always associated with clays and quartz.
Fortunately, Australia is rich not only in
pyrophyllite but in many other ceramic
materials utilized in this work. To produce
and test suitable bodies is just the beginning
of a project which could lead to the
production of china tableware.
Copies of this report may be obtained on
request from the Crafts Board, North Sydney,
or from Caulfield Institute of Technology.
The Diploma Course
The diploma course is designed to meet
the needs of potential potters. It is an intensive
two-year course which provides a
substantial basis for fu ture development.
Rather than specialization there is an emphasis
on fundamental skills required by
potters in many fields.
The Degree Course
The degree course is designed to provide
a broader education and a deeper study at
present not available in ceramic diploma
courses. The first three semesters of the
proposed diploma and degree courses are
common. In the fina l five semesters the degree
course allows for a broadening of
student interest in areas such as glass and
concrete. and there is an increased concentration
upon design-based problems.
LINDSAY ANDERSON is senior lecturer in charge of Ceramic Design at Caulfield Institute of
Technology.
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63

EXHIBITION REVIEWS
AGI YOELI
Czechoslovak-born Israeli artist, Agi
Yoeli , is now exhibiting work she did
as artist-in-residence at Melbourne
State College this year.
Ten pieces of ceramic sculptureall
stoneware-are showing at the
Toorak Gallery (254 Albert Street,
East Melbourne). Most are covered
with glaze; a few are coated with a
mixture of glaze and dueo.
Y oeli's subjects are ordinary
enough to start with, trees, a walnut, a
peanut, a waterbird, lion, flower, red
chairs and cats.
But, through sudden shifts in scale
and a thorough-going exploitation of
the sharp, flinty texture peculiar to
stoneware and the glassy quality of
the glazes, she invests these everyday
things with a sense of the unusual, the
preposterous, the impossible.
She has a wry sense of humour, imbuing
her subjects with a texture and
feel that, in real life, would be considered
inappropriate or alien.
The two cats curled on their bright,
red, bentwood chairs are not soft,
warm and furry, but as hard and immobile
as rocks.
Flower is a monstrous whorl of pink
petals nestling against a big, pink,
stoneware bow. And yet there is no
tender folding and unfolding of forms
and no fleshiness. All is hardness,
brittleness and gloss. This work comes
close to being as kitsch as the highlyglazed
ornaments Y oeli appears to be
parodying. But with the others, she
avoids such labels, exploring the shifting
relations between naturalistic portrayal
and the transforming properties
of her medium.
Maureen Gilchrist,
The Age, Wednesday, August 11, 1976.
AGI YOELI: "Red Chair";
91 em high. Toorak Gallery.
Photograph : Tony Boyd.
AGI YOELI : Flower, Toorak Gallery,
Melbourne.
Photograph : Riller Jeppesell Pty. Ltd.
64

LES BLAKEBROUGH : Group of slab and
wi re-cut forms.
Oxide and wood ash surface. 12 em, 29 em,
36 cm. 1300' C.
Macquarie Galleries.
Photograph: Geoff Parr.
PETER RUSHFORm
LES BLAKEBROUGH
Two of Australia's finest potters exhibit
this week. Peter R ushforth celebrates
the 25th anniversary of his first
show at David Jones with a grand di s­
play of craftsmanship - stoneware in
pure classic and modern assymetric
modes.
Les Blakebrough at Macquarie Galleries
uses lush, dignified glazes and
calligraphic brushwork to enhance th e
beauty of his stoneware and porcelain
forms. Jars made of clay compounded
in the neriage manner are of particular
interest.
W. E. Pidgeon,
Sunday Telegraph, July 11, 1976.
PETER RUSHFORTH: Slip decora tion,
diameter 38 cm.
David Jones Gallery.
65

MARK m OMPSON
S.A. Craft Authority Gallery,
Adelaide, May, 1976
Eros in Porcelain.
Two beautiful girls, in black stockings
and suspenders, held a ribbon to
be cut by the opener of Mark Thompson's
exhibition. The brocade-curtained
gallery, candelabra lit and filled
with fresh white flowers, was carefully
staged by Thompson to surround his
porcelain objects with just the right
atmosphere of Victorian opulence to
tease and titillate the audience. The
ambitious centrepieces of dolls dominated
the exhibition, their Afro hair,
exaggerated genitalia, chamois boots
and gloves all beautifully modelled or
sewn. Some sat on satin-ribboned porcelain
cushions, others dived into
mounds of fruit. They stared at the
visitors with wide-eyed innocence and,
as the critic, Peter Ward, remarked,
"Lewis Carroll and Freud would
understand precisely."
Thompson hand builds his pieces
using some slip cast components. He
uses a commercial clay flexible
enough to model and be capable of
being fired over a wide temperature
range. He uses the same basic white
clay and white glaze for all his work,
but a high proportion is overglaze:!
with commercial enamels and lustres.
Approximately one-third of the exhibition
is functional--cups made by
folding thinly rolled clay into open
ended "packages" and simple pressed
bowls and plates. These are decorated
with lustre and enamel figures, stars
and flame s. Some of the fruits and
gardens in the composite works are
beautifully painted in soft naturalistic
tones, demonstrating his easy skill
with a brush.
Thompson was born in Darwin in
1949 and first trained as a painter before
completing the Adelaide diploma
in ceramics. He used the long perio:l
at art school to explore a variety of
themes and techniques, using the S. A.
MARK THOMPSON.
Photograph : Doug. Nicholas.
School of Art as a workshop and
studio rather than as a place simply
to be taught. During his ceramics
course he began to work figuratively
in porcelain and is now one of the few
people to use this demanding medium
in the 18th century figurative manner.
Early in his career, Thompson has established
himself as a major force in
ceramics. His technical achievements
are considerable and he delights and
amuses with his lively imagination
and wry sense of humour.
Dick Richards.
A FESTIVAL CUPPA
The Aldgate Crafts exhibition, "The
Mad Hatter's Tea Party", was in many
respects an appropriate choice to coincide
with the hurdy-gurdy round of
activities which characterises the Adelaide
Festival of Arts month. Invited
local and interstate potters had the
opportunity to brew up a good pot
and also indulge their fancies by entering
work in both functional and
fantasy sections, each carrying a $250
award from the Ceylon Tea Bureau.
If the end result was a visual bunfight,
66

it was also an open in vitation to spend
some time and make some pleasant
discoveries. The fu nctional pieces as
a whole took a bit of finding alongside
their more extravagant counterparts,
but the search was worthwhile.
The award winner in the functional
section, Thomas Cockram, submitted
a fine set of teapots. They were works
of quiet authority, taut, buoya nt
shapes with handles bounding from
the sides to balance the weight. Other
sets had their own appeal; Jan Twyerould's
group of small porcelain pots
with liquid shape and floating blue
motif and their sense of ease and
economy; the clipped and decisive
lines of Vic Greenaway's work and
the fine glazing and comfortable
mood of Mollie Vardon's pots.
Division between function and fan ­
tasy become blurred as the pots grew
larger, but some credibility remained.
The more successful of the la rger
pieces matched their size with a generosity
of shape and reliance of lowkey
surfaces. This attitude was apparent
in Rhonda Ogilvie's large teapot,
strapped by its handles, and also in
Ron Thomas's "Community Fat Pot"
on its stand and his two "Fat Cuddly
Pots", slowly spreading to accommodate
their roles. The most delightful
of all in its poise between function
and fantasy must have been Anne
Mercer's group, "Doormouse", and
"when she turned around they were
stuffing the doormouse into the teapot",
the most literal in the exhibition
and a highly successful piece of
visual understatement.
From then on the word "teapot"
didn't seem to be of much use. Consider
Sandy Taylor Smith's " Little
Pot Boiler", a cast and welded iron
monster com plete with anchor, trip
catch, valves, crank and spidery
wheels, set to clank off and refresh the
thirsty tea-swilling millions. Few took
possibilities as far as Ron Rowe's
"Mad Hatter's Tea Kit" , an instacuppa
set complete with dismembered
KATHRYN McMILES.
Photograph: Verlyn Thompson.
VIC GREENAWAY,
Vic. Functional section.
Photograph : PenllY Ramsay.
DAVID FINCHER, Vic. Fantasy section.
Photograph: Penny Ramsay.
67

pot, tea and shrinkage water-presumably
one added water. Sue Moorhead
did quilt and stitch her " Patched Pot",
a first for the built-in tea cosy? But
in the main, fantasy veered towards
whimsy at every opportunity. Even
Stephen SkilJitzi's phantasmagorica,
"The Bernard Leach Tea Pot", with
its gesticulating arms and tumbling
shapes, was a more extravagant version
of many smaller pieces nearby.
Mark Thompson took the award in
this section with his "Sly Reynard as
a Twee Pot", a classic piece of surrealism
and an entertaining combination
of imagery and textures.
Few relied on colour, which is surprising
considering the mood of the
exhibition. The lustre glazes of Kathrin
McMiles's four pieces and the
brash colours of Lorraine Jenyn's
"Trumpeting Elephant Constellation"
provided some notable and enjoyable
exceptions.
Others relied on their nursery
rhyme scale, teapots at a pinch but
more objects to be held, felt and gazed
at like Stephen Benwell's pieces on
legs and wheels with their icing sugar
contortions, Alan Watts's "Liptons
and Old Lace" and David Fincher's
performing animals, "Elephant" and
"Cat/Rat" .
John Neylon.
BEN KYPRIDAKIS
It seems nothing is sacred any more.
Not even the Grail, the legendary cup
which had once held Christ's blood,
and which was pursued with total
dedication by the knightly heroes of
mediaeval ballads.
An exhibition in Adelaide offers us
a choice of grails with fish and grails
with flowers, and even an American
Bi-centenary grail!
Ashtrays featuring the Sydney Harbour
Bridge, and koalas with thermometers
in their stomachs are usu-
BEN KYPRTDAKIS.
ally dismissed contemptuously as
kitsch. But few of us are likely to take
that view of the decal-transfer decorated
grails of Ben Kypridakis, the
American potter who has again
settled in South Australia after a 10-
year absence.
They are shown off to great effect
in the Festival Centre Gallery, each
on its own pedestal and with its own
shaded spotlight. They really do have
an air of class, despite their apparent
absurdity, and it cannot be denied
that they are stunningly beautiful. The
intensity of their colours and the
lustre of their over-glazes is almost
breathtaking.
But- and it cannot be overlooked
-what is the point or the meaning of
these grails, some looking more like
candlesticks or table legs, with their
variety of natural and historical ornamentation?
Are they to be construed
as symbols of a variety of human
ideals, or are they little more than
68

eautiful, precious, elegant collectors'
items?
On the one hand they suggest decadent
refinement; on the other, they
seem to be pretentious examples of
West-coast U.S.A. funk art. Perhaps
Kypridakis has succeeded, for he has
created works just as elusive and mysterious,
if hardly as sacred, as the
Grail which only Sir GaJahad was
pure enough to find. Whether they will
keep their interest as long as the
poems of Malory and Tennyson is,
however, doubtful.
David Dolan,
The Sunday Mail.
1976 INTERNATIONAL BENDIGO
POTTERY A WARD
This year's award, which was for nonfunctional
ceramics, offered prizemoney
of $1500, $500 and $250. In a
country where Commerce and Industry
are not normally wildly enthusiastic
about art and craft patronage,
the Bendigo Pottery management is
to be congratulated. Not all largescale
potteries are prepared to plough
back in some of that which is taken
out!
Apart from Australian entries, pots
were also sent from England. It is believed
that only the lateness of the
planning prevented more foreign
country representation. I would personally
hope that this Bendigo Award
eventually becomes as prestigious as
that run at Faenza in Italy. There
were also some entries from what
could be termed temporary Australian
residents, one of whom was the winner,
Inoue Shunichi, from Japan,
who is at present lecturing in Bendigo
in the Ceramic Department headed
by Dennis O'Hoy, I suppose Bendigo
could be doubly pleased that their
major prize went to a Bendigo resident.
The judging was carried out by myself,
with Alan Watt from the Victorian
Frankston State College (himself
a previous Bendigo winner), and
also David Hartmaier, art educator
and ceramist from Alfred University.
but now an Australian resident, lecturing
at the Melbourne Teachers'
College and the Oak leigh Technical
College. He is also The Sun newspaper
art and craft critic.
There was no judging controversy
whatsoever. Some excellent work was
not really considered because the
pieces seemed to be far outside the
non-functional requirements of the
competition. I realise of course that
there is no such thing as a really nonfunctioning
piece of pottery, if you
accept the view that even a desire to
please, or to explore, is itself a function.
But this is playing with words.
We all know what is meant.
Inoue Shunichi comes from Kyoto
and for six years studied at "Bidai",
the Kyoto University of Fine Art. His
work is in what I call the Kyoto classical
manner of today. It was pure
ceramic sculpture and impeccably
made. It was a worthy winner. The
second award went to Val Barry of
VAL BARRY (U.K.): "Flattened White Pot
with Mountainous Landscape". Ht. 33 cm.
Width 24 COl. Highly commended, 1976
International Bendigo Pottery Award.
Photograph : Dennis O'Hoy.
69

DEIDRE BURNETT (U.K.): Group of porcelain forms. Ht. 13 cm. Width 9 cm.
Honorable Mention, 1976 International Bendigo Pottery Award (the winning
piece is on the left). Photograph : Dennis O'Hoy.
London. She studied at a small school
in Kensington run by Bill Huff-Johnston
and then later with Louis Hanssen,
and at the Sir John Cass School
of Art. Her very flattened slab-pots
were beautifully done and the winning
pot (or flat sculpture pot) was decorated
with a scene of a mountain
landscape. It is probably better described
as a wispy snowscape. Like
the third award, there was a possibility
of "function" but, with both,
considering the physical slenderness
and fragility of the objects, this was
remote. Deirdre Burnett, also from
London, was the third winner. She
was trained at St. Martin's School of
Art and then at Camberwell. Her
work is mainly thrown and pinched
or just pinched. She, like Val Barry,
was an exhibitor at the Victoria and
Albert Museum exhibition, "The
Craftsman's Art". The work of both
was professional and beautiful.
Judging exhibitions is not a pleasant
task, especially when the results are
not pleasing to everyone. And some of
the entries, judged as pure physical
feats, deserved high commendation
whilst other work "just missed". But
awards like this should be above
parochial interests and at their best
playa great part in helping us grow
to a greater ceram ic maturity.
Milton Moon.
THE CALLIGRAPIDC IMAGE
Art Gallery of New South Wales,
April-May, 1976
This exhibition was concerned with
the Australian interpretation of two
aspects of Oriental art that are highly
regarded art forms in their own right
in the East, namely calligraphy and
ceramics. In Oriental calligraphy,
form is the most important element,
and it is this concern with form that
first attracted Western Abstract Expressionist
painters to calligraphy.
This exhibition focused on the reactions
of three Australian painters to
calligraphy. It also included a selection
of contemporary Australian ceramics,
for it is in this field that Oriental art
has probably had its greatest impact.
Peter Rushforth and Ivan McMeekin,
70

as two leaders of the pottery movement
in Australia, are represented :
Peter Rushforth with some recent
works and Ivan McMeekin with a
vase covered with a feldspathic glaze
similar to white Japanese Shino glaze.
Most of the ceramic tradition in Australia
in the 1960s was indebted to
Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada and
the Mingei ("folk art") tradition of
Japanese ceramics. However, this
sampling of a still strongly developing
tradition no longer characterises the
majority of Australian ceramics,
which are increasingly influenced by
the American funk tradition.
Ja ckie Menzies.
ERIC GRONBERG
To celebrate the American Bi-centenary
Bonython Gallery, Sydney,
brought to Australia 19 pieces of ceramics
by Eric Gronberg. Born in
Copenhagen, now an American citizen,
Gronberg has an M.A. in sculpture.
Shown in Sydney were cups, containers,
a teapot and two plates.
Mostly of porcelain, they were deco ·
rated with decals, lustres and low-fire
glazes, and were excellent examples
of the highly decorated ceramics currently
being made in the U.S.A.
IAN CURRIE: Platter from Project 13
Exhibition- "The Calligraphic Image".
ERIC GRONBERG ( U.S.A.) : Bicentenary
Exhibition, Bonython Gallery, Sydney,
April 1976.
THE CHINESE EXHIBITION
An exhibition of Archaeological relics from the Peoples' Republic of China will he shown in
Australia early next year. This valuable and significant collection contains pieces which date
back to the Peking Man, 500,000 years ago and includes ceramics, bronzes, fabrics, carvings,
jade and lacquer. It has heen sponsored by Mobil Australia for ex hibition in this country,
and is being organized by the Australian Art Exhibition Corporation Ltd., a company established
by the Australia Council to manage the exhibition.
The National Gallery of Victoria will show the exhibition from 19 January to 6 March a nd
the Art Gallery of N .S.W. will show it from 24 March to 8 May.
71

BOOK REVIEWS
THE UNKNOWN CRAFTSMAN. Soetsu
Yanagi. Foreword by Shoji Hamada, adapted
by Bernard Leach. Printed in Japan,
distributed in British Commonwealth by
George Allen & Unwin Ltd., London, and
by Japan/and Kodansha InternationaVUSA
Ltd., JO East 53rd St., New York, NY.
1002, and 44 Montgomery St., San Francisco,
California. 94104. First ed. '72, second
printing '74. Seventy illustrations,
black and white, and colour, of a large diversity
of craft and medium.
A selection of extensive writings by
Soetsu Yanagi, father of the Japan Folk
Movement, translated by a sensitive and
understanding Japanese who has an excellent
command of the English language. The
papers were addressed to and concerned
with Oriental craft and craftsmen, but because
Yanagi was concerned with the very
essence and nature of life his thoughts are
of vital importance to all craftsmen the
world over. There is no distinction given
between truth and beauty, nor basically between
tine and applied art. To Yanagi
primitive, folk , aristocratic, religious or individual
art meet in equality and should
come to be accepted in a mature and round
world.
Some of the papers deal with pal/ern, in
which Yanagi states, " It is not a reproduction
of nature, but new creation- pattern is
the crystallisation of beauty- an exaggeration
without deceit."
Of beauty of irreguiarity-"All true art
has somewhere an element of the grotesque.
Freedom always resolves into
irregularity in the end." "Free" beauty of
necessity boils down to irregular beauty.
"The precise and perfect carries no overtones,
admits of no freedom; the perfect is
static and regulated, cold and hard. Beauty
must have some room, must be associated
with freedom. Freedom indeed is beauty."
Buddhist idea 0/ beauty-to compare the
way in which a Christian conceives his
God and his faith , with that belief of a life
pattern that a Buddhist seeks is to glimpse
at a '4oneness" or "non-dual entirety" of
person. The object of this paper is to
clarify what interpretation of the world of
beauty is possible from the Buddhist viewpoint
and to explain the Buddhist basis on
which the nature of beauty as it is pursued
in the Orient chieny depends.
The essence of " H akeme" is given consideration
in an endeavour to point out the
seeking of the natural, irregular, and free
expression in things which the method of
Hakeme gives- "a harmony in the eyes of
the Oriental- and disharmony in the sight
of the Occidental". "The Hakeme was born
of innocence, but something created consciously
is the difference bet ween safe and
perilous. ,.
To explain "The Way of Tea" that
brought the rules and conventions into
being and compare it with the later devo-
tees of tea and the degeneration into mannerisms
of this ceremony is again an insight
into the ability of seeing truth and
beauty.
And finally those pages devoted to the
" Way 0/ Craftsmanship", with questions
posed and Yanagi's answers, is to activate
your Occidental mind into endeavouring to
appreciate and begin to understand the Oriental
way of beauty and truth that in my
opinion is worth the consideration , jf not
the whole-hearted acceptance.
A book well worth the purchase and
placing on your bookshelf, but make sure
the book is often held in the hand, the
pages opened, read and considered.
B. Barton.
THE POTTER'S CHALLENGE, by Bernard
Leach, edited by David Outerbridge.
Published by Souvenir Press, this book of
156 pages contains 50 black-and-white, fullpage
photographs. Price, SI0.30.
The Potter's Challenge is divided into
five sections, the major part being a selection
of " exemplary pots" to illustrate the
text. The tirst two chapters are edited
transcripts of a series of interviews David
Outerbridge had with Leach in 1973, and
the section, "exemplary pots", which
comes partly from his book A Poller's Portfolio,
is followed by a Museum Directory
and Bibliography. This book brings togelher
the philosophy of Leach and his
attitudes to pottery developed during a lifetime
of involvement in the craft.
Bernard Leach has been an inspiration
to potters around the world. His new book
is of value to all potters; for students it is
intended as a guide to the discovery of a
satisfactory approach and understanding of
what pottery can be, the finding of standards
to assess and recognise the essential
beauty contained in good pots.
Although in a small section, "First
Steps", he deals with simple technicalities,
it is not the aim of this book to instruct in
any detail how to make pots. His description
of tirst searching for and testing clay,
the making of simple pinch and coil pots is
to introduce the student to an understanding
of the nature of clay and the need to
master basic skills before trying to be creative
and indulging in "self-expression". He
feels self-expr:ssion comes naturally when
the potter is in tune with his materials, has
satisfaction in the making of pots, strives
for perfection of form and is at one with
the clay.
Composition in pottery is dealt with
briefly, being illustrated by two drawings
with diagrammatic notes analysing shapes
and pointing to the pots' need or not for
decoralion. The major part of the book,
the photographic examples, is preceded by
an explanation of Bernard Leach's personal
choice of illustrations; pots in which he
tinds "life and beauty". They are chosen
mostly from public collections in England
72

and America of pots from as early as 2500
B.C. to the present day. Each photograph
is accompanied by notes giving details of
its source, method of construction , glaze,
type of decoration and its aesthetic value as
a pol. Most pots illustrated have some form
of decoration demonstrating the harmonious
blending of the basic form with the
chosen decorative technique.
The Polter's Challenge is a book to be
enjoyed for its sincerity of purpose and i.
one that potters should wish to return to
time and again for thought provoking
stimulation, the enjoyment of Bernard
Leach's beautifully expressed philosophies
or to simply browse through the collection
of "exemplary pots" .
A . Salmon.
RA KU, by Christopher Tyler and Richard
Hirsch. Watson-Guptill Publications, New
York; Pitman Publishing, London. One
hundred and seventy-six pages, 16 pages of
colour prints, 200 black-and-white illustrations.
For this new book on raku the authors
have included material from 36 potters.
They have tried to write a book to mterest
both the novice and advanced potter.
Subjects covered in the book are:
I. The history of raku. An excellent
tracing of the history of raku, its beginning
in Japan with the tea ceremony and its
later developments in Japan. I think an explanation
of the actual tea ceremony would
have helped readers gain greater understanding
and appreciation. Bernard Leach's
introduction of raku to the Western world
is outlined and also the history of raku in
America, beginning with Warren Gilbertson
and Paul Soldner. Soldner is one of the
main contributors to and influences on this
book and obviously is much admired by the
two authors.
2. Pottery and Perception: Mind and
Medium. This chapter of the book, as well
as the final one, will be appreciated by advanced
potters and teachers who seek to
understand the raku philosophy.
3. Approaches to form and forming.
This subject is so vast that it is difficult to
cover it well; however, no doubt readers
will already be involved with clay and have
learned the basic forming methods.
4. Clay and glazes. Many recipes for
raku bodies, glazes, slips, lustres and colouring
oxide solutions.
5. Kilns- requirements, construction and
use. Many types of raku kilns and all types
of fuels (including solar) are discussed.
Also kiln building and firing, materials and
burner types.
6. Timing and Post-firing. This chapter
is the most vital one, the one I read with
the greatest interest, for this is where it all
happens in raku. It gives sound but general
advice on post~firing, experience being
gained only through trial and error and experiment
during many firings.
7. The Nature of Raku is the title of the
final chapter. This most worthwhile new
book is a must for those potters interested
in raku, no matter at what stage.
H. Anstice.
MAGAZINES
Magazines available for subscription reviewed
by Janet De Boos. Rates given are in
SUSA - American dollars.
£ - pounds sterling.
SA - Australian dollars.
The easiest way to subscribe to overseas
publications is to ob t ~ in an International
Money Order from any bank.
CRA FT HORIZONS. Cbssy, glossy, full
of both colour and b. and w. photos; covering
all cra fts, including oft-neglected
ones like musical-instrument-making, etc.
No technical information, more concerned
with people, history and what's being done
where. Big sections on exhibitions, summer
schools, etc., but mainly American. A
pleasant absence is the usual distinction between
potters and ceramic artists.
Subscription rates (6 issues/ year):
1 year- $USAI8 plus $1 postage. 2 years­
$USA33 plus $2 postage.
From: The American Crafts Council, Membership
Dept., 44 West 53rd St. , New York,
N.Y. 10019.
CRA FTS. Published by the Crafts Advisory
Committee in Britain, has much the same
style as Craft Horizons, in that its concern
lies with people and what they make, rather
than "how to .. ." Tends to have more
articles, reviews. etc., on crafts in other
countries, probably due to the proximity
of the Continent. Attractive layout and generous
spreads of both colour and black-andwhite
photos.
Subscription rates (6 issues/ year): I year­
£5/ 10/ - (including postage) .
From: Circulation Manager, "Crafts"
Magazine, 28 Haymarket, London,
SWIY4YZ.
CRAFT AUSTRALIA. Published by the
Crafts Council of Australia, it is the only
exclusively craft magazine that covers all
media. It also takes note of the fact that
Australia is part of Asia by having articles
on the traditional crafts of other countries
in this region. Plentiful colour and blackand-white
photos, and, once again, more
concerned with people and places than technology.
PUblished quarterly.
Subscription rates:
I year- $A6.00 (including postage).
From: Craft Council of Australia, 27 King
Street, Sydney, N .S.W. 2000.
CERAMIC REVIEW. The Journal of the
Craftsmen Potters' Association of Great
Britain, this publication is far morc "businesslike"
than the preceding three.
Although covering recent exhibitions, etc.,
it is also full of sound technical information
on glazes and clay bodies, articles on
how to make this or that, as well as reviews
of new members of the CPA. Black
and white photos only and not so pretty
layout are more than compensated for by
the content.
Subscription (six issues/ year):
I year - £4.50 (surface mail included) .
N .B. Air mail rates on application.
From Ceramic Review, 7 Marshall Street,
London W1V IFD.
73

NEW ZEALAND POTTER. This is a
magazine that has improved dramatically
over the last few years. Articles on glazes,
kilns, geology, plus photo-essays on the
work of various New Zealand potters. Also
has occasional articles on pottery outside
N.Z.- in Britain, etc. It is (as its title suggests)
a pottery rather than ceramic or
craft magazine and as such reflects the New
Zealand approach.
Subscription (2 issues/ year):
I year- SA3.50 (postage included) .
From: New Zealand Potter, P .O. Box 12-
162, Wellington North, New Zealand.
STUDIO POTTER. A magazine aimed
essentially at the practising potter. Contains
reviews of pottery equipment (pugmills,
clay mixers, etc.) , articles on different
forms of energy for firing kilns (solar,
etc.) , methods of forming clay and working,
generally. Also has short items on potters
and the type of wares they produce.
and occasional articles on topics such as
the apprenticeship system. All this is geared
towards the American potter, but this
doesn't mean there isn 't much for his
counterpart in Australia. Has a slight
alternative life-style feel to it. Attractive
format (mainly black and white), photos in
abundance. Published by a group of professional
potters in New Hampshire biannually.
Subscription (2 copies/year):
I year- SUSA 7 (surface postage paid) . 3
years- SUSA21 (postage paid).
From: Daniel Clark Foundation (Subscriptions),
Box 172, Warner, N. Hamp. 03278.
PROPOSED LOANS SCHEME BY GRANTS BOARD
Since its establishment in 1973, the Crafts Board of the Australia Council has been active in
the development and support of a variety of crafts activities.
The Board has discerned a need to provide support to craftsmen seeking to establish
their own workshops. In the past, the Board has made direct grants for equipment purchases
but increasing pressures on funds and shifting emphasis in programs have led to a review of
policy in this area. As a result, the Board resolved to withdraw direct grants to individuals
for equipment purchases as from 1975-76 but to seek other ways in which assistance might
be provided.
The most satisfactory solution appears to be the establishment of a loans scheme available
to craftsmen to purchase craft equipment for the establishment and development of
workshop facilities. Various possibilities for a suitable proposal have been under consideration
in recent months. The Board hopes to be able to announce full details later this year.
NEW ZEALAND POTTER
Published af Wellington by the Edltoria' CommINe., twice yearly
'n August and December. Tit. year'y subscription is $A3.SO
and ,h. mOflo.dne may be obtained from
New Zealand Potter, P.O. lox J2'62, We llington Nonh, New Zealand.
74

COMPETITIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
COMPETITIONS
Mayfair Ceramic Award
S I 000 Purchase
Selected entries displayed at Toorak Gallery, East Melbourne.
Walkers/ Pugmill Pottery Award
$500 Acquisitive
This award exhibition will be shown at Aldgate Crafts.
October 18-31, 1976
October, 1976
COMPETITION AWARDS
Third Singleton Pottery Prize
Judges: Jim and Jean Tyler
$125 Acquisitive
$50 Local
$65 Purchase
Townsville Pacific Festival
Ceramic Awards
Lee Kelly
Robyn Attue
Janet Mansfield
Open: ran Currie
Judge: Hiree Swen
Local: Connie Hoedt
Port Hacking Potters' Group
Judge: Mollie Douglas
$100 Open- Handbuill Rona Harvey
5100 Open- Wheelthrown Janet Mansfield
$100 Ceramic sculpture Claudia Pivovarov
Bendigo award-See exhibition reviews
Muswellbrook Pottery Exhibition
Judge: Bernard Sahm
Piece selected for purchase: Janet Mansfield
Warringah Craft Award
Judge: Felicity Abraham
$500 acquisitive Derek Smith
May, 1976
June, 1976
August, 1976
August, 1976
August, 1976
35th Ceramic Competition-Exbihition-Faenza, 1977
The Crafts Board of the Australia Council will again be sponsoring the official entry of Australian
potters to the 1977 Faenza Competition-Exhibition.
Potters who would like to exhibit and who are not represented in the Slide Library of
the Crafts Council or who feel that their present work may be unknown to the selector,
should please send details, sketches and slides to the Crafts Council of A ustralia by October
8, 1976. The selector is Bernard Sahm.
All correspondence should be addressed to: Exhibitions Officer, Crafts Council of Australia,
27 King Street, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000, telephone Sydney 296261.
EXHIBITIONS
Bronwyn Cornish
Fred and Mary Marer
Ceramic Collection
Claire McHaffie and John Davis
Judith Gledhill and Don lones
Group Exhibition-Women
Potters
John Dermer
Japanese, Chinese,Thai Antique
Ceramics
Japanese Ceramics
Ron and Candy Craine
Porcelain Pots--Arts & Crafts
Society, Victoria
Papua New Guinea Pottery
Bonython Gallery
Paddington, Sydney
Western Australian Art Gallery
Perth
Gryphon Gallery
Carlton, Melbourne
Aldgate Crafts
Aldgate, S.A.
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghurst, Sydney
The Distelfink
Hawthorn, Melbourne
Macquarie Galleries
Canberra
Myers Gallery
Melbourne
Manyung Gallery
Mt. Eliza, Victoria
Gallery 99
Carlton, Melbourne
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Melbourne
Aug.-Sept.
Aug.-Sept.
Aug. 30-Sept. 10
Aug. 22-Sept. 5
Sept. 13-25
Sept. 8-21
Sept. 2-19
Sept. 6-17
Sept. 12-1 9
Sept. 8-19
Sept.
75

Tim Moorhead
N arek Galleries
Deakin, A.C.T. Sept. 25·0ct. 17
Joho Gilbert
Greenhill Galleries
North Adelaide
Oct.
John Dermer
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghurst, Sydney Oct. 12-30
Auslralian Ceramics Newcastle City Art Gallery Oct.
Thrumster Festival
Thrumster Craft School
Port Macquarie, N.S.W. Oct. 2-4
Judy Lorraine, Ian Sprague, Clive Parry Craft Gallery
David Bradsbaw, Vic Greenaway, Beaumaris, Melbourne
Hedley Pots Oct. 10-30
Wally Scbwab
Jam Factory Gallery
St. Peters, Adelaide
Oct.
Alan Peascod
The Craft Centre
South Yarra, Melbourne Oct. I 1-23
Reg Preston
Potters' Cottage
Warrandyte, Vic.
Oct.
Lucy and Hatton Beck
Manyung Galley
Mt. Eliza, Vic. Oct. 10-24
Bela Kolal
Holdsworth Galleries
Woollahra,Sydney
Oct.
Ceramic Study Group of
Western Australia
Fremantle Art Centre
Fremantle Oct.
Rhonda Longbottom
Aldgate Crafts
Aldgate, S.A. Oct. 3-17
June Emmett, Penny Ceams Gallery 99
Carlton, Melbourne Oct. 20-31
Koyama Pottery
Laburnum Gallery
Blackburn, Melbourne Oct. 22-30
Mayfair Ceramic Award Toorak Gallery
East Melbourne Oct. 18-31
Japanese Ceramics
National Library
Canberra Oct. 4-15
Lorna Arcber Gallery 99
Carlton, Melbourne Oct. 12-14
Jeff Mincham
Jam Factory Gallery
St. Peters, Adelaide Oct. 16-31
Sturt Workshops Annual
Exhibition
Stur! Workshops
Mitlagong, N.S.W. Oct. 4-10
Nancy Keith
Manyung Gallery
Mt. Eliza, Vic. Oct. 17
Japanese Ceramics
Myers Gallery
Adelaide Nov. 1-12
Ian Jobnson Gallery 99
Carlton, Melbourne Nov. 6-21
Tasmanian Potters' Society A.M.P. Building
Hobart Nov. 5-1 8
Alan Peascod
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghurst Nov. 9-27
Fritz Massee
Manyung Gallery
Mt. Eliza, Vic. Nov. 14
Gerald Makin
Salamanca Place Gallery
Hobart Nov. 6-13
Craft Association of N.S.W.-
Crafts for Living
A.N.Z. Bank Gallery
Martin Place, Sydney Nov. 8-1 7
DerekSmitb Macquarie Gallaries Nov. 24-Dec. 6
Elsa Ardem
Potters' Cottage
Warrandyle, Vic.
Nov.
Los Blakebrough
Craft Cenlre
Soulh Yarra, Melbourne
Nov. 29-Dec. I I
Group Exhibition
Narek Galleries
Deakin , A.C.T. Nov. 9-28
76

Siurt Group
Narek Galleries
Deakin, A.C.T. Nov. 30-Dec. 19
Japanese Ceramics
Blaxland Gallery
Farmers, Sydney Nov. 20-Dec. 9
Sam Herman-glass
Playhouse Gallery
Adelaide
Nov. 21-Dcc. II
Rick Ball
Beaver Galleries
Red Hill, Canberra Dec. 5-19
Auslralian Ceramics
Shepparton Art Gallery
Shepparton, Vic.
Dec.
Robert and Margot Beck von Bcrtouch Gallery
Newcastle Dec. 3-20
Potters' Society of Australia
Xmas Exhibition
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghursl, Sydney Dec . .
Roger Webb
Old Bowerbank Mill
Dcloraine. Tas.
Dec.
Eugene Kupscb
Manyung Gallery
Mt. Eliza, Vic. Dec. 12
Maria Phillips
Old Fire Station Gallery
Leederville. W.A. Dec. 5-22
Richard Marquis-gJass
Macquarie Galleries
Sydney Dec. 8-23
Japanese Ceramics Newcastle City Art Gallery Dec. 20-J3n. 5
Potters' Society of Australia
Festival of Sydney
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghurst, Sydney Jan. 4-29
Jean Robins
Fremantle Arts Centre
Fremantle Dec. 5-Jao. 2
Japanese Ceramics
Myers Gallery
Brisbane Jan. 17-28, 1977
Shigeo Shiga
Narek Galleries
Deakin, A.C.T.
Feb.
Dianne Silwood
Craft Association of QueenslAnd
Brisbane
Feb.
KeD Ford
Macquarie Galleries
Sydney Feb. 2-14
Bathurst Island Pottery,
Ivan McMeekin's N.T. Project
Aladdin Gallery
Sydney Feb.
Rod Pedlar
Aldgate Crafts
Aldgate, S.A. Mar. 13
Carl McConnell
Macquarie Galleries
Sydney Mar. 16-28
Ethel Manning
Potters' Gallery
Darlinghurst, Sydney Mar. 8-20
Porcelain-Five Potters
Beaver Galleries
Red Hill, Canberra
M,r.
Peter Travis
Dav id Jones Gallery
Sydney
April
Peter Docherty
Beaver Galleries
l!.ed Hill, Canberra
April
John Gilbert
von Bertouch Gallery
Newcastle
April
Roma Potters
Craft Association of Queensland
Brisbane
April
Wally Scbwab
Jam Factory Gallery
St. Peters, Adelaide
April-May
Dennis Monks
Aldgate Crafts
Aldgate, S.A.
May
Milton MOOD
Greenhill Galleries
North Adelaide, S.A.
May
77

NEWS
'
QUEENSLAND POTTERS' ASSOCIATION.
THE JOAN CAMPBELL RAKU SCHOOL-Brisbane, April, 1976. Arranged by the Queensland
Potters' Association with assistance from the Australia Council. The programme:
Day 1- 15 participants. General form and size of mural decided and sketched full size. (It is
21 ft. long.) Potters begin making pieces for foreground.
Day 2- Foreground shapes made, laid, hit, dropped, cut, torn. Construction began, in lower
bush, of top loading wood-fired bisque kiln (commons) for foreground shapes.
Day 3- I4-hour bisque of foreground shapes began mid-morning. Making tiles for background
began. Full-scale reference plan (background and foreground) mode. Gas-fired
kiln built to fire two large foreground discs. Background tiles (100 pieces) taken home
for firing. Potters started individual pots.
N .B.: No size restriction allowed to inhibit creativity. Kilns made to accommodate
forms- not the reverse.
N.B.: All pieces made from buff or red raku clay and fired fairly wet as time not
available for conventional drying.
Evening- Joan gave remarkable public lecture that had profound impact.
Day 4-35 new weekend participants join school. Everyone divided into teams of kiln
builders, glaze makers, etc. Two further oil-fired and one extra wood-fired kilns built.
Day 5- Glazes and slips mixed and tested. Bisqued mural laid out on the grass, glazed by
pouring; amount of reduction in different areas determined. Mural finally fired by teams
in sections and re-assembled like a giant jig-saw. (It is now J 9 fl. x 4 fl.) Individual pots
fired in gathering gloom.
Oliver Warin, non-potting husband of Deidre Warin, gives a few impressions of the Raku
School held at their home, which is set in two and a half acres of part bush on the fringe of
Brisbane.
"... What did a layman observer learn? That Raku is not a technique, not a style, but
rather an intensity of feeling, an empathy towards clay and pot; a thorough-going honesty
that is without inhibitions but is trained, painstaking and intenl. For many potters the 'performance',
the high point where technique and practice combine when the clay is on the
wheel. For Joan the building is the conception, but the firing is the birth; the focal point is
that short moment when the pot lies in the open; defenceless and ready to accept a few delicately
pressed damp leaves or a handful of lightly brushed grass. What else? The rediscovered
delight of doing somethin g together, and of finding that the untrammelled but concentrated
fire of a Joan Campbell can kindle unexpected creativity in a whole group."
HIROE SWEN WORKSHOPS-Queensland, May, 1976. In May, 1976, with the help of the
Australia Council, and as our contribution to the Queensland Festival for the Arts, the
Queensland Potters' Association arranged a tour of Queensland centres by Canberra potter
Hiroe Swen.
Touring Queensland can be a lengthy business and Hiroe travelled over 1,200 within the
State in every type of vehicle, including large and small aircraft, buses, and cars of all
descriptions.
In the 31 days she spent with us Hiroe gave 10 two-day workshops and most of them
were booked out, with potters waiting for a cancellation. As a result nearly 500 potters in
Queensland attended from the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Nambour, Gympie, Gladstone,
Dysart, Rockhampton, Townsville and districts, and Brisbane.
THE QUEENSLAND CULTURAL DIARY is published monthly by the office of the Director
of Cultural Activities, P.O. Box 33, North Quay, 4000. It contains stories on people and
events, reviews, information on schools and workshops, festivals and exhibitions.
THE CERAMIC STUDY GROUP OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA meets at 8 p.m. on the
second Thursday of every month (December, January and February excepted) at North Perth
Primary School, Olive Street, North Perth, W.A. Secretary: Mr>. H. Hancocks, 27 Schmitt
Road, Kalamunda, W.A., 6076. Telephone: 932276.
THE VICTORIA CERAMIC GROUP reports: An Annual Exhibitiqn with a difference,
" The Collector's Collections Exhibition", a members' Instant Exhibition and monthly Mini­
Exhibitions, workshops and monthly meetings, have provided V.e.G. members with an
informative and absorbing six months.
Workshops, for which we always have many more applications than places, have been
held with Phillip McConnell, Paul Davis and Alan Watt, covering techniques, particularly
glazing and decoration. An evening lecture and demonstration with Scottish Potter Alex
Leckie was an exciting experience- an accent, technical skill and a tremendous sense of
humour with the ability to communicate captivated all who attended. The monthly meetings,
which continue to fill the lecture theatre, have covered a variety of ceramic topics.
Vincent McGrath, Bob Hughes, Ian Edwards and Paul Davis took members to many
completely different scenes in ceramics. Again to another distant scene with Helen Laycock
on her return from China and a lecture on "Porcelain in today's China".
78

The clay-testing program is continuing and has now reached "Test 39". The group meets
the first Monday of the month from March to November at the Melbourne State College.
corner Grattan and Swanston Streets, Carlton, in the lecture theatre, New Arts Building, at
8 p.m. New members are welcome. Enquiries: Secretary or Membership Officer, P.O. Box
4096, Spencer Street. Melbourne, 3001.
THE NEWCASTLE CERAMIC GROUP has continued to expand the facilities available to
members in the Centre building, and to sponsor interesting educational and social activities.
These activities include a weekend school by the New Zealand potter Jenny Price, and a lecture
by John Montefiore on design occurring in the nat ural world and its use to the artist
and potter. This programme is due to be supplemented by schools conducted by Janet Mansfield
and Hildegarde Anstice.
The first successful firing of the gas kiln has justified the long period of planning by the
kiln committee. With only minor adjustments needed, this kiln will soon be ready for regular
group and individual firings, and the last major nced of the Centre workshop will be filled.
Interest has been created at Group meetings by the return of travellers with experiences
in such exotic pottery locations as Tangier, 01ina and Crete.
The Centre building has also been the scene of several successful sales, providing a shopfront
for members' work and a handy profit. This profit, together with that gained at the
Annual Review of work, is a useful contribution towards the expenses involved in buying
and running a building. The Newcastle Ceramic Group meets on the third Saturday of each
month at the Centre, Bull Street, Cooks Hill, at 2.15 p.m. For information ring Cecily Woods,
59-1538.
The second tour of China, organised by the POTTERS' SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA,
was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by the 14 participants. At a combined meeting
of the Potters' Society and the Craft Association of N.S.W. the participants shared their visits
to ceramic factories, museums, templ~ , etc.
PORT HACKTNG POTTERS will be holding a Xmas Exhibition and Sale of Pots on the
26th and 27th November, 1976, at the Cronulla Community Hall, Surf Road, Cronulla.
Regular meetings aro held on the first Wednesday night each month at the School of Arts,
Surf Road, Cronulb. The first meeting in 1977 will be the Annual General Meeting, to be
held on 2nd February, 1977. All visitors welcome. Telephone Margaret Ogle, 522 8335. P.O.
Box 71, Miranda.
THE CERAMIC STUDY GROUP continues to meet at 8 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each
month at the Community Centre, Blues Point Road, McMahon's Point, with a varied program of
lectures and demonstrations. In April 50 members attended a workshop given by Hiroe Swen,
who also was the tutor at the CSG residential Spring School at Blackheath in September.
Members of the group took part in a study tour of Iran, Greece, Crete and Turkey in April
and May. A highlight of the year's program will be a visit from the eminent New Zealand
potter, Len Castle, in October for a weekend lecture-demonstration and a workshop. Membership
of the group is open to everyone interested in ceramics, and enquiries may be sent
to the Hon. SecretarY. Box 5239, G.P.O., Sydney, 2001.
A display organised by the VICTORIAN CERAMIC GROUP is being held in October/
November at the CRAFT ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA premises. The display will demonstrate
the various stages of functional and non-functional pot making, from raw clay to the
finished "pot". Exhibits will include-raw clay, preparation of clay, clay tests, throwing and
hand building methods with examples, glazes, application of glazes and decoration, glaze tests,
firing sequences, firing methods, kiln types, tools and techniques.
THE CRAFT ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 34 Cliff Street, Fremantle,
has monthly exhibitions, including work of members (September), students (November)
and cowllry members (January) .
WEST AUSTRALIAN TNSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY will conduct several five-day workshops,
including one on ceramics, at the Kalgoorlie School of Mines, during October.
The program, Arts Access, has taken pottery workshops to many centres in the southwest
and Pilbarra. The workshops, made available on request from country groups, serviced
by vans carrying equipment suitable for the program. Exhibitions of pottery and weaving
have also been sent to Toodyay for the opening of the Old MiU tourist centre during April
and Narrogin Arts and Crafts Group during August.
A very successful exhibition of local potters' work was shown at the University of W.A.
Undercroft Gallery in June.
THE CANBERRA POTIERS' SOCIETY is a group of potters working together for mutual
benefit, fostering a greater appreciation of pottery in their community. Benefits to members
include research information, co~operative services, specialty courses and an annual exhibition.
They have regular monthly meetings, events and a newsletter. Information can be
obtained from the Secretary, Hilry Hamilton, P.O. Box 28, Rivett, 2611 , Canberra, (062)
386566.
79

TASMANIAN POTTERS' SOCIETY. The three pottery groups in Tasmania held a successful
combined meeting. During the year all groups agreed to a name change, so that now there
is the Tasmanian Potters' Society - Northern Branch, North-west Branch and Southern
Branch. In her President's report , 1976, June Lowry of the Southern Branch summarized
the wide range of activities, seminars, meetings, competitions, workshops and exhibitions.
The secretary of the WOLLONGONG POTTERS is Elsie Lewis, telephone 294730. They
have an active programme.
BARRABA POTTERS' GUILD reports that since the opening of its new premises, The Clay
Pan, last September interest in pottery in Barraba has really expanded. Three weekend schooh
with tuition by Trudi Alfred have been held. At the last, in July, the very popular subject wa.
" Lidded Pots". Trudi Alfred will return to Barraba in October for a weekend school on
"Teapots". Her visits have been made possi ble by a cultural grant for tuition.
Meanwhile members are preparing for their annual Open Day on 19th September. Last
year over 400 people attended.
Members meet once a week, and voluntarily conduct classes for beginners each fortnight.
Pottery and other arts and crafts are sold at The Clay Pan.
THE ALBURY-WODONGA CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTRE is running a practic. 1
pottery course with tutor Donald Walton. Further information care of P.O. Box 366.
Wodonga, 3690.
THE McGREGOR COLLEGE, TOOWOOMBA, will be running their eighth annual vacation
school from 10th-20th January, 1977. The ceramics school will be on Salt Glazd
Ceramics with tutor Janet Mansfield. Enquiries care of P.O. Box 100, Toowoomba.
HARRISON MAYER have provided SI ,ooo prize money for a ceramics competition, to b:
held early in 1977 in Western Australia. The categories will be functional and decorative.
THE ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY OF VICTORIA has brought the work of generation,
of craftsmen before the public for nearly 70 years.
Its objectives, which include the provision of a public ga llery, remain as valid today.,
they have ever been- to promote the highest standards of excellence in craftsmanship; to
increase public awareness and acceptance of good design and workmanship; to demonstrate
the scope of Australian materials.
Members of the Society may have craft work for sale included in a permanent display at
the gallery, and also the opportunity to hold a temporary personal exhibition of their work in
the loft at Gallery 99.
From such experience the Arts and Crafts Society is able to offer very effective public
relations, and this has reflected in the success of recent exhibitions during 197~ome of
them nearing "sell-out".
Through its Gallery 99 the Society provides a centre for its members' activities: to meet
socially, as an outlet for their work, as an exhibitions platform and a point of contact with
the public.
Gallery 99, 99 Cardigan Street, Ca rlton, 3053. Telephone (03) 3477853. Wednesday to
Friday, 10-5; Saturday and Sunday, 2-5. Membership enquiries welcomed.
A Functional Craft Exhibition will be held at Alice Springs in November, 1976. Further
information may be obtained from the Secretary, CRAFT ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL
AUSTRALIA, P.O. Box 85. Alice Springs, N.T., 5750.
PLANTAGENET PAINTERS AND POTTERS had an enthralling demonstration from Beh
Kotai, under the auspices of the Arts Council, from which membors learned a great deal. II
is hoped that he will be able to return. Mrs. Eileen Keys held a workshop covering Rak u,
primitive firing, and the more imaginative use of local clays. This is an area rich in good clays.
which are widely used by members: both wheelwork and glazing have made groat progress
over the past months.
The President, Mrs. C. B. Mitchell, was made a Life Member at the annual general
meeting for her constant help and encouragement to newcomers.
THE NORTH QUEENSLAND POTTERS' ASSOCIATION moved into their new premises
and celebrated the occasion by holding a dinner on 30th June. The new residence is named
"The Potters' Place" and is situated at Flowers Street, Railway Estate. The enclosed courtyard
and walled garden is an ideal area to hold exhibitions- the fi rst of which will be held
from 2nd to 5th December. Classes are continuing and a number of library books were
donated by members to commemorate the opening. Len Castle, a New Zealand potter, will
be conducting a workshop on 8th-9th November this year.
80

PERTH POTIERS' CLUB. At the annual meeting in July the retiring President, Judy Halliday,
was succeeded by Lillian Caesar, supported by a strong committee. Members worked
hard for the annual Open Week and Sale of Work on 25th September. Saturday workshops
and Thursday lunchtime demonstrations, both held monthly, arc proving very popular, pl

pots from Angkor Wot
and Summertown S.A.
exhibited at
aladdin
specialising in australian and
asian/ pacific art and ceramics
exhibitions:
Chinese potteu (l'a ng, Sung, Ming)
Sukhota i & Sa wa nkolok (AD 1200-1 450)
Annomese art potters lAD 1000·1600)
Khmer (AD 900·1 400)
Austra lian (AD 19705: including Shigo, Travis, Moon,
Mansfield and contemporary art potters)
tel 3584493
aladdin gallery
AS elizabeth bay rd sydney
Poffen Shiga Shig 80 - Stoneware lar w ith
iron o xide decora tion.
Day and Evening Pottery Classes
WORKSHOP
ARTS CENTRE
Instruction In preparation of clay, slob-built pota,
coif patl. wheel work, va rious glozlng 5. stocking and
firing.
Rick 8all 95 6540 Hildegard An.tice 48 5675
Renata de lambert 434766 John Turvey 5298461
Term 3 September 6-N ovember 27, 1976
Term 1 February 14-May 7, 1977
Pointing; drawing; etching; lithography. silk-screen;
woodcuts; sculpture; creative weaving; creative embroidery;
batik; macrame; mosoic; jewellery-making;
general design; ort classes
people.
for ch ildren and young
33 Laurel Street, Willoughby, 2068
Te l. 95-6540. (Enquiries 9 .30-4.30)
Half-term students accepted
82

hiroeswen.
ceramics
comeI S'MlIl.
graphics
83

RUSSELL COWAN PTY. LTD.
Materials and Equipment for the Craft Potter
Agent and Distributor for
ACME MARLS LTD.
Manufacturers of finest quality High Alumina
KILN BATS
KILN PROPS AND FITTINGS
Available throughout Australia
WOODROW AND PARTNERS PTY. LTD.
Our complete range of kilns
is distributed by Russell Cowan
Pty. Ltd.
For several years we have been
associated with Russell Cowan Pty.
Ltd. through the use of their Acme
Marls kiln furniture for our complete
range of kilns. Kiln owners
requiring service should still contact
us direct at
2 Waine Street, Harbord, N.S.W., 2096
Phone 93.1220
84

RUSSELL COWAN's
for
RUSSELL COWAN and WALKER CLAYS
GLAZES and FRITS
COLOURS, GOLD, LUSTRES
ACME MARLS KILN FURNITURE
ORTON CONES
WOODROW KILNS
PODMORE and DOALL WHEELS, PUGMILLS
and MIXERS
MODELLING TOOLS
BOOKS
all miscellaneous pottery supplies
RUSSELL COWAN PTY. LTD.
128-138 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, WAITARA NSW 2077
Telegrams: Russel/cowan Phone 47.0294
85

~ narek galleries canberra
Representing Australian Craftsmen Working In:
Pottery Silver Leather Glass
Weaving Furniture Batik Prints
23 Grey Street
Deakin A.CT.
Phone: 73 3374
Karen Beaver
POTTERY SUPPLIES
262 Given Terrace, Paddlngton, Brisbane, Queensland, 4064
• Clays-Local, Southern and English.
• Wheels-Craig, Fact, Shimpo and Venco.
• Kilns-Ward (Electric),
• Pugmills-Venco and Wengers.
• Glazes-Powdered and Brush-on,
Cowan, Cesco, Blythe, Ferro and Wengers.
• Minerals, tools, kiln furniture, bungs, taps etc.
China blanks and colours.
Distributor for-RUSSELL COWAN, WENGERS LTD. FACT WHEELS
Agent lor-ALEXANDER, BLYTHE, CESCO, CHINACRAFT
Phone: 36 3633
laburnum gallery
for
quality australian handcraft
ceramics
copper
graphics
jewellery
pewter
weaving
woodcraft
workshop
86
9a salisbury avenue
blackburn, 3130
phone: 8780842

WALKER CERAMICS
BORONIA RD., WANTIRNA, VIC. PHONE 729-4755
All Supplies:
The PUGMILL
74 Henley Beach
Road
Mile End
S.A. 5031
Tel. : 43 4544
Bulgins Potters
Shop
Shop 3
51 Arthur Street
Forestville, 2087
N.S.w.
Tel. : 451 5562
Clay Distributors
See Separate
P age for details
of Interstate
Distributors.
ALL POTIERY SUPPLIES
Clays and Bodies
Twenty three different bodies and casting slips
listed on separate page.
Catalogue on request.
GLAZES
FRIT
COLOURS
DECORATION -
COPPER
ENAMELS
MATERIALS
PUG MILLS
WHEELS
KILNS
Kiln Furniture -
SUNDRIES
- Full range Powder and Paint-on.
- Blythe, Cesco, Ferro, DeGussa,
Podmore, Leach, Walker.
- On Glaze, Under Glaze, In Glaze,
Body Stains: Blythe, Ferro.
Hanovia and Blythe. Matte and
Liquid Bright Golds, Lustres,
Lithographs.
- Schauer & Co. - Blythe.
- All Glaze and Body materials.
- Venco 3 models 100-400 Kg.hr.
- Hire or Sale. Venco, Tetlow,
Shimpo, Brent (U.S.A.), Fact
Pottery, Stoneware, Enamel,
Gas L.P., Town-Natural Gas.
Manufactured in six sizes.
Also custom built.
Build Your Own Kiln-plans and
all materials supplied.
Gas Equipment and Burners.
Pyrometric Equipment.
Electric Kilns-Tetlow.
Acme Marl Bats,
Props, Stilts, Saddles, etc.,
Cones-Orton.
- Tools-Corks-Taps-Tongs­
Kidneys-Seives, etc.
CERAMIC CABINET UNITS, Wedging Tables,
Sink Units. Made to Order or Standard.
BOOKS: Complete range from elementary to
technical.
ADVISORY SERVICE
87

WALKER CERAMICS
BORONIA RD., WANTIRNA, VIC. PHONE 729-4755
N.S.W. Agents:
Russell Cowan
Pty Ltd
12B-13B Pac ific
Highway Waitara
N.S.w. 2077
Tel. : 47 0294
Bulgins Potters
Shop
Shop 3
51 Arthur Street
Forestville, 20B7
N.S.w.
Tel.: 451 5562
S.A. Agent:
The PUGMILL
74 Henley Beach
Road
Mile End
SA 5031
W.A.Agent:
Meg Sheen
306-30B Hay
Street Subiaco
W.A.600B
Tel. : Bl B215
Nonporlte (W.A.)
6 Peel Street
O'Connor
W.A. 6163
Canberra Agent:
Torrens Pottery
and Craft
Supplies
53 Col bee Court
Ph illip, A.C.T.
2606
Tel.: B2 2929
The following types of clays and bodies are suitable for
general pottery work.
TERRA COTTA BLENDED CLAYS - Firing temperatures of
900-1060· C.
Throwing Terra Cotta. A medium texture plastic clay mixture
containing some fine grog suitable for textured throwing or
hand building.
Hand Building Terra Colta. A rougher texture plastic clay blend
containing more grog, suitable for hand building or tiles.
Fine Throwfng Terra Cotta. A very plastic smooth blend of
terra cotta clays. A filter pressed body very suitable for
throwing, turning and very fine work. Vitreous at 1060· C.
Fire from 950-1060· C for varying colour of terra cotta.
Manganese Blended Cley. A medium texture, plastic blend with
a manganese addition. Suitable for throwing or hand-building.
Firing temperature Is 1000· C to a maximum of 1060· C.
The colour will change from a light tan at 1000· C to a
deep chocolate coloured vitreous piece at 1060· C.
POTTERY CLAYS AND EARTHENWARE BODfES.
White Pottery Clay Blend. This Is a blend of clays designed
for easy throwing or hand building. It gives a fairly smooth
turned finish and Is ideal for almost every school or pottery
use. Fires to a cream colour from 1050-1100· C. Suggested
biscuit firing temperature of 950· C minimum.
White Modelling Clay. This Is a very plastic smooth body made
specifically for sculpture. Ideal firing temperature Is about
1100· C, when it fires to a cream coloured dense body.
Pink Earthenware Body. This Is a commercial body stained
to give a pink colour. It Is extremely smooth and Is designed
for easy throwing, modelling or casting. Biscuit or Glost firing
temperature at lOBO· C and Is satisfactory using a low biscuit
temperature of 950· C and a glost temperature of lOBO· C.
It will fire to a vitreous body at about 1150· C.
White Earthenware Body. This Is a commercial body '­
designed for jiggering, jolleying or casting. DeSigned for a
biscuit firing temperature of 1100· C and glost at 1060-
1080· C. Fires to a near white colour with a smooth finish.
NEW VITREOUS POTTERY BODY.
Ironstone. This is a commercial body stained to a buff
brown colour. It Is extremely smooth and designed for easy
throwing, turning, modelling or casting. Suggested firing
temperature 900-1000· C for biscuit and 1100· C for glosl.
This will give a vitreous light brown coloured body.
Raku. A reddish firing body for this special application.
This body can be fired at the usual Raku temperatures, but Is
also a good stoneware hand building clay at 1300· C.
Stoneware Clays and Bodies. Primarily for throwing but can
be used for fine hand building. ALL BODIES ARE
INTERMIXABLE AND WILL FIRE OXIDIZING OR REDUCING.
No. 2 Stoneware Body. This Is a butt grained body
designed for throwing or hand building with reasonable
texture. It has proved to be a most popular clay mix. Firing
temp. 1300-1350· C under oxidizing or reducing conditions.
88

WALKER CERAMICS
BORONIA RD., WANTIRNA, VIC. PHONE 729-4755
No. SA Stoneware Body. A cream body with ample tooth for
throwing and hand building. It Is still smooth enough to
give a smooth fina lip for beakers, etc. Fire to 1300' C.
No. 5B Stoneware Body. An exceptionally good clay for the
largest exhibition pots by hand building or throwing. It has
high green strength and no drying problems. Firing
temperature 1300' C reducing or oxidizing to a grained buff
grey colour.
No. 6 Stoneware Body. A very rich dark brown flecked body
at 1280-1300' C. Very good for partial glazed ware. It throws
very easily with plenty of tooth and grain. A maxi mum of
30 minutes reduction at 1290-1300' C (Cone 10) is all the
body needs.
No. 7 Stoneware Body. A very plastic, smooth, strong
throwing body, at 1260-1300' C. Fires to a grey colour with
dark specks. Under reduction a warm walnut brown with flecks.
No.8 Stoneware. A grey white with a buff grain coloured body
with excellent throwing qualities. Has more tooth tnan No.7,
fires 1280-1300' C to a smooth surface. Under reducing
conditions is a much darker buff grained grey colour.
No. 9 Stoneware. A superb throwing body firing to a rich
red brown colour under reducing conditions, or a deep
grained red buff under oxidizing conditions at 1280-1300' C
maximum.
No. 10 Stoneware. A white porcelain at 1280-1290' C. It Is
completely vitreous. As e body It is very smooth and suitable
for any sized work when a white body will assist good
glaze colour development. Easy to throw.
No. 12 Stoneware. A good throwing body especially
compounded to fire at 1240-1260' C, making It possible in
the common elactric kilns. The colour is a sandy brown and
the body is vitreous.
Hand Building Stoneware. Mixture very suitable for
hand building huge pots or tiles. It is stili quite plastic enough
to throw, If you can stand the roughness, to the biggest pot
you wish for. It does give an interesting iron blabbed buff
brown surface, which Is quite rough, when fired to
1250-1280' C. It Is very much used and enjoyed.
Dark Hand Building Stoneware. Same properties as the
cream hand building stoneware but stained with a small
percentage of manganese to fire to a deep chocolate
brown colour.
White Hand Building Stoneware. Fires to just off-white
colour. Excellent for glaze colours and does not develop
any specking.
CASTING SLIPS.
1. White Earthenware Body.
2. White Stoneware Body - for rapid casting - fires to 1280' C
to a completely vitreous piece.
These are similar to the previous descriptions but have
been slightly changed In composition for rapid casting.
89

Ceramic Art Supplies
20 CAWTHORNE STREET
THEBARTON
Telephone 439186
Specialists in supplies of material and equipment
for
CRAFT POTTERY
HOBBY CERAMICS
COPPER ENAMELLING
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR for
Thomas C. Thompson-Enamels USA * Wengers-Clay and Glazes UK *
Duncan Ceramic Products - Low Fire Glazes, Underglazes, Stains and
Casting Moulds USA * Kemper-Tools for Potters USA * Westwood
Ceramics-Clays USA * Cerami Corner-Ceramic Transfers USA.
WARD EQUIPMENT
NEW
Ceramic Art Supplies
introduces
HARRISON MAYER
HAVING BEEN APPOINTED AS ONE OF THEIR DISTRIBUTORS IN
AUSTRALIA, WE HAVE PLEASURE IN OFFERING A NEW RANGE OF
CLAYS
FRITTS
GLAZES * ACCESSORIES
FULL RANGE OF STAFFORDSHIRE CONES
CATALOGUES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Country and Interstate Orders welcomed
Wholesale Enquiries accepted
90

---- ~-- ~~. --~~~--------------------..,
POITERS EQUIPMENT
by DOALL
THE "DOALL" ELECTRIC
POTTERS' WHEEL
This sit-down model -loot operated
cone drive variable speed (0/200
r.p.m.) - with 12" diameter throwing
plate - lull length (high impact) Plastic
Tray - Rust resistant cabinet­
ON / OFF water proof switch - 240V
V4 hp motor with plug and lead lor
normal household power pOint.
Stand up models and Kick Wheels also available.
THE "DOALL" STUDIO
MODEL ELECTRIC POTTERS'
KILN
A top-loading Kiln with a capacity 01 60 Ibs.
Inside measurements 15" x IS" x 18" deep - The
lid can be raised to accommodate tall
pots - Temperature range to 1280· C on either
single or two phase power.
Sturdy metal frame with heat resista~t
cladding - Best quality K23 bricks with
Kanthal Wire elements, drawing 4.8 KW.
Drying rack on lid - Weight 135 Kg ~
" School" model as supplied to Old
Education Dept, also available.
THE "DOALL" l.P. GAS
POTTERS' KILN
A top-loading kiln with a capacity 01 4.8 cubic
It -Inside measurements 19V." x 19V." x 21 "
(approx). Best quality K23 bricks and
insulation - Economical single jet air controlled
" Venturi" burner, uses only 20 lb. to 30 Ibs.
gas per firing.
Temperature range to 1300· C - The lid
can be raised to accommodate tall pots­
Drying rack on lid, weighing only 155 Kg.
(Portable).
6 cubic It and 8 cubic It models available
on request.
Enquiries to Manufacturer - Doall Service Pty Ltd,
12-14 Nile Street, Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102 Phone 391 4467
Russell Cowan Ply Ltd. 128-138 Pacific Highway, Waitara, N.S.W. 2007
Phone 470294 (Distributor for wheels only.)
91

AUSTRALIAN MADE
tor the Australian Ceramic Industry
CESCO
• STAINS • CASTING SLIPS
• GLAZES • EARTHENWARE BODIES
• ENGOBES • STONEWARE BODIES
• TURNTABLES • RAW MATERIALS
• FRITS • TERRA COTTA BODIES
• CONES • KILN FURNITURE
• UNDERGLAZES • ONGLAZE COLOURS
CESCO "FLOW-RITE" BRUSH-ON GLAZES & OXIDES
Cadmium Red - Orange - Yellow 980°C - l060°C
POTTERS' WHEELS, PUGMILLS & KILNS
159-3191
CERAMIC SUPPLY COMPANY
6 1 LAKIMBA STREET, BELMORE
N.S.W .. 2192
759-1344
HI-TEMP KILNS
SALES, REPAIRS and REMOVALS
PUGMILLS, WHEELS
All enquiries to
CERAMIC SUPPLY CO
61 LAKEMBA ST
BELMORE
92

THE KRAUS POTTER'S WHEELS
ELECTRIC WHEEL
KICK WHEEL
• Y. h.p. resilient mounted motor
for quiet and smooth operation.
• Va riable speed; powerful drive at
all speeds. Speed locks at any
setting.
• All steel construction, finished
with Hammertone baked enamel.
• One piece fibreglass slip tray.
• Cast iron Wheel head, 9V2" diam.
machined true and grooved.
• 22" high, 19" wide, 40" long
weight 120 Ibs.
• Self-aligning fully-sealed ballraces
• Maintenance free.
• Adjustable seat for height.
• Cast iron Wheel Head, 9 Y2" diam.
machined true and grooved.
• Fly Wheel weighs 80 Ibs. well
balanced.
• 29" high, 30" wide, 34" long.
• Total weight 140 Ibs.
• A comfortable wheel, suitable for
tall and low pieces.
• NOW with moulded one-piece
fibreglass slip-tray.
Manufactured by:
BUZZA PRODUCTS
80 HOTHAM PARADE, ARTARMON, NSW 2064.
PHONE: 43-3806 BUS.
42-1928 PR IVATE
93

BEAVER GALLERIES
CANBERRA
Devoted exclusively to display and appreciation
of craftwork
Ph (062) 95 9803
Director: BETTY BEAVER
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday
10.30 am - 5 pm.
9 INVESTIGATOR STREET
RED HILL ACT 2603
BATIK
GLASS
POTTERY
WEAVING
SILVER
LEATHER
THE TALISMAN PORTABLE
ELECTRIC POTTERS WHEEL
Manufactured in New Zealand by The Talisman Potters Supplies Co. Ltd.
P.O. Box 36074 Northcote, Auckland 9 N.Z.
SPECIFICATIONS
* Y4 hp split phase balanced
motor.
* Ring-cone principal.
* Variable speed 10 rpm to
200+ rpm.
* Dual foot control.
* Throwing load 12 kg.
* 10" aluminium wheel head.
* Weight approx 30 kg.
• Low maintenance.
* Detachable fibreglass
bowl, wheelhead, pedals
and feet.
AUSTRALIAN AGENT
Potters' Society of Australia
48 Burton Street
Darlinghurst 2010
Phone 31 3151
94

POTTERS EQUIPMENT
14 Pin STREET RINGWOOD 3134
VICTORIA AUSTRALIA 8707533 7292857
Importers of ROBERT BRENT Corp. Pottery
Equipment.
Electronically controlled pottery wheels with D.C.
motors, having a speed range of 0-240 r.p.m.,
giving high torque at low speed and dispensing
with the conventional use of cone drive. Two
years' warranty on all wheels. These dependable,
powerful and vibration-free wheels are proving
most successful with Australian potters.
REMOVABLE PAN
REMOVABLE PAN
MODEL"
B, C,CX
MODEL A-V> h.p. 12 in. wheel head. Centres up
to 25 lb. of clay. Removable moulded splash pan.
Portable 40 lb. weight machine.
~ Removable pan model $320.26 + $38.56 tax
j . MODEL B-Y3 hp. 12 in. wheelhead. Centres up
to 25 lb. of clay. 100 lb. weight machine.
Removable pan model ... $411 .79 $49.42 tax
Fixed pan model
$473.15 + $55.74 tax
MODEL C-v. h.p. 12 in. wheel head. Centres up
to 50 lb. of clay. 120 lb. weight machine.
Removable pan model $463.89 $55.67 tax
Fixed pan model
$516.55 + $61.99 tax
MODEL CX-1 h.p. 14 in. wheelhead. Centres up
to 100 lb. of clay. 140 lb. weight machine.
Removable pan model .. .. $545.85 $65.46 tax
Fixed pan model
$606.49 + $71 .78 tax
KICK WHEEL KIT of wheelhead, shaft, bearings,
flanges, accessories and plans.
KICK WHEEL MOTOR ISING KIT. Motorises
K.W.K. using Y. h.p. A.C. motor.
HANDEXTRUDER of coils, tubes, handles, bars,
slabs, etc., for sculptural projects, coil and decorated
pots, etc.
SLAB ROLLERS - 22 in. and 36 in. wide hand
builders machine to roll clay to thicknesses from
Ya to 1 Y. in., handling up to 25 lb. of moist clay
in one pass.
ALUMINIUM BATS-12Y. in. diameter.
FIXED PAN
B,C, CX
Catalogues available on request.
Prices as of October, 1976.
95

LEACH POTTER'S WHEEL
Made in Australia by arrangement with the Leach Pottery,
St. Ives, Cornwall, U.K.
The Wheel made by Craftsmen for the discriminating Potter.
Timber construction -
Clear Flat Lacquer Finish
Epoxy tray 4Y2 ins. deep
10 inch dia. C.1. head
Adjustable leg action
Also Motor Wheels
from
J. H. WILSON
68a Christian Road
Punchbowl, N.S.W. 2196
Phone 750-8369
GENUINE PUGGOON CLAY
PUGGOON EXTRUDED CLAYS: " Prepared" bodies ready to use in 12.5 kg
plastic sealed packs. Range - red earthenware, buff middlefire, white
stoneware.
PUGGOON MILLED CLAYS: Airfloated to 200 mesh (or as required) in 31 kg
paper packs. Range: 4 clays (2 white, 1 buff, 1 terracotta). Also 1 clay
suitable for kiln furniture etc.
PUGGOON CRUDE CLAYS: Quarried raw clays in 50 kg jute bags or bulk
supplied. Range: 7 clays.
Sample packs of each group available from Gulgong only. $4.50 per pack, post paid.
For brochures, price lists, information, sample pack, or supplies, contact:
The Manager
PUGGOON KAOLIN CO.
P.O. Box 89
Gulgong, N.S.W., 2852
"The town on the $10.00 not. "
Telephone (063)
Tallawang 75-9611
96

DIAMOND CERAMIC SUPPLIES (N.S.W-l PTY. LTD.
for
POTTERS' EQUIPMENT AT THE RIGHT PRICE
ELECTRIC POTTERY WHEELS
LPG GAS KILNS
ELECTRIC KILNS
KICK WHEELS
PUG MILLS
KILN FURNITURE
RAW MATERIALS
CASTING SLIPS
FURNACE B/ LA YERS FOR HIRE
FIRING ON THE PREMISES
CERAMIC DECALS
BRUSH ON GLAZES
GLAZES & FRITS
KEMPER TOOLS & BRUSHES
PYROMETRIC CONES
BANDING WHEELS
REFRACTORIES
PYROMETRIC EQUIPMENT
GLAZE CALCULATORS
WENGERS' PRODUCTS
CLAY·
DIAMOND-BENDIGO-ENGLISH-N EW ZEALAND
BURNER & COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT
HIRE OF KICK & ELECTRIC WHEELS
12 BRIDGE STREET, RYDALMERE, N.S.W. 2116
638-3774 - 1138-5946
IA DIVISION OF ELLIS FURNACE & INCINERATOR CO. PTY. LTD.!
DISTRIBUTOR FOR KEMPER PRODUCTS
STANGAS POTTERY KILNS
to suit Professional and Home Potters and Schools.
Specialising in L.P. Gas firing for
flexibility and simplicity of operation.
No installation costs, economical to operate.
Capable of firing to Stoneware temperatures.
L.P.G. burner kits also available.
Now manufactured under license by
Ashwood Combustion Services
39 Yertchuk Avenue, Ashwood 3147
Telephone (03) 277 3879
97

ELECTRIC POTTERY KILNS
BIG KILNS
MEDIUM KILNS
LlTILE KILNS
STONEWARE FIRING SOLID FUEL REDUCTION
AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL CONTROL
HILLDAV INDUSTRIES
9 Vanessa Avenue, Baulkham Hills, NSW, 2153 Phone 639-2547
8 Orana Crescent. Peakhurst, NSW, 2210 Phone 53-6606
THE POTTER'S WHEEL
Neutral Bay
GALLERY
Pots and Ceramics by leading craftsmen
SCHOOL
Day and evening classes: all levels
MATERIALS
Clay, tools, glazes, wheels, brushes
Films and sl ides for hire
Ag ents for: Fulham Pottery (London)
Richard Brooks 5 Special Classes at The Potter's Wheel. 5 Weeks of
Specialised Classes between June 5th and July 3rd will be held for
12 Advanced Students who have or intend to set up a small Workshop.
The Programme will include Workshop Production and Techniques
with emphasis placed on the Design of Domestic Ware. Also included
will be tool making and a limited amount of hand-building, with
the final week being spent on Decoration and Glazing.
Fee: $55.00 for 5 weeks 12.00 to 5.00 p.m.
Dates: Sats. June 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, and July 3rd.
Applications to
The Potters' Wheel Pty. Ltd. 27A Grosvenor St. Neutral Bay
NSW 2089. Tel: 9093583
98

THE DEFINITIVE BOOK BY ONE OF THIS CENTURY'S MOST
CELEBRATED POTTERS
BERNARD LEACH
author of A Potter's Book
This lavishly illustrated book is a
testament to the many centuries
tradition of beautiful pottery.
It not only expresses the summation
of Bernard Leach's philosophy
as developed over fifty years, but
also gives an intensely practical
guide for the contemporary potterwhether
beginner or commercial
craftsman-to the many techniques
available in this simplest yet most
sophisticated art form.
$10.30·
BcmaRII.eadl
THE POTTEJrS
CHALLENGE
also available
THE AMATEUR POTTER
Ron Warri ng
The author sets out in
practical language, the basic
rules and practices which need
to be grasped in order to exploit
the full potential of clay.
The emphasis throughout is on
providing detailed and easily
followed instructions that will
enable the reader to create a
variety of attractive and practical
objects with the minimum of tools.
$3.75 p/ b $6.65 * bound
AVAILABLE FROM YOUR
BOOKSHOP
POTWORKS:
A FIRST BOOK OF CLAY
Billie Lu isi
POTWORKS is the first book of its
kind, a simple thorough
introduction to the technicalities
of potting. Suitable for both the
absolute beginner and the
potter with some experience,
it assumes a genuine desire to pot
and a lack of funds and/or access
to schools, classes and
workshops. There are separate
chapters on kilns, clay, workshops,
glazing and working at the
wheel. In addition the book
contains a valuable glossary
and bibliography.
$8.70·
HUTCHINSON GROUP (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LTD.
P.O. Box 31, Richmond South Vic. 3121
P.O. Box 151, Broadway N.S.W. 2007
' recommended retail prices
99

Capacity 6 cwt per
hour % horsepower
single phase motor
with overload
protection. Complete
ready for use.
Price: $995.00 (Aust.
curr.) ex works.
P.O. Box 51 -032,
Auckland.
Phone 596-603, New
Zealand.
CODES MARK 4
DE-AIRING
PUG-MILL
MATERIALS AND ACCESSORIES
FOR POTTERS AND OTHER
CRAFTSMEN
Phone 82 2919
• POTTERY
• RUGMAKING
• SPINNING
• WEAVING
• SCREEN PRINTING
• ARTISTS' MATERIALS
• MACRAME
• ENAMELLING
• CHINA PAINTING
• NEEDLEWORK
• LEATHERWORK
• CLASSES & WHEEL HIRE
Torrens Pottery
and Craft Supplies
53 COLBEE COURT, PHILLIP, A.C.T.
and OATLEY COURT, BELCONNEN, A.C.T.
Canberra Agents:
TALISMAN AND
COWLEY
POTTERS' WHEELS
100

L-E-C
POTIERS' EQUIPMENT
74 WILSON STREET, NEWTOWN, NSW 2042
519-2921
UPRIGHT ELECTRIC MODEL
Featuring Tubular Steel
Construction
Adjustable Height Seat
Fibre Glass Slip Tray with Drain
Hose
V3 h.p. Motor Cone Drive
Vari able Speed 0 to 250 r.p.m.
12" Aluminium Wheel Head
LOW-DOWN ELECTRIC MODEL
Heavy Gauge Steel Construction
V3 h.p. Motor Cone Drive
Variable Speed 0 to 250 r.p.m.
Fibre Glass Slip Tray with Drain
Hose
Adjustable Height
and Removable Seat
12" Aluminium Wheel Head
NOTE: BOTH MODELS AVAILABLE WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROLLED
MOTORS ARE RING CONE FREE
101

BENDIGO POTIERY
prepared clays
STONEWARE - EARTHEN OVENPROOF
- WHITE EARTHENWARE
(packed In 28 Ib (approx.) plastic bagged blocks)
Write or phone for prompt assistance with prices,
technical details, transport arrangements.
We despatch Australia wide.
We invite you to visit Australia's Oldest Pottery
Workshop to experience the craft being carried
out much as it was during the late 1800's.
BENDIGO POTTERY P.O. BOX 666 EPSOM VIC 3551. (STD 054 484404)
DESIGNED & BUILT IN AUSTRALIA FOR ART POTTERS & HOBBYISTS
•
•
The Revolutionary
Ultra Light-weight
Gas-fired
Stoneware Kiln
For specifications and brochure of the whole range, contact
PORT-O-KILN, 12 AIRUE AVE, DANDENONG, VIC. 3175 Ph.: (03) 7916918
102

SANDY
ELECTRIC POTTERS WHEEL
Infinitely variable speed between 20 and 200 r.p.m.
with full torque in this range.
Bench models also available.
Foot control can be moved to allow comfortable
working position.
FOR SALE AND HIRE
DEANQUIP SALES PTY LTD
295 Springfield Road, Nunawadlng, Vic., 3131
Telephone: 877·1113
INTERSTATE SYDNEY 88·4471 BRISBANE 379-8706
ADELAIDE 223-6355 PERTH 61-7722
Agents wanted Tasmania and Northern Territory
Also available: Enamelling Kilns, Modellers, Turntables
103

NEW SUB S C RIP T ION Application Form
Pottery in Australia
48 BURTON STREET
DARLINGHURST NSW 2010
Annual Subscription $A5
(including postage)
Two issues per annum
Name (block letters)
Mr .lMrs.lMiss
Street
Town . . State .
Subscription to commence with Issue No . .
. Postcode
(Cheques, Money Orders and Postal Notes should be made payable to
PoUery in Amuralia. Stamps are not acceptableJ
Notice to Subscribers
POl/ery in A us/ralia is published twice annually, in Spring and Autumn. The annual subscrip·
tion is SA5, including postage. Renewal notices will be sent when due. These are stamped
"Subscriptions now due". No further issues will be forwarded until new subscription is
received. New subscription application form printed at the back of the magazine to help NEW
subscribers. When forwarding subscriptions, if not using printed form, please advise name,
full address and date, in BLOCK LETTERS. State which issue required when commencing subscription.
Please address aU correspondence to:
The Editor, 48 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, 2010.
All material published in Pol/ery in A us/ralia is the copyright of the Potters' Society of Aus·
tralia. Requests for permission to reprint must be made to the Editor.
No responsibility is accepted by POl/ery in Australia for the content of articles nor for claims
made by advertisers.
Ad.ertislng Rates: Full page $65
Half page $35
One third page $25
Plus block and setting costs
Articles and photographs for inclusion in
Ponery in A us/ralia should reach the Editor
by 15th March for the Autumn issue and
15th August for the Spring issue, for selec·
tion by the Editorial Committee.
MEMBERSHIP of the Potters' Society of Australia is ofTered in three categories:
(I) Exhibiting members are selected on submission of examples of recent work and/or
slides and photographs to the membership committee. Annual subscription, $15.
(2) Student members- full·time students or apprentices. Annual subscription, $5.
(3) Associate membership-

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