Pottery In Australia Vol 38 No 2 June 1999

E 

irion Calendar 

.JUNE 

.. UNE-1 AUGUST 

Treasures from the National 

Museum, Jakarta 

Art Gallery of NSW 

Sydney 

.. UNE-8 AUGUST 

Emerging artists from the 

University of Western Sydney from 

the last 5 years 

Le\~~[~~gi

E .... ~ition Calendar 

SEPTEMBER 

1·2& SEPTEMBER 

Sheila Myers & Janette Loughrey 

Inner City Clayworkers Gallery 

Glebe, Sydney 

~16 SEPTEMBER 

Walter·Auer 

Mtifa Clay G:m~ ry 

N~own. Sydrtty 

~:~:'. 

~~~~~;::;'~;:~1 .. 

N (>nhcote Pot,ii& ~li~'iY··'''··'''w. 

~, .'.;, ~~ ." 

Tilprnbury, M elp

This machine can be used for 

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Platters * Plates * Bowls 

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Garden Furniture, such as Bonzai 

dishes in stoneware, 

earthernware and terracotta. 

This machine is capable of 

making floor and bathrooln wall tiles, 

and particularly good for edging 

tiles, border and edging tiles for 

bathrooms, special shapes for 

tile work 

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Complete with masters in rubber and assorted die making 

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This machine can make 400 pieces per hour plus or minus 

dependant on the type of article and the material used. 

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*' Die and mould making instructions are available free of charge. 

*' We will come to site and instruct you how to operate the machine 

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R.G.W. HOLDINGS pty. Ltd. 

52 Geddes Street, Mulgrave, Vic 3170 

Phone: (03) 9561 8972, (03) 9561 9034, Fax: (03) 9561 9034, 

Mobile: 0412314377, Private: (03) 9576 9118

D National Showcase 

SPECIAL FOCUS: GRADUATE STUDENTS AND TECHNICAL UPDATE 

II Pictorial Survey 

Graduate student wOlk from T AFE Colleges 

and UnOiSfsities around Auslralkl. 

EDUCATION 

m Figures in a Landscape 

WOIk by Majorie LSf1ehan, Vipoo SlMlasa 

and Heather Creet, post graduate students 

rrom the Ceramics Studkl, UnNersity of 

ED Hooked on Sidge Tasmania, Hobart. Article by Pemy Smith. 

Mindy Maggkl, 3rd Year Diploma, Sutherland m Dragon Wall Mural, Bendigo 

College, Gyrnea Campus shares her 

Australia's first 'Dragon Wall' has been 

r!J!] 

resoorch on tSfrasigiliata. 

Hot Romance 

A 'romantic' kiln building project by students 

rrom the Usmore Campus of the North Coast 

Institute of TAFE. Article by John Stewart, 

Head of CSfamics. 

m Mid-Range Woodfiring 

Exploring the concept and potential of 

Anagarna style woodfiring of tenaootta type 

bodies to mid·range te

Nearly National Conference time in Penh, July 4-8, 

(only about nine more sleeps by the time you get 

this!). [ usually return from these events with 

complete information overload but with the batteries 

recharged and a mind full of new ideas and directions. It 

sounds like the Perth ceramic community are planning a 

real party for delegates - I'm sure it will be an 

unforgettable experience. 

The Conference is also a woncerful place for me to put 

names to faces and to catch up with those J don't know 

who support our magazine as readers or contributors. Do 

say hello - I love to get feed back and ideas - it can only 

make the magazine more relevant and useful. The Potters' 

Society of Australia (which publishes this magazine) will 

have several representatives at the Conference including 

PreSident, Narelle Derwent. You can meet her on our 

stand in the trade area and find out more about the 

Society or just have a chat. 

The Society has recently had a business consultant 

looking at our figures and plans to make sure we are on 

track to sustain this magazine well past the year 2000. 

Things get a little scary these days on the business side 

when you hear about the closing (after 40 years) of NZ 

Potter and the Canadian ceramic magazine, Contact. There 

is no doubt things are getting tougher economincally 

everywhere and the effects of our GST are yet to be felt. 

However, we remain confident that with support from 

readers and advertisers we can continue to bring you a 

magazine that fulfills a unique and important role for 

Australian ceramic artists and all those interested in 

ceramics. It is their primary voice, their commurtication with 

galleries, new business opportunities, collectors and c1ienl~ 

and with each other. But it needs everyone's active support 

to lnaintain current standards of production. Make it a part 

of your professional practice to subscribe to the magazine 

or become a member of the Potters' Society of Australia and 

Greg Crowe & 

Dianne 

McCusker mid 

way through 

construction 

of their kiln, 

April 1998. 

also receive a monthly newsletter full of information. 

The Society has two important ceramic exhibitions 

planned. The rust 'The Generous Vessel' is at Custom's 

House, December-January 2000 and is curated by Virginia 

Hollister. The second is at Manly Art Gallery and Musewn 

in November 2000. Curators Marian Howell and Helen 

Engel are already making plans, so 'stay tuned'. 

Once again an apology for an editorial mistake. To 

Dianne McCusker who was wrongly named (Issue 38/ 1) 

in the caption for the above picture. I am sorry. Greg 

Crowe has rung to say that he and Dianne had their first 

firing last month and were very pleased with the resul15. 

Probably no firing again will put them under such 

pressure as this important first one' However, their 

creative journey with the kiln has just begun and I can 

imagaine their excitement at taking this important second 

step. Congratulations to them and all the helpers who 

made it happen. I look forward to seeing some of the 

pots 'in the flesh ' when in Penh. 

This issue includes some technical research from 

Universities and TAPE Colleges - I'm sure you'll find much 

S 

useful infonnation you can take to your own work. Thanks 

10 all the students and teachers who helped organise, 

research and write the articles. To 

share infonnation is an important part 

of learning and strengthens our ""l.....- 

ceramic community. ll1ank you. 

2 POTIERY tN A usrRAUA + 38/ 1 MARCH 1999

ANU Canberra School 

of Art. 

Above: Cathie Graham, 

'Landscape Bowls'. 

Temoku and copper red. 

5 x 2Ocm. 

Top right: Arabelle 

Andrada. 

Wall mural (detail). Glazed 

ceramic fired stoneware. 

Single tile 9 x 9cm. 

Boltom right: Maiju 

Woodhead. 

Interface (detail). 

Ceramic, grass. 

6.5 x 6.5 x 48cm each. 

6 POnERY IN AUSTRAlIA + ISSUE 3an JUNE 1999

ANU Canberra 

School of Art. 

Left: Clara Witter, 

Figure. 

Below: Leonie 

Woodruff, 

'Vertigo l' (detail), 

Earthenware with 

terra sigiliata, 

45 x 40 x 2Ocm, 

Bottom: Anna 

Gianakis, 

'Group of Bowls'. 

Stoneware, vinyl 

Stencil and oxide 

decoration. 

3812 JUNE 1999 + POTTERY IN AusTIWJA 7

8 POnERY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999 

Barrier Reef Tafe 

Pimlico Campus. 

Left: Sam Hullick, 

'Ufe Form III'. 

Saggar fired 

(photo: Justin Hunter). 

24 x 25cm.

Brisbane Institute 

ofTAFE 

Top: Wendy Meyers, 

'Time - An Even Briefer 

History'. Earthenware, 

smoked. SOcm. 

Right: Nicole McBride. 

Earthenware slab form. 

2Scm. 

Bendigo Regional 

Institute of T AFE 

Far left: Rebekah 

Hughes. 

Decorative lidded box. 

Salt-glazed, Anagama 

fired. 20 x 3Ocm. 

Middle left: Daniel Wall. 

Carved pod form. 

Saggar fired, wood fired 

form using local Huntiy 

Dam developed terra 

sigilatta slips. h30cm. 

Left: Su Hanna, 'Temple 

Dog'. 

Celadon glazed, 

Anagama fired . hlScm. 

Photos by Bob 

Aulesbrook. 

3an JUNE 1999 + POTTERY IN AU5TRAlJA 9

Coffs Harbour T AFE 

Left: Deborah Kay, 

'Pears'. Lino cut printed 

earthenware. 28cm x 27cm. 

Coffs Harbour. 

Photos by LA Photography. 

Coffs Harbour TAFE 

Top: Cate Edwards, 

'House'. 

Slab built , coloured 

slips, e/w glaze. h47cm. 

Above: Sandra Price, 

'Blossom Jar'. 

Wheelthrown, woodfired 

SIW. h2Ocm. 

Cambelltown TAFE 

Left: Joo Hee Park. 

10 POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

Campbelltown TAFE Above: Karen Solomon. Below right: Fulvia Severino. 

Chisolm Institute Below left: Lorraine Sproul, carved platter. d39cm. 

3812 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA 11

Eastem TAFE 

Campus, Westem 

Australia 

Top right: 

Robyn Carter, 

'Lidded Vessels'. 

Stoneware, shinotype 

glaze. Larger 

vessel h14cm. 

Above: Lydia Uhl, 

jewellery boxes. 

Stoneware. Black 

underglaze and matt 

gold lustre. 

S x5 x 7 x 4cm. 

Curtin University 

Right: Alexandra 

Devitt. 'Gossip'. 

12 POmRY IN A USTRAUA + ISSUE 38/2 JUNE 1999

Curtin University 

Above: 

Maree Mack. 

'Holy Pot'. 18cm. 

Top right: 

Warrick Palmateer, 

plates. 

Bottom right: 

Del Harrow, 

'Untitled' . 

3812IUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA 13

Goulbum TAFE 

Left: Christiane Goder. 

HomsbyTAFE 

Below: Terry Tang. 

Earthenware, dry glaze. 

Holmesglen Institute 

ofTAFE 

Bottom: Danny T ran, 

Stoneware, glazed and 

lustre. 

14 POmRY IN AUSffiAlJA + ISSUE 3an JUNE 1999

HomsbyTAFE 

Above: Pamela Bymes. 

Earthenware, oxides and 

dry glaze. 

Right: Young-Hye Kim. 

Carved celadon vessels, 

stoneware. 

Bottom right: Umran 

Attanasio. 

Stoneware, reduced 

magnesium matt glazes. 

lBnJUNE 1999 + POITERY IN AUSTRAlJA 15

Hunter Institute of TAFE. 

Singleton 

Left: Diana Young. 

Tableware, Scraffitto. 

Right (opposite): Claire 

Butler, 

'Armour'. s/w Dry glazes. 

65x4Ocm. 

Far right (opposite): 

Maree Shaw, 

'Casket I' box and 

'Mystery' Teapot. S/W dry 

glaze. 30 x 14cm. 

(Photos Sue Stewart.) 

Hunter Institute of TAFE. 

Newcastle 

Below left: Winnie Webber, 

'Thermal Shock'. 

Earthenware and perlite 

bodies; monoprints, dry 

glazes. 77 x 29cm. 

Below: Frances Burgess 

'Veronica'. Thrown and 

handbuilt terracotta 

coloured slips, clear glaze. 

55 x d45cm. 

Below right (opposite): 

Annaka McLaughlin, 'The 

Owl and the Pussycat': It 

Just Doesn't Work With 

Cats and Dogs'. e/w, 

stains, mixed media. 

L18xh8x6cm. 

16 POmRY IN AUSTRAlJA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POmRY IN AusTRAUA 17

La Trobe University, 

Bendigo 

Left: Oliver Grimus. 

'Lidded Containers'. 

Hand built, raku fired. 

h18cm, h40cm. 

Far left: Andrew Allen. 

Vase. Anagama fired. 

Multi-fired multiglazed, 

layered glaze and ash. 

h2Ocm. 

Lismore TAFE 

Below: Gabrielle 

Rathrnanner, 

'Bowl Series'. 

Porcelain, decales, 

underglazes. h9cm. 

Opposite top: Mama Khol, 

'Memorial'. 

Press moulded units with 

applied slips and stains, 

1150"C. hl6Ocm. 

Opposite bottom: Aine, 

'Vessel for the Last Water'. 

Unglazed, 1150·C. h30cm. 

18 POTTERY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 38/2 JUNE 1999

3812JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AusTRAlIA 19

Monash University, 

Gippsland Centre for 

Art and Design 

Top left: Ray Cavill, 

'SS Flight Recorder'. 

Carbon trap glaze. 

1 OOhr woodlire. 

16x 13cm 

Top right: Judy Pierce. 

'Figures in a landscape 

- a fragile Partnership '. 

Paper, porcelain. 

12 panels, steel and 

perspex. 

1.6x 2m 

Sottom left: David 

Stuchbery, MA. 

'Vases'. 

Celadon glaze over 

applied slip. 40cm 

Sottom right: 

Ian Jones. 

Anagama fired jar. 

(Photo Cathy 

Laudenbach.) 

60cm 

20 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + ISSUE 38/2 JUNE 1999

Moss vale TAFE 

Left: Michelle 

Turner. 

Press moulded 

dry glaze. 

66 x 28 x 21cm 

Far left: Betty 

Bray, 

Sculpture. S/W 

press moulded 

dry glaze. 

Below: Penny 

Hoskins. 

Slip cast 

earthenware. 

Slip trailing and 

underglaze. 

h7.5 x w13.5cm. 

JllI2jUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAlJA 21

Clockwise from l op left: 

NepeanTAFE 

Robert Nichols, 

'Uzards'. 

Cert 1 in Aboriginal Arts 

and Cultural Practices. 

35cm. 

National Art School 

Kwi-Rak Choung. 

Woodfire vessel. 25cm. 

Hon-Kong So. Sagger 

fired vessel and slone. 

h35xw45cm. 

Denise Bliss, 

'The General'. 16cm. 

22 POlTERY IN AUSTRAlIA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

NepeanTAFE 

Top left: Judith 

Paddison, 

storage jar. Carved, 

sprigged, oxidised 

1210"C. 

34 x 27cm. 

National Art School 

Bottom left: Kelly 

Sullivan, 

'Fragments 4'. 

48x54cm. 

Below: Hye-Sun Jin. 

Sagger fired vessel. 

32cm. 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POnERY IN AUSTRALIA 23

Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE 

Left: Stephanie Boccia. Handbuilt, 850"C oxidation. h35cm. 

Northern Metropolitan TAFE, Carine WA 

Above: Leanna Taylor, woodfired forms. 

Shino glaze with ash deposits. 

Northern Beaches TAFE. Brookvale Campus 

RighI: Jeanne Heydenrych, 'Animal Totem'. 

24 POTTERY IN AlJSTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

NORTHERN BEACHES 

TAFE, 

BROOKVALE CAMPUS 

NORTHERN 

MELBOURNE 

INSTITUTE OF TAFE 

NORTHERN 

METROPOLITAN 

TAFE, CARINE, WA 

Northern Melbourne Institute 01 TAFE 

Left: Gail McKenzie. 1280"C oxidation. h9 x wl6cm. 

Northern Beaches TAFE, Brookvale Campus 

Left: Ashley Critchley, 'Renaissance Revisted'. 

Above: Carolyn Long, 'Torso'. 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAlIA 25

Southbank TAFE 

Top left: Jenny McAdam. 

Slip and lustre decoration, 

1220°C. h30cm. 

Top right: Grant Hodges, 

'Lend an Ear' teasel. 

Anagama fired porcelain. 

h15cm. 

Bottom right: Kathy Raishbrook, 

'Coral'. Acrylic and oil on 

ceramic, wire and cotton 

additions. 

Bottom left: Kate Nothling, 

'Eve'. Earthenware. h39cm. 

26 POTIERY IN A USTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

RM IT 

Above: 

Shannon McCarthy. 

Untitled. Porcelain. 

h35xw3Ocm. 

Right: Sophie 

Thomas, (Hnrs). 

vessel, s/w, thrown 

and distorted. 

h15 x 12.5cm. 


Sutherland TAFE, 

Gymea 

Right: Katherine 

Leedham. 

Teaset, earthenware. 

Opposite - clockwise 

from top left: 

Katherine St Guillaume 

Dianne Burling 

Katherine Leedham 

Sydney College of the 

Arts, Sydney University 

Far right: Anne 

Cudworth, 'Palimpsest 

of Memory'. (detail). 

Clay tablets - ash eyes; 

Scrolls - paper clay with 

fired newspaper. (Photo 

Penelope Clay.) 

Right: Susan O'Niell. 

Porcelain, white glaze, 

reduction fired . 

20 x 35cm. 

Below: Julie 

Bartholomew, MVA 

'Spinning the Avatar'. 

Revol ving Ceramic form 

and digital imagery. 

28 POmRY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

53811 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTfWJA 29

University of Ballarat, 5MB Campus 

Above: Undy Sparrow, inlay beakers. 

Porcelaineous stoneware. h10em. 

Right: Joshua Pike, head. Earthenware. 50cm 

University of Ballarat, Mt Helen Campus 

Below: Margaux Storey, woodfired vessels. 

19 - 27cm. 

Opposite middle: Ewan McDonald, 

'Peter Unleashed'. Handbuilt e/w. 4Ocm. 

Opposite top: Paul Wheeler, 

blossom jar. Anagama fired. 38 x 4Ocm. 

Opposite bottom: Barry Wemyss, 

wall plate. Woodfired. 45 x 24cm. 

30 POTTERY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

J8njUNE 1999 + POmRY IN A USTRAUA 31

University of 

Western Sydney, 

Macarthur 

Top: Dean SI. Baker, 

'Sensual Construction'. 

Glaze, oxides. 47cm. 

Above: Lynn Wong, 

'Unity'. 

Underglaze. 

Right: Elsa Jara, 'The 

Awakening'. terracotta 

and special clay. 

32 POTIERY IN AUSTRAlJA + ISSUE 3812 JUNE 1999

University of Tasmania, Hobart 

Above: Marjorie Lenehan. 

Detail of group of reduction soda 

fired S/W thrown bottles. 

h35·40mm. 

Top: Vipoo Srivilasa. 

Press moulded, e/w bottle form, dry 

glazed. h35Omm. 

Right: Heather Creet. 

Rolled and formed slab figures of 

S/W paperclay, terrasigilata slips and 

copper oxide washes. h35O-400mm. 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTTERY IN AUSTRAUA 33

WA Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan 

University 

Clockwise from top right: 

Cliff Hughes, 'Put Yourself in my Place'. 

Bricks, wood, metal. 

Vivienne Utson, 'The Earth Dwellers'. 

BRT clay, terrasigillata. 100 x 67 x 5Ocm. 

Leon Slattery, 'Warrior'. Clay. 40cm x 3Ocm. 

Katrina Merrells, 'Calvary'. 

Railway sleepers, clay, metal. 

(Photo Peter McMullen.) w216 x h21 0 x d1 1.5cm. 

34 POTIERY IN A USTRALIA + ISSUE 38/2 JUNE 1999

Western Australian School of Art, Design and 

Media 

Above: Christina Stadler, 'Grounded'. 

Earthenware, dry glazes. 4Ocm. 

Right: Christopher Warne, 

sculptural form. Slips, stains, dry glaze and 

CuC0 3· 

Below: Lee Hooper, 'Blue Reef'. 

High-fire stoneware. 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTTERY IN AUSTlW.IA 35

In 1972 I made the acquaintance of Ian Smith who had 

been contracted to Perth Technical College 10 revamp 

the Ceramic department within the Graphics area. This 

meeting changed my life - I dropped out of academia 

and pursued an idea which became a fa scination and 

now a career. 

Ian Smith, who provided the impetus of change within 

WA ceramics was self taught and a contemporary of 

-Milton Moon who at the time was lecturing and was 

Head of Ceramics in South Australia. Ian was very much 

an intellectual and conceptualist in his practice which 

challenged traditional craft notions and bought a more 

sculptural focus in the direction of the craft applica tion. 

The new department had minimal equipment and no 

money, so my fi rst yea r's training was spent scouring 

scrap metal yards and industrial sites in search of bricks 

and recycled equ ipment. All kilns had to be buill from 

scratch, which proved one of the best training grou nds 

anyone could have. 

In association with lan 's 

enthusiasm at PiC was an 

exce llent chemist, lecturer and 

main Slay of the ceramic industry 

in WA , Mike Kusnik - a well 

kn own cont ribu tor to th ese 

pages. I feel that the West 

Australian ceramic commu nity 

owes Mike a great deal of 

gratitude as a benevolent and 

generous troubleshooter to this 

sometimes mystical medium. 

Although very young, idealistiC, 

and lacking in enthusiasm for 

chemi try, I managed to pick up 

basic fonnulae in clay and glaze 

tech nology . From this an 

empirical life of testing has taken place. Finding time to 

research is an extremely important area of any ceramist's 

development, an 'Ue'd that needs careful assessment and 

mapping, a stage which can easily be neglected. 

Perth Ulen had the Australian Fine China Company and 

plenty of tile and pipe companies, but no ceramic arts 

related activities. Textile and jewellery were gaining 

momentum from the imput of people like Rinska and Eric 

Carr, but ceramics seemed to be lagging well behind the 

eastern states. Twenty five years hence this state hosts a 

number of ceramic craftspeople, many part time and full 

time practitioners. 

I've now been a full lime polter for twenty years 

producing tablewa re in various styles. My first pieces 

were produced in wood kilns for which I've had a 

fascination that took me to Japan in 1979. Isolation in the 

south west comer of Australia has given me the feeling of 

being a pioneer, mostly unable to ask for advice on many 

mailers, dealing with frustrations and the unknown of 

hardwood timbers and th eir requirements for 

combustion. Bernard leach's 'Polters Book', a well 

known bible, proved helpful as a starting pOint, but 

generally inadequate for speci fics such as grate areas and 

inducti ons of draughts. Experience has shown thai 

burning local timber takes alot longer to release its heat, 

thus requiring large ar(!"dS in which to combusl. 

By 1979 I wanted to move away from iron and darker 

glazes into lighter and more colourful ware. This meam 

no more of the heavy reduction which suited my kiln so 

well. I embarked on a five months study tour of Japan's 

e'dst and west coasts looking specifically at oborigama 

kiln design used for production of oxidised pollery. After 

returning from Japan, the next few years were spent 

building a 4 chambered kiln in the sryle of himoaka's in 

Mashiko. From this I produced 

a psuedo Bizen style ware with 

flame and ash fl ashing whilst 

experim enting with white 

slipware. 

However, by 1984 a decision 

was needed on whether to 

import liiln furniture at great 

expense for the 4 chambered 

kiln or move away from the 

luxury of wood to the 

commercial reality of lP gas 

fibre kilns - the laller won. 

" Finding time to research 

is an extremely important 

area of any ceramist's 

development. " Still fascinated wi th 

whiteware and high colou r 

decoration , the last 15 yea rs 

I've been producing a tin 

glazed SlOnewa re, maiolica 

style which is far more durable th an its ea rthenware 

original. It is interesting to see the developments that 

have occurred in slOneware/ porcelai n glaze colour 

pigments with a large range of brighter and more stable 

colours now being available. 

After 10 years of selling my work to gift/kitchenware 

shops on a wholesale basis and on commission to 

galleries throughout Australia, I felt the need to change 

direction. At present my production consists of 12 

ongoing ranges of hand thrown tableware with between 

30-40 items in each range. I've only been able 10 achieve 

this diversity by selling direct to the public from my 

studio /gallery in Denmark, a fast growing coastal tourist 

town of great beauty and diverSity. 00 

Jonathan Hook, PO Box 673, Denmark, WA 6333. Ph: 08 9841 1944 . 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTTERY IN A USTRAUA 37

PROFI LE 

Amanda She Is her 

'I use my sculptural figures to live out my own personal joumeys, thoughts and real life experiences.' 

Above: 'Earthbound'. 

Earthemware. 

42x20x20cm. 

Opposite: 'Mere Mortals'. 

Earthenware. 

79x32x3Ocm. 

My relationship with clay began when I was eight 

years old. My mother decided to throw working 

with textiles and bega n to study ceramics at 

T AFE. I clearly remember witnessing my father's garage 

and our laundry transform into makes hift studios. I 

watched in awe as the walls became splanered with slip 

as my mother spent hours at the wheel. To keep her 

company I was introduced to various lumps of clay and 

happily handmodelled them into figures and animals of 

every size and type. [ began exploring the medium 

without fear of failure. To this day some twenty years on, 

I feel I am vety much still playing and exploring. 

My childhood fascination of flying and travel is still a 

constant source of inspiration in my work. nle recurring 

characters such as my 'earthbound' winged femal es, 

voyager boalS, travelling kombies and enomlOUS footed 

'mere mortals' are just some of the many figures that have 

38 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + 38/2 JUNE '9'19

evolved over the past eight years. 

The guidance in those early years on the basic nIles of 

working with clay and glazes has now allowed me to 

work in a very instinctive, intuitive state and I feel I am 

my most comfortable with a hall of clay in my hands. 

It was a natural progression after leaving school 10 

begin studying in 1989 for a Bachelor of Ans, Visual Ans 

Degree at Curtin University. One of my many experiences 

was to assist Sandra Black for a short time helping her 

with glazing and her then current projects. The 

opportunity was a marvellous experience. Later in 1991 I 

went on to to complete a Graduate Diploma of Education 

qualifying me to teach art 10 high school students. 

InOuences whilst at University ranged from Robert 

Amason's ceramic busts to Viola Frey's giant figures. I 

was also greatly innuenced by my travels to Europe. It 

was there I became uuely fascinated by the attention to 

detail of the renaissance works and the maganificent 

angels in the European churches. 

ln 1993 I grew my own wings and embarked on a 

three year journey around the globe. Pottery and textiles 

were colleaed from western and eastern Europe, Middle 

East and Africa and all provide me with constant 

inspiration to make. 

Returning to Perth in 1996 I went back 10 teaching art 

and started working IOwards my first solo exhibition. I 

had a desire to make pieces that reflected th e 

experiences and characters that had impacted on my 

partner and I throughout our trip. Pieces soon emerged 

as lifesize figures. I enjoyed modelling the intricate 

features using coarse white earthenware clays to obtain 

bright garish colours. 

After the exhibition I set my sights on creating a 

diverse range of smaller figurative works. All the time 

trying to juggle making work and a teaching career. I 

began exhibiting at Craftwest Gallery, the Fremantle Ans 

Centre and other regional galleries in WA. 

Work by Jill Crowley, Alison Britton, the Barrett-Danes 

and Lucy Rie, to name but a few inspired me to reassess 

my future goals and at the end of 1998 I decided to quit 

art teaching and work full time as a sculptural ceramis!. 

In February 1999 I held my second solo exhibition 

entitled 'Earthbound' at the Moores Building. I moved in 

a new direction with my figures and developed thirty or 

so 'mere mortals'. Characters tllat stood anchored to the 

earth by their enormous feet. These new works were an 

exaggeration of my own hopes and desires to travel and 

be free. However, they were incapacitated by their own 

feet. They accepted their limitation for the moment, 

content to dream and hope. 

The exhibition took four months of solid preparation 

and during that time we moved house and I installed my 

first kiln - pure luxury! 

Each figure was individually handbuilt using a mixture 

of earthenware clays. Stains and slips provided the 

diversity of colours required. I use a combination of slab 

and coil and particularly look forward to modelling the 

feet, hands and creating the unique expressions on each 

of the faces. At the exhibition I found people identified 

intimately with the figures which was very rewarding. 

The move to working full time is really liberating, but I 

occassionally catch myself feeling guilty, thinking surely I 

should be back out in the 'real world' disliking Monday 

mornings and just getting by. I do, however, work long 

hours, in isolation without weekends. This is relieved by 

the radio, my pet Weero and more recently, teaching 

handbuilding classes at the Fremantle Ans Centre. 

Who knows where the next adventure lies, but as I put 

up extra shelving to create more space for the ever 

increasing number of pieces for galleries and competitions, 

I can only hope that this interest in my work is surely a 

positive sign for my future and the future of handmade 

ceramics in this state. If not, I'm content to have the 

company of my many protagonists that will adorn the 

walls and keep me company on my next journey. 00 

Amanda Shelsher, Inglewood, WA Ph, 00 9l:72 6n7 

3812 IUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAIJA 39

RrVIEW 

Hand - Heart 

KAREN CAMERON'S recent exhibition at Sue's Garden, Perth explores vulnerability, absurdity and 

joumeying through life. Review by DEBRA EU£RY 

Karen Cameron. 'Mother and Child'. 

Earthenware clay and slip. 35cm x 34crn. 

, T hiS is a time of trusting hand and heart to fmd a 

way. Allow the mind to follow, not lead the 

hand. Most often the eyes are windows of the 

mind, bringing in evidence to that seat of judgement for a 

verdict. Train your eyes instead to be passive observers 

of the activity of your hands. Allow the body to monitor 

the rightness of the stroke, and the pOignancy of the 

emergent image. You will know when some novel image 

or gesture is right because your body will register a sense 

of well being, naturalness and quiet strength') 

The setting of Cameron's handbuilt earthenware forms 

cou ld not have been more appropriate. She chose to 

exhibit her work in a backyard rainforest microcosm 

complete with ponds and waterfalls. From behind lush 

greenery peeped emotive, weathered figures , wise 

chooks and faithful dogs. I asked Cameron why she 

chose to exhibit in a garden. 'Because it is a living, 

growing, breathing environment. Many of the pieces have 

permanent homes there. I love the way they have 

weathered, grown moss and have actually changed quite 

a lot. I see the way the surfaces are being enhanced with 

age as a bit like the way that we, as individuals, are 

enhanced by life experiences'. 

The emotional and spiritual aspects of the human 

condition hold a fascination for Cameron along with her 

love of form and the human body. The human body is a 

vehicle for exploring the human condition particularly 

vulnerability and absurdity. The baldness and nakedness of 

the figures expose their vulnurability like that of a newborn 

baby. These figures have no masks - no hairstyles, makeup 

or clothing. There is nothing between them and ti,e cold 

hard world. l1lere is no pretence, I think that is why there 

is such a response to the work. People seem able to 

connect. It is a response that WamlS my heart'. 

Chooks have appeared in Cameron's work for quite 

some time. She sees them as symbolic of the domestic 

situation but importantly also as life enhanCing. They are 

not heroic, but just ordinary Iinle things and that is 

important. In contrast the dog may be a masculine 

balance. Cameron describes the dog as a bit crazy, a bit 

silly, a bit absurd. 

Mothers and babies are a recurring theme in recent 

work. Cameron is looking back reflectively, lovingly, to a 

time when her own ch ildren were babies. She is 

exploring the special bonds of motherhood. These figures 

I do now are so much a part of me that they almost foml 

themselves'. 

Cameron's work primarily communicates the fragility of 

being human. She explores situations which reflect the 

need to connect to and care about those around us. She 

focuses particularly on those situations that are 'ordinary', 

that we take for granted but which are vital to our 

wellbeing. I find Cameron's work particularly sensitive 

and emotive. 00 

Debe:! ElIe!)' is a gr.lduate in Visual Ans from ECU, WA. 

FOOlNOTE 

t. 0 More Second Hand Art by Peter London 

40 POlTIRY IN AUSTRAUA + 38/2 JUNE 1999

Turkey 

Tamris Ustun, ceramic artisVteacher writes about the October'98 tour she led for The Potters' 

Society of Australia. 

If it wasn 't for the exhilarating voice 

of the muezzin (prayer caller) we 

would not have been able to wake 

up from our jet-lagged sleep in 

Istanbul, city of dreams. The view from 

the hotel was competing for our 

attention. We were almost under the 

shadows, and certainly under the spell 

of the minarets of the Blue Mosque 

and Aya Sophia in old Isranbul. A Boat 

cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, 

which runs between the two 

continents, Asia and Europe, revealed 

this city's beauty even more. 

Aya Sophia, the Blue Mosque, 

Topkapi Palace, Cistern, Grand Bazaar, 

Chora Museum, are all remarkable 

places to visit. The Blue Mosque, with 

its 20 thousand Iznik blue tiles and six 

minarets, is a unique structure. 

We travelled to the Marmara 

University where we met Professor 

Beril Anilanmert, an internationally 

renowned artist who presented a slide 

show of contemporary Turkish 

ceramics. We were also given a 

guided lOur of the ce ramics 

department. It was a big surprise to 

see the work of my former lecturer 

from the Sydney College of the Arts, 

Mitsuo Shoji, in the ceramics 

department. He had been a visiting 

lecturer earlier in 1998. 

Iznik and Kutahya are well known 

cities famous for their low fired 

material which is composed of white 

clay and glassy matter with a carefully 

prepared porcelain-like surface. 

Repetitive patterns are painted on surfaces before a 

transparent alkaline glaze is applied. 

Mr. Sitki Oleay, a well known artist in Kutahya, has 

been using this same technic and repetitive patterns in 

his work. He showed us his ceramic atelier and his 

17th Century Iznik tiles. 

works. He also demonstrated th e 

centuries old turqUOise glaze technique 

using a reduced copper oxide glaze 

applied on to white clay. 

Bursa, first capital of the Ottoman 

Empire, is famous for its thennal baths, 

Green Mosque and Ulu Mosque. 

Travelling south west to Ankara we 

stopped at Eskisehir and had intended 

to visit Professor Zehra CobanJi, Head 

of the ceramics department, at the 

University of Anatolia. Unfortunately 

she was unaware of this but we were 

provided with a guided tour of the 

department by a staff member and 

shown her private gallery. Zehra runs 

free ceramic workshops for interested 

artists from all around the world - 

accommodation and materials are also 

free. 

In Turkey's modern capital Ankara, 

the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations 

is a must for every trJveller. 

Cappadocia is one of the most 

fantastic landscapes on earth. The fairy 

chimneys give a surrealistic atmosphere 

to landscape. Similarly the 

underground city of Kayma kli is 

another extraordinary feature of the 

Turkish landscape. It was used by early 

Christians to escape persecution by the 

Romans. The city at this time had 

20,000 inhabitants. 

Turkish ceramic artist, Galip was 

already demonstrating his traditional 

kick-wheel to another group when we 

have arrived at his studio in Avanos. 

He asked one of us to continue 

throwing but it was not as easy as it seemed! Finally our 

volunteer managed to make a small pot and in return we 

were all given a small present. Galip's pots are finished 

using the traditional repetitive patterns of lznik tiles. 

On the way to Konya, the city of whirling dervishes, 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POnERY IN AUSTRAUA 41

we saw one of the oldest caravanserai in 

Anatolia . In Konya we visited Mevlana 

museum with it' beautiful rurquoL,e tiles and 

the museum of Seljuk ceramics. The museum 

was a madrasa (religious school) in the 12th 

century. At night we were all enthralled by 

the whirling dervishes ceremony. 

After recharging socially and visually in 

Antalya, we stopped at Karacasu which is 

famous for its red clay pot

Anatolia. It was a too brief homecoming for me. 

One of the world's finest archaeological 

site is Ephesus. This 1st century Greco 

Roman city is famous with its 25,000 seat 

theatre, Celcius library, Basilica of SI. John 

and the shrine of the Virgin Mary (Maryam). 

On the way to Anzac Cove and Gallipoli 

we stopped at the ancient cities of Pergamon 

and Troy. In Troy it was extrordinary to see 

the layers of nine cities built on top of each 

other but the most emotional experiencefor 

everyone was the visit to Anza c Cove. 

Silence fell over the group as we soaked up 

the history of this place, so special for all 

Australians in panicular. 

Back in Istanbul we indulged ourselves 

with delicious Turkish food and music and 

bargained down to the last cent at the Grand 

Bazaar. Great memories and friendships 

remain for all of us after our visit to this 

cou nt ry with its ancient and rich artistic 

cultu re. G\!) 

Tamris Ustun, ceramic anisl, tcacher. 

As a Turkish born ceramic auisl, Tamris will be 

presenting a very special lecture on Turkey, its 

magnificenr arts and Cid fts and cu ltural history, al the 

Powerhou.o;e Museum, Saturday 25 September, 2pm. 

All Welcome, bookings essential. See ad this issue. 

Tamris will also Ix leading the Millenium . Ceramic 

Tour to Turkey, May 2000. For information ca ll Trans 

Turk Travel on 02 9281 3500. 

Top: Cappadocia Galyp's Studio 

Above: Kutahya Sitki Olya' Studio 

Right: Karacasu Potters 

Left: Cappadocia 


Figures in a Landscape 

Three post graduate students from the Ceramics Studio, University of Tasmania, in Hobart, have all 

developed a sense of identity and place in their work through the exploration of figurative abstraction 

inspired by the landscape. Article by PENNY SMITH. 

Marjore Lenehan - reduction soda fired stoneware, thrown, coiled and manipulated slab. h75cm. 

Reduction fired thrown bottles. h35-4Omm 

M 

ajorie Lenehan's work reflects her search for a 

sense of place and belonging within an Australian 

context, through an exploration of the landscape 

and the colonial claims that have been made upon it. 

When her own claim to an Australian identity she 

thought was hers was unrecognised, she had to undergo 

the indignation of becoming. 'naturalised'. Her previous 

comfortable knowledge of belonging was thus severly 

jolted, and she became acutely aware for the first time, in 

some ways what it must be like for Australia'S 

indigienous people, to be 'in limbo'. 

This sense of loss, of having one's identity questioned, 

was explored by Lenehan in her Honours submission, 

from the posilion of an observer, reflecting on her own 

Anglo Saxon past, and her more recent experience of 

becoming Australian. 

Her search for a sense of place started with looking 

more closely at the land,cape; reflecting on the colour 

and texture of the dry schlerophyl forests and vast open 

spaces of sheep grazing countryside of rural NSW that 

was her home for many years. Her work reflects this drier 

place, of weathered and sandblasted contours, and was 

to influence the techniques she developed to construct 

her pieces. Addilionally, Lenehan has been influenced by 

44 POTTERY IN A USTRAlIA + 38/2 JUNE 1999

Vipoo Srivilasa - press-moulded earthenware bottle 

form, dry matt glazes. h35cm. 

Janet Mansfield's salt fired work, fully sympathising with 

Mansfield's use of her materials and processes to rellect 

the qualities of the landscape that this work draws from. 

Running concurrently with landscape themes of form, 

colour and texture, Lenehan alludes further to Australia'S 

spatial vastness with a series of miniature bottle foffilS; 

located near the larger forms. Lenehan is making an 

oblique reference to the figure here in her use of the 

bottle, not only in the descriptive use of its form, but as 

artifacts of obvious early immigrant settlement. These 

bottles are intended as a metaphor for the colonial 

impOSition of the land; as the careless remains left by it, 

and the ironies of these objects later becoming desirable 

historical collectables. 

Central to her investigations, both past and present, 

has been the spiral; a symbol common to both her own 

Celtic origins and to the indigenous culture of her 

adopted country. In developing her forms, Lenehan 

chose to elevare the spiral from the Ilat plane to the third 

dimension, elongating and stretching it to represent her 

feelings of both space, movement and hugeness. By finetuning 

a technique of vigorous throwing, (which left 

delemlined finger marks to enhance the form further), 

coiling and manipulation, she achieved dle free flowing 

'wave forms ' that reflected the feelings of space and 

continuity she feels exist within the Australian landscape. 

The larger pieces were then soda fired, letting the narural 

clay body determine the COIOllrS dictated by firing, an 

exacting and scary task which reflected Lenehan's 

feelings of the elements taking over. The bottles 

represented a complete change of pace - their scale 

vastly different, but their construction similar to rhe larger 

works. The bottles were all thrown off the hump, often 

with the aid of cotton buds for internal formation, and 

fired in a combination of straight reduction and soda. 

Vipoo Srivilasa's figurative references are a little more 

obvious in the foffilS he elected to use. Srivilasa initially 

gained a degree in ceramics at Rang-Sit University, 

Bangkok and came to Australia to further his post 

graduate studies. Having completed an Honours course 

in Melbourne, he then moved on to the University of 

Tasmania, Hobart to undertake a Masters Degree. His 

work at the time of entry into the course reflected his 

love of colour, texture and costume, influenced by his 

traditional Thai heritage of sculpture, puppetry and 

storytelling. His earlier works combined these traditional 

influences with his exposure to the hype and costume 

drama of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian MardiGras, 

resulting in work that was flamhoyant, brash and 

colourful. Since his move to Tasmania he has developed 

a more sophisticated approach to his theme, influenced 

strongly by the suggestion of the figurative that the 

Tasmanian landscape inspired in him. His palleue of 

textures and colours became no less subdued, but the 

introduction of subtler forms, and his determination to 

learn new skills, enhanced this later work. 

By drawing from the female form that he felt was so 

suggestive of the Tasmanian landscape, he used a live 

female model as his starting point, and began numerous 

sketches that finally developed into a simplified shape, 

interpreted as an elegant bottle form. This was initially 

rurned in solid timber on a horizontal lathe to create a 

model from which he cast a simple two piece mould. 

From this simple principle, Srivilasa developed a number 

Jsn JUNE 1999 + POTTERY tN AusrRAUA 45

of turned forms that fonned a basic vocabulary of shapes. 

By cutti ng and reassembling many of th ese press 

moulded or ~ lip cast units, a range of both complex and 

simple shapes were produced that he was able to explore 

further with texture and colour. 

Much of the colour and texture for Srivilasa's pieces 

came from observations made during his forays into the 

Tasmanian bush and to the sea shores during his stay. An 

extended range of simple press moulds were also made 

from star fish and shells, enabling him a variety of 

complex textures to lay within the basic plaster moulds. 

These he enhanced further with dry, man glazes inspired 

by the colour, patterns and textures of lichen and moss 

covered rocks. 

Heather Creet makes a more direct reference to the 

figure, and uses it to explore a range of human emotions 

that also reflect her responses to the landscape. As the 

daughter of a Scottish family farming in outback NSW, 

she grew up amongst arid red earth country, the colours 

and textures of which influenced her recent Honours 

wo rk. By using the figure , she attempts to convey 

something of the fragility of human life in a harsh 

envi ronment; of the emotional interaction between 

settlers and the land. Creet explores the transplantation of 

one culture to another; from one environment to another, 

and sees it as an emotionally charged experience. In her 

semi-abstracted figures, the emotional statement she has 

expressed is one of a European uncertainty to an alien 

land; of clinging to the cliff edges of the continent. This is 

expressed through her references to classical figurative 

sculptu re of the kind that may he found in public 

museums or the city cemetery. 

The Cocoon like figures hanging from metal houses, 

are an attempt to utilise both lack of colour and a 

simplicity of form to suggest the Australian struggle for 

cultural integration. Each figure (there is a series of eight 

pieces in this work) represents a cocoon within which 

the figure struggles in its own cultural heritage, some 

strive for change and integration, while others prefer dleir 

known heritage and stay within it. 

Creet experimented with a high firing stoneware day, 

mixing in additional paper pulp. This gave her a highly 

malleable clay body th at cou ld be worked over 

repeatedly if need be, particularly in adding extra 

material once dry, giving her greater green strength and 

lighter fired weight and added the illusion of multi 

layering. 

Many of the artists Creet researched for the project 

rejected the use of colour, relying instead on the natuml 

colours of the clays. She too elected not [0 use colou r, 

mainly because it suggested life to her, and she was 

dealing with past memories, she felt that the more faded 

out quality of soft slips and pale washes better suited a 

dream like effect. Most slips were made as terrasigilata, 

mixed with Calgon water softener and coloured with 

body stains, reSUlting in an oily wash which was then 

applied in layers. These layers were added numerous 

times, until a soft satin finish was attained. 

Whilst Lenehan and Creet have lived in Tasmania for a 

numhe r of years now, and both have first hand 

acquaintances with the surrounding bush and wilderness 

areas, both chose to explore their feelings of a sense of 

place and identity dlfough their reflections of a bigger, 

open and more barren, Australia. Wheras Srivilasa, as a 

visitor to this state, chose to look at his host environment 

under closer scrutiny, as is so often the case from 

someone outside. With all three, a better sense of 

themselves and their place within the world, has been 

drawn from these experiences, through their exploration 

of new techniques and understanding the materials they 

chose to work with. 00 

Penny Smith Ls ClJrrenuy Head of the Ceramics Studio, University of 

Tasmania, Hoban and was supervisor to the three students during 

their Post Graduate studies. Majorie Lenehan is continuing as a 

Masters student; Heather Creel praaices in her own studiO, and Vipoo 

Sriviiasa Ls ClJrrenuy anist in residence at the Jam Factory, Adelaide. 

Above: Heather Creet - ro lled and formed slab figure of 

stoneware paper clay, textured from sheet ptinters' text, 

white slips. Set in metal fabricated 'house'. h45cm. 

Photos by Uffe SdUtz, Corcept Photographics 

46 POTIERY IN A USTRAUA ;. lBl2IUNE 1999

n-CIlNICAl 

Hooked on 'Sidge' 

What is this Terra Sigillata? An exotic dish perhaps? Lovers of this surface treatment may indeed find 

their mouths watering at the mere thought of sigillata. Micle by MINDY MAGGIO, 3rd Year Diploma, 

Sutherland College, Gymea Campus. 

Mindy Maggio 

rra 

~ 

Sigillata, translating to 'earth seal', refers to an 

low fired surface finish and also to the slip used to 

acquire it. For all it's beauty it is a simple product 

which is relatively easy to manufacture and use. With 

pots finished after one firing it is both practical and 

economical. Methods of applying, burnishing and firing 

may be a bit tricky but each success and failure is 

beneficial to the user. While you can read about another's 

experiences, lessons are often best learnt by one's own 

trial and error. 

Dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans this 

technique is used to finish earthenware pottery and is 

characterised by a smooth natural sheen. With the 

development of glazes this process of decoration was 

forgotten but has regained popularity during the 

twentieth century and is now a favoured decorative 

medium for ceramics. 

Although there are scientific explanations for terra 

sigillata the manufacturing process is user friendly. 

Basically clay and water are mixed with a deflocculam 

and allowed to sen Ie. The clay particles separate with 

heavy and courser particles falling to the bottom, the 

terra sigillata is suspended in the centre layer under the 

excess water which remains on top. This slip is the 

Jsn JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAlIA 47

consistency of double cream and the clay particles so fine 

that they remain in suspension. 

Experiences widl this medium began for me during my 

first post-

ODIe Additioos 

StaIn Additioos 

Red Iron Oxide 5 - 12% Pink 5 - 10% 

Cobalt 0.5 - 2% Peach 5 - 10% 

Chrome 05 -4% Yellow 5 - looAl 

Copper 1 - 3% Black 5 - 10% 

Yellow Ochre 3 - 8% Royal Blue 5 - loo", 

Applying the sigillata can be frustrating, a second coat 

, may take off pan of the firs!. Burnishing the piece may 

scratch or remove the sigillata, Cheap or old brushes can 

shed bristles, which although burning out during the 

firing will leave ev idence on the su rface of their 

presence, Initially I used sigillata on leather hard pots but 

often the beautiful shine I had achieved using various 

soft fabrics would disappear upon drying, I changed my 

methods after achieving wonderful results on a pot which 

I had accidentally allowed to dry out completely before 

applying its coa!. Now after burnishing my pots with my 

fingers and soft freezer bags I leave them to become 

bone dry before applying the sigillata, 

A good quality wide brush gives an even application, It 

is best not to overload the brush as the sigillata can run 

onto a section of the pot where it was not intended to 

be, This is especially the case with venical forms, Each 

coat should be left to dry completely before applying 

additional coats, Applying extra sigillata to an area while 

the surface is still wet will remove pan of the previous 

coal. Discrepanc ies are best dealt with when dry, 

Spraying is a convenient method of application on 

awkward forms when a single coloured sigillata is being 

applied to the entire pol. 

Buffing the finished pot too soon can remove or 

smudge colours ruining the work. Finding the perfect 

buffing material took some time" My best results came 

again by accident when I neglected a pot for a few days 

after the final sigillata application, Upon coming across 

the dry pot on a shelf I grabbed the first 'soft thing' 

nearby, which happened to be a fine Iycra stocking, 

Rolled into a tight wad it gave excellent polishing results, 

Fingerprints can spoil a finished POt, to prevent tllis, soft 

cotton gloves should be worn while polishing and handling 

sigilatta pots, Dusting gloves are ideal and can be found 

near the rubber gloves at the supermarket. These gloves 

are also good to wear when packing and unpacking kilns, 

a time when hands seem to lose moisture, 

As far as the colours I select to use on my handbuilt 

pieces I am constantly referring to my test tiles, What you 

see is not always what you get! For example yellow 

ochre turns red once fired and royal blue, whilst a pink 

shade in sigillata, turns a dark blue/grey when used on a 

red clay body - if fired correctly, Each pot is 

photographed before and after firing, By keeping these 

records I might find that the colour scheme before firing 

was preferable and I am able to achieve this in future by 

referring back to my tests, 

In a TAFE situa tion it is not always possible to have 

control, however, it is beneficial to note the kiln, shelf 

and position of pots for each firing along with cone and 

other details, This may then permit a singular effect to be 

replicated, Despite all the records kept it may still prove 

difficult to reproduce a panicular colour as supplies nm 

out and sources change, TIle challenge of another clay 

type or colour is always waiting, not to mention firing 

techniques, While oxidation is the usual method of firing, 

pit, raku and reduction allow a va riety of results to be 

achieved, the possibilities are endless, 

Commercial terra sigillata is available and works well 

but don't expect to experience the same sensations as 

when working with your own, Cheating is apparently not 

a dirty word when it comes to sigillata , deceptive 

methods are well known should a pot come through the 

firing minus it's notable shine, Oil and va rious polishes 

can be used to attain the effect but for me this is an 

admission of failure, A bisque pot can have a second 

application of sigillata and be refired to achieve the 

required results, It is just the best feeling when a sidge 

pot survives it's kiln journey shine intact! 

So, what is this terra sigillata? Just the very finest 

combination of clay and water. 

Above: J itka Kopriva. 

Opposite: Mindy Maggio, detail 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRALIA 49

A Hot Romance 

A 'romantic' kiln building project by students from the Usmore Campus of the North Ccast Institute of 

TAFE. Article by JOHN STEWART, Head of Ceramics. 

Above: Sag gars as 

viewed from the 

throat arch. 

In 1997/98, students studying the Diploma of Ceramics 

at the Lismore Campus of the North Coast Institute of 

TAFE completed a unique wood fire kiln building 

exercise, under the guidance of their teacher, Dennis 

Monks. 

The aim of this project was to construct an asymmetrir 

dome from a plastic day mix directly onto the kiln walls 

thus eliminating the need for massive amounts of brick 

cuning inherent in such constructions. 

After much discussion as to what sort of kiln to build, 

and with some investigative work with maquetres, Dennis 

drew an outline on the floor and a profile on the wa II 

and that was it! Well almost, it had then to be scaled 

down to a size that we could actually build and afford. 

Dennis had previously used up nearly all of what I 

thought was an inexhaustible supply of bricks attempting 

to build the world's largest kiln with an earlier group of 

Diploma students. 

The kiln was designed for medium length firing with a 

generous sized Bourrie box, set high for increased ash 

generation. A three metre long chamber was planned 

with vertical brick walls 60cm high and a door located 

centrally on one side to facilitate packing. The dome - 

shaped like half an avocado at the front and a barrel arch 

at the back - would then be constructed on top of these 

walls and rested against the fire box at one end and the 

chimney at the other. The width of the chamber would 

range from 80cm at the widest point down to 50cm at the 

narrowest. Needless to say, the plan was fairly flexible 

and many of the detailed design considerations were 

made during construction. 

Five years ago [ developed an insulating refractory 

body using equal patts, by volume, of clay and sawdust, 

producing an aeration of approximately 30% - 40% in the 

fired product. Although not as high as a standard 

insulating refractory, the highe r clay conlent helps 

withstand the rigours of wood firing. The body was 

based on a predominantly kaolinitic clay, which could be 

obtained by the truck load, from a quarry at Broken 

Head, just south of Byron Bay. I had been using this for 

the production of kiln building items - arch bricks, blocks 

and a variety of customised kiln components. More 

recently this body became the basis for sculptural work - 

some of which had been wood fired for three days 

reaching temperatures in excess of cone 13 without 

vitrifying. 

This work had identified 2 very exciting characteristics. 

Firstly, the body had a very low shrinkage rate, being 5- 

6',. from plastic to cone 11. Secondly, it was capable of 

producing very thick forms. Press moulded blocks have 

been fired without the slightest hint of cracking - the 

largest being 80cm by 50cm and 15cm thick. It was clear 

50 POTIERY IN AUSTRAlJA + 3an JUNE 1999

Door for packing. Mama Khol. Vicky Attenborough, 

Aine, Dennis Monks. 

from these experiences that this would be an ideal 

refractory body for this project. 

Construction began by placing a layer of bricks on the 

concrete floor up against our large communal chimney 

(which can accommodate up to four kilns) roughly 

according ro 'the plan'. A further three layers of brick 

were added to complete the floor before the walls of the 

chamber; the arched doorway and firebox were laid. The 

class was now ready to construct the dome. 

TIle clay was left to slake for a week, before being fed 

into the pug mill alternatively with equ al volumes of 

sawdust. The resulting mix was again pugged to produce 

100mm diameter cyli ndrical pugs of a uniform 

consistency. The origi nal plan was to take a 200mm 

length, form it into a conical block about 150mm long, 

wrap it in newspaper and squash it directly into poSition 

until the dome was complete. The blocks would then be 

marked in such a way that they could be dismantled, 

fired to 1300"C and replaced on the kiln walls exactly as 

they had been before. As is often the case, tllings didn't 

quile go according to plan. 

The shaped pugs were layed on top of the brick walls 

on both sides of the chamber, carefully pressing them 

together to eliminate any ga ps. Funher pugs were added, 

loosely following a form made from poly pipe and 

masking ta pe, until both sides met and the last 

individually shaped pugs were wedged in. As it turned 

out, some of the mixture was too soft. By the time the 

dome was compl ered, some se ri ous sagging and 

slumping had developed 10 the point where, the group 

began to contemplate the option of pulling it down and 

starting again. Witll the benefit of hindsight, the bricks 

could have been left out to dry for a day or so before 

construction was anempted. The big advantage of this 

method, however, remained clear - the dome could be 

moulded to acconunodate any difficulties encountered in 

the design, such as the melding of the dome 10 the arch 

of the chamber door. 

At th L~ point it was clear that if we did persevere, the 

option of dismantling the dome for the purpose of firing 

the individually moulded bricks would be lost and the 

dome would have to be fired along with the pots during 

the first firing. This option posed the obvious question - 

how would the dome behave given that one side would 

be fired to 1300"C while the other may only reach a little 

more than 200-300"0 

Having gO! this far, the decision was made to continue. 

The formwork was removed and, after a considerable 

amount of pushing, shoving, scraping and prodding, the 

dome was completed. A 5cm layer of back up insulation, 

composed of fire clay and vermiculite, was rendered to 

the outside in an effort to achieve as much heat work to 

the outer side of the clay/sawdust mix as possible and to 

extend the thickness of the dome wall. 

The first firing focused on a va riety of glazed work 

housed in wheel thrown saggars using a body the 

students had formulated from another local clay. TIlis had 

the added advantage of protecting ware fr om the 

possibility of particles falling from lose or unstable parts 

of the roof. Once the dome was dry enough to fire, the 

packing began. TIle saggars were stacked in columns in 

the area between the throat arch and the door, while 

shelves were used from the door to the chimney, leaving 

an area for side stoking between the two. 

The first firing went like a rocket and a lot of the work 

that came out of it looked like it had been hit by one too, 

with the front half of the kiln being somewhat over fired. 

The project has, however, proved to be a very valuable 

exercise. The roof didn't fall in, blow up or other wise do 

anything IOrally unacceptable and has generally remained 

pretty well intact after two, 24 hour firings. How it 

behaves in the future will be the subject of ca reful 

monitoring after subsequent firings. 

Ultimately this hasn 'l been a bad result when you 

consider it only cost about $50 and the labour of 10 very 

enthusiastic and gifted, budding young kiln builders - the 

class of '98. 

As for the name? Dennis and the group came ro the 

concl usion at the beginning of th e project that the 

aesthetics of the kiln as a structu re was as equally 

important as it's function. Hence this rather beautiful form 

was dubbed "The Romantic Kiln". 00 

Article supplied by John Stewart, Head of CeramiCS, Lismore 

Campus of the NOIth Coast Institute of TAPE. 

lBl2 IUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN A USTRAlJA 51

II C II N ICA I 

Mid-range Woodfiring 

Exploring the concept and potential of Anagama style woodfiring of terracotta type bodies to midrange 

temperatures proves most rewarding. Article by student DANIEL WALL from Bendigo TAFE. 

52 POTIERY IN AUSTRAlIA + 3812 JUNE 1999

Over the past few years, since our campus has been 

at the Bendigo Pottel)', the ceramics course at the 

Bendigo Regional Instirure of T AFE has seen an 

increased focus on woodfiring. This is an exciting 

development given the histol)' of woodfiring at the 

Bendigo Pottery which was originally fa mOllS for it's 

woodfired salt glazed pnxluction wares. 

We have two high-fire woodfired kilns at TAFE; an 

anagama and a sma ll longthroat kiln. It was in this 

smaller longthroat kiln, under the direction of Geoff 

Maddams, that we decided to explore the concept and 

potential of Anagama style woodfinng of terracorta type 

bodies to mid-range temperatures of abollt 1150°C to 

1220°e. This proved to be an exciting and rewarding 

process. We achieved what I believe to be many ground 

breaking results in a field that has been relatively 

uncharted. 

The kiln is based on Steve Harrison 's hourry box 

longthroat design except that, as yet, we have nor set up 

the bourry box fire box. We are using it as a small 

anagama style fire box stoking through a small door in 

the front. We originally built the kiln for high-fired salt 

glazing with an ability to also achieve anagama style 

results. We aimed at doing smaller, quicker, firings more 

often. This enabled us to "play" and experiment more 

with firing and stacking methods and techniques, without 

all the work involved in stacking and firing the bigger 

anagama. However, at this stage we are experimenting 

with firing terracona clay bodies, anagama style to midrange 

temperatures. 

We fire the kiln mainly on recycled wood collected 

from demolition sites. We have found this wood works 

quite well, despite having a lot of nails in it. The midrange 

temperatures achieved assure little to no iron 

fuming and scaring. We usually tumble stack the entire 

kiln using an active wad mix, made active with salt and 

organic material. This leaves beautiful decorative wad 

marks of coloured halo-like rings which are caused by 

the fuming off of the salt and organic material during the 

tIring. We fire it as a raw firing though some of the work 

is bisqued. I find we get richer and more varied colours 

and name marks when pots are raw fired. However, I 

have had problems with larger pieces on big wads 

absorbing too much moisture from the wads and blowing 

out big sections during the firing. To solve this I let the 

bigger wads dl)' off a bit and dust them with a bit of dl)' 

fire clay or sand. 

The type of pieces I have found to work best in these 

types of firings are smooth surfaced rounded organic 

fOnTlS. 111ese types of forms are easy to tumble stack and 

are more responsive to name patterns and nashing from 

the wads. I have found that applying a terra sigillata slip 

Above: Kiln at B.R.I.T. 

Opposite: Rebekah Hughes, 'Sperical Shape'. Uses 

Huntley Red and Huntley Dam terrasigillata. 2Ocm. 

to the work and burn ishing the surface enhances this 

response to name and wad flashing and picks up a 

broader range of colour. 

CLAYS 

We started off predominantly using Northcote Poltel)" s 

PS 2000 terra cotta as a clay body and were only aiming 

for temperatures around 1150 u e. However the kiln 

tended to fire a little unevenly, some areas gelling hotter 

than others. We found that it was a fine line between 

achieving the optimum colour responses and over firing 

the day. We have found that blending 4 packs of PS 2000 

with 1 (J5kg) pack of Feeney's Buff Raku makes a 

perfect body for around 1200"C to 1220°e. Th is gives 

beautiful nch colours without the risk of distortion and 

over firing. 

TERRA SIGILLATA SLIPS 

We collect the clay for the terra sigillata slips at a sitc out 

in the bush not far from the Bendigo Pottery, which is in 

fact one of the pottel)"s old clay pit sites. The two main 

slips with which we have had the most uccess are 

collected from places where the clay has already 

undergone a natural filtering process. For instance, we 

collect a rich red maroon terra-sig from a small puddle 

like dam in summer when it is dl)' and the fine clay has 

settled to the surface and cracked up. 

The lighter yellow oatmeal coloured terra-sig on the 

other hand, is collected from a larger dam site. It lies as 

deposits of fine clay slip just underneath the sandy 

surface at the edge of the dam bank where run off water 

3812 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAL'" 53

from the bush flows in. In both 

processes of natural filtering, the 

clays have picked up impurities 

such as nalUral ochres, organiC 

material and natuml earth salts. I 

believe these impurities make 

the terra sig slips more 

responsive to flashing and help 

produce a grea ter range of 

colours in th e firing . After 

collecting th e clays we then 

prepare them, using Calgon as a 

defloccu lem, sieve them, then 

leave them to settle for a week 

or so. We then scoop the finest 

clay off [he top for use. 

WAD MIX 

We have experimented quite a 

lot with active wad reCipes using 

a broad mnge of additives to render the mix acrive; that 

is, having the ability to fume off during the firing leaving 

decom tive marks on the work. These addit ives are simply 

organiC material and salt. We have played around with 

various types of organic material such as different types 

of saw dust, different types of dung (cow, horse, chicken, 

pig and deer), wood ash and crushed heat bead •. We 

mainly use either cooking salt or rock sa lt , though 

cooking salt is probably preferable as it dissolves in the 

mix more easily. This is a good example of an active wad 

mix recipe: 

2 parts sand or grog 

1 part salt 

2 pans sawdust 

3 pans dung (broken up as finely as possible) 

I \ 2 part crushed heat bead, 

5 parts fire clay 

3 parts ba ll clay 

(This wad mix recipe is X Vo lume - we use ]0 litre 

buckets) 

We collect our own fire clay from the clay pit site 

mentioned above. This has a fair amount of natural 

ochres in it, and I also like to use a bit of red loam 

bricklayers sand as grog to introduce more iron to the 

mix and further enhance flashing. This can also be done 

by adding a little hit of red or yellow ochre to the mix. 

You can also add a little bit of copper carbonate or 

copper sulphate to even further enhance flashing colours. 

STACKING 

The stacking of the kiln is probably one of the mo t 

important pans of this 

process. It is the stacking 

wh ich influences to a large 

extent how Ole kiln will fire 

and what effects and marks 

wi ll be left on the work 

during the firing. 

As I have al ready 

mentioned, we usually 

tum hle stack the whole kiln 

using active wad mix. We are 

baSically using the stacking 

and fi ring process as a 

decorative techn ique. The 

tumble stacking is a slow and 

(Ydinstaking process. It is like 

Daniel Wall, ·Sphere'. 

putting together a big three 

Flashing from wadding. 3Ocm. dimensional jigsaw puzzle. 

YOll have to think about how 

you made each piece and 

how the flame will react to this as it moves through the 

stack, so that you wi ll get wad marks and flashing that 

suit the forms from a design point of view. Placement in 

the kiln also has a great influence over tile effects on the 

work. For instance if a piece is right at rhe front nea r the 

fire box, or under one of the side stoke ports the facing 

side will be quite dry and crusty from half fluxed ash, 

whereas pieces placed in more sheltered areas will 

receive more subtle effects. 

FIRING 

We have played around a bit with firing lengths, ranging 

from 16 to 26 hour . However, we've found the optimal 

length for raw firing to about 1200'( is about · 22 to 24 

hours. 

After stacking we usually leave a gas bumer set on 2psi 

trickling into the kiln for about 4 to 8 hours, to dry out all 

the wad. and give the kiln a pre-heat. This usually brings 

the temperature to about 100"( to 150"C. We then stan 

slowly feeding in small bits of kindling leaving the gas 

bumer on but IUmed down just about as low as possible. 

,- 

54 POffiRY IN A USTRAUA + 3812 JUNE 1999

Chamber showing 'Tumble Pack' using wads. 

Once we have built up a few coals, usually about an 

hour after we started stoking, we tum the gas burner off 

and increase the stoking still being careful not to raise the 

temperature too quickly. At this stage of the firing we are 

only aiming for a heat rise of about 50" to 60" an hour up 

umil we reach 600"C. Once we have reached 600"C at the 

from we pick up the pace a bit by stoking more heavily. 

When the front section is about I OOO"C it is usually hot 

enough for small kindling to self ignite in the first side 

stoke port, so we start side stoking. It only takes about 

another half an hour before it is hot enough to start 

stoking in the second side stoke port. By this lime the 

front is usually at temp, 1200"C or so. 

To even the kiln temperature out 

we push the damper in about half 

way for a light reduction , cut down 

the stoking in the front and increase 

the stoking in the sides. During this 

stage the temperature at the front. is 

maintained, or even drops slightly, 

while the temp at the back rises until 

it is even all the way along. We then 

pull the damper out for about 40 

mins and stoke both front and sides 

to bring the kiln up to about 1200"c 

all the way along. We then push the 

damper back in about three quarters 

of the way and stoke heavily at the 

sides and lighter at the from for a 

fairly heavy reduction cycle for about 

one and a half hours. During this 

time we build up the coal beds in the 

side stoke ports and drop about 50" 

to 100" in temperature. 

Next we pull the cbmper back out 

ami stoke more constantly at the 

from and only very lightly at dle sides 

to burn down the coal beds and to 

raise the temperature back up; this 

takes about an hour. We then repeat 

this process of reduction to oxidation 

another three times arid shut the kiln 

down by giving it a big stoke in the 

front, pushing the damper right in 

and mudding everything up. 

For me this whole process has 

been an extreme ly enriching and 

invaluable learning experience. Like 

mos: forms of woodfiring this type of 

mid-range woodfiring is more than 

just that of fi ring clay. It involves a 

whole inter-connecting process in 

which each stage is inuinsically linked to all others in the 

process. Wood fired ceramics for me is like a fonll of 

alchemy. We manipulate and work with the earth 's 

elements of Fire, Air, Earth and Water in order to 

transform mud into things of beauty and function. The 

experimental nature of this process of midrange 

woodftring has provided a wonderful learning experience 

for me and the other students at Bendigo TAFE. It has 

yielded some very beautiful and unique result5. 00 

Special thank you for technical aSSistance, direction, photography 

and support LO Geoff Maddams and Bob Aulesbrook also for 

photOgrdpils. 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTtERy IN A USTRAllA 55

LDLJCA I ION 

I 

Dragon Wall Mural 

Austra lia's first 'Dragon Wall' - made from highly-glazed clay tiles at the entrance to Bendigo's 

Chinese Gardens. Created with the help of La Trobe University ceramic art staff and students. Article 

by ERNEST RAETZ.' 

The Chinese Gardens are a key 

tourist amacti on in north-central 

Victoria . Adjacent to Bendigo's 

Golden Dragon Museum, they have been 

built to resemble the famous ancient 

Imperial gardens of Beijing. 

The thirteen metre mural made from 

specially glazed and fired ceramic til es 

features two dragons. At its unveiling, Pro 

Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Bendigo 

Campus, Professor Les Kilmartin, said the venture was a 

'wonderful opportunity for the University to contribute to 

a unique project for the people of Bendigo - and for 

tourism in Victoria generally.' 'It will be a terrific 

attraction for visitors, enhanci ng the appeal of th e 

Chinese Gardens and Dragon Museum ,' he said. 

The mural was designed by Australian-Chinese artist, 

Mr Zhou Xiaoping. A collaborative project between the 

Bendigo Chinese Associa tion and the local community, its 

constru(1ion combined the expertise and resources of La 

Trobe University, and the Golden Dragon Museum. 

Ceramics mural project co-ordin ator, Mr Anthony 

Conway, said the dragon in the Chinese community was 

a symbol of power and fertility. 'Its Significance to 

Chinese culture dates from the Han Dynasty. Originally a 

royal emblem, dragons adorned buildings to symbolise 

wealth. To th e farming commu'niry dragons were 

auspicious creatures bringing rain for a fruitful harvest.' 

The Bendigo Chinese Gardens and Dragon Museum, 

he said, offered visitors an insight into these, and many 

other aspects of the rich heritage and culture of the local 

Chinese community. 

The Bendigo Chinese Association and Mr Zhou 

Xiaoping approached ceramics course co-ordinator, Mr 

David Stuchbery with the idea fo r the mural. The 

collaboration involved a group of students induding Gary 

Hill, Elaine Doling, Edward Penhall, Modiri Molwantwa 

and Mari Basile. 

The team used local clay, and tiles were cut to size 

suitable for hand-building. Techniques induding 

combing, extruding and layering were used to create 

texture and relief in the finished product. 

'The biggest challenges were to keep 

the clay from drying too rapidly while 

making the tiles, and to achi eve the 

traditional colours of the glazes: said Mr 

Conway. 'We had to make repealed tests 

to reproduce the correc t turquoise 

background. 

'Our use of copper as a colouring 

pigment took us on a journey to the roots 

of ceramic glazes, the earthenware potters 

of the Yin (1700BC) and Chou (J IOOBC) dynasties, and 

the Han (260BC) dynasty when high-fired stonewa re 

glazes were developed. 

'As with all ceramic art, the f111al application of glazes 

and gas firing was an anxious period for all involved: Mr 

Conway concluded. 00 

EmeSI Raetz from the La Trobe Bulletin March 1999. 

For details about visits to the Golden Dragon Museum and Chinese 

Gardens Tel. (03) 544 t 5044 

Above: Ralph Beh - Project Officer Golden Dragon 

Museum, in front of incomplete mural. 

Below: The completed mural. 

56 POmRY IN A USTRAUA + J8/2 JUNE 1999

Rich Colour with Stoneware Glazes 

Martin Willis talks of the glazes and techniques of recent graduate DENNIS FORSHAW, a student at 

Barrier Reef Institute of T AFE who 'exubes an enthusiasm and confidence that bubbles over into his 

work, particularly his glazing.' 

Dennis Forshaw, cheese platter. 

h25xw35cm. 

Opposite and previous: 

Dennis Forshaw, details. 

Photo R.N. Parsons 

Poking branches up burner pons! Bet you'd like to 

see thaL Well Dennis Forshaw does it. "I need all 

the reduction 1 can get: says Dennis, "so what's 

new" Talking to Dennis, recent graduate in Ceramics 

from Barrier Reef Institute of TAPE is like a breath of 

fresh air. Coming to ceramics later in life Dennis exubes 

an enthusiasm and confidence that bubbles over into his 

work, tyJnicularly his glazing. 

At a time when there seems to be an over infatuation 

in institutional ceramics with the trendy 'easy fix' 

underglaze colour decoration and glossy clear glaze, 

those who are willing to give it a go and seek the 

startling effects, (the hard way), with Stoneware· glaze 

experimentation are becoming a rarity. 

Greg Daly with both his book, 'Glazes and Glazing 

Techniques' and glaze workshops has given a number of 

potters and 'would be' poners a 'kick off' the mark in serious 

glaze experimentation. Dennis is one such Daly fan who has 

availed himself of Greg's glazes and, with experimentation in 

fonnulation and application, delighted himself and others 

with vibrantly colourful pots that eStablish a real presence 

much sought after in stoneware ponery. 

For those of us who have tried, we know that colour is 

not easy to either gain , or control, at stoneware 

temperatures. However, knOWing a select few glazes well 

and being able to fire your kiln consistently, certainly 

makes a heap of difference. More to the point , however, 

is Willingness to experiment and push both kiln and 

glazes beyond the usual to achieve those beller than 

usual results. "I don't do anything stanling," says Dennis, 

"I just play with my glazes and kiln.' But better than 

usual are his results. 

Delmis owns an 8 cubic foot Port a Kiln, purchased 

second hand in 1990. The natural deterioration of a kiln 

due to enthusiastic firing has seen the back wall replaced 

with fire brick. Reduction is a standard procedure, in fact 

his kiln won't oxidise after I200"C, as the nue is not large 

enough. Reduce he does, staning at 98O"C, with a heavy 

'blast', Dennis continues primary and secondary 

reduction through to cone 10 down. Not satisfied with 

the unburnt fuel supplied by the gas, Dennis introduces 

bits of wood, branches, leaves and bark chips through 

the burner port early in the firing, then allows the 

reduction to continue through the rest of the firing. 

The copper red glazes being 'sandwich glazes' need 

early reduction, just as the melt starts. Unable to oxidise 

from 1250-1280°C to brighten up the reds, as some 

potters suggest, Dennis is keen enough to fire twice. The 

glazes do brighten, panicularly the red and rutile blue. 

Dennis advises the packing of tile kiln is important, "a 

very tight pack is best as the copper rebounds off each 

vessel' . For best effects he fires quickly to avoid burning 

off too much copper and ensure no leaks. Copper reds, 

known affectionately and frustratingly as the "jewel of all 

58 POmRY IN A USTRAUA + ISSUE 38/1 MMCH 1999

glazes" will not respond to poor kiln packing, leaking 

kilns and casual firing. 

Having established a procedure to ensure glaze colour 

consistenlY Dennis is still not satisfied. Experimentation is 

too much fun. ' I like my glaze to go on thick", says Dennis, 

"a bit like runny CU5tard, too dlin and it won't work". He 

then overlays glaze on glaze. Tenmok-us and the copper 

red glazes give some "lovely marks", with the colours 

breaking on the rims. The Greg Daly rutile gives very good 

blues both under and over the copper red glaze. 

For a change in colour the Janet De Boos dark shiny 

blue layered with other glazes will also create some 

amazing visua ls. For example, a Tenmoku glaze over the 

blue, with patterns or designs created by using wax 

emulSion, stencilling or sgraffito (the blue glaze can be 

carved quite readily) will create a striking blue to black 

contrast. "Try a creamy 'stand up' feldspar white glaze 

trailed on at the end: Dennis advises, "to complete the 

rich visual gourmet's delight." 

Dennis, now a practising potter in Townsville, offers 

these last words of advice to dle learning poller intent on 

something sJX.'CiaI; "experiment, that's the only way to see". 

Postscript: The Effects of Underglaze on Glaze 

My experiments with underglaze colours on glaze has 

been very fruitful. I use deco and cesco underglazes for 

my effects and experiments. Uscd as a wash as you would 

with water colour painting over such glazes as Greg 

Daly's Rutile Blue and in conjunaion with the fe lspathic 

white dlCY give a variety of colours. A soft merging of dle 

underglazes over glaze produces unbelievable richness of 

contrast and intricate designs. The underglazes should be 

applied as a light wash, not thickly. 00 

GLAZES 1280·13OQ!!C Copper Red (Greg Daly) Rutile Glaze 

Tested 0 11 Walker No 10 StonewalT! 

or JB3 White Stol/w alT! 

Nepheline Syenite 36 Nepheline Syenite 36 

Whiting 9 Whiting 9 

Barium Carbonate 9 Barium Carbonate 9 

Tenmoku (Les Blakeborough) Frit 4712 or 4108 9 Frit 4108 9 

Potash Feldspar 50 Talc 4 Talc 4 

Caldte 13 Silica 28 Silica 28 

Ball Clay 7 Kaolin 5 Kaolin 5 

Silica 7 Copper 0.5 Rutile flour 8 

Red Iron Oxide 10 Tin Oxide 4 Copper Red (John Eagle) 

Shiny Blue (Janet De BooI) Feldspar WhIte (Greg Daly) PotaSh Feldspar 16 

PotaSh Feldspar 15 PotaSh Feldspar 63 Silica 8 

Nepheline Syenite 15 Whiting 15 Whiting 8 

Calcite 15 Talc 10 Gersley Borate 4 

Kaolin 15 Bone ash 6 Kaolin 4 

Silica 40 Silica 10 Tin Oxide 2 

Cobalt Carbonate 2 Kaolin ; Copper Carbonate 0.7 

38/1 MARCH 1999 + POTTERY IN AUSTRAlIA 59

GREAT GLAZES 

Dry Matt Glazes 

Special glazes developed by student TANYA RODIONOV, Campbelltown College of TAFE, to 

compliment her forms that were developed to reference both the past and the present. 

Tanya Rodionov 

My aim is to create traditionally based ceramic 

forms including frames and lidded boxes using 

non traditional methods and materials. These 

objects reflect their old and faded history, yet seem 

contemporary and have a sense of fun about them. Non 

traditional, dry matt glazes are applied for their vibrant 

colours. 

Living in Australia enables us to experience, and be 

exposed to, many different styles and designs from multi 

cultures, resulting in the challenges of experimenting 

with many shapes, deSigns, colours and textures. This 

experimentation has enabled me to discover and develop 

an individual style. A range of styles and contexts from 

architecture to mystical and Gothic themes influence my 

ceramic forms. 

Throughout the progression and development of my 

body of work, great detail was paid to each pan of the 

process, from researching ceramic materials (a pplying 

OH & S to tox ic materials), to drawing the initial 

concepts. Terracotta tile clay was selected as the most 

appropriate clay for the handbuilding technique as it is 

more resistant to cracking and allows the pieces to dry 

evenly and fire safely. The grogged surface texture of the 

tile clay enhanced the aged appearance I wanted to 

capture. 

Clay slabs were prepared and extruded coils were 

added to create a textu red relief design. Ball clay was 

placed over some of the surfaces, then the clay was 

stretched creating a cracked, antique appearance. 

Research on matt glazes, colourants and colour 

enhancers informed me of the high toxicity level of 

working with barium carhonate and the fact that glazes of 

this type were unsuitable for functional ware. As my 

pieces were for decorative, non functional purposes, 

experiments included these barium glazes. Firing at 

different temperatures and different kil n atmospheres 

enabled me to select an oxidised atmosphere at ll00"C, 

as the colours were clearer and brighter in comparison to 

other firing results. 

Additional tests involved colourants applied under the 

man glazes which contained oxides. Stability of the glaze 

colour was complex and solved through adjusting the 

glaze batch and application technique. 

As a student I had high expectations of achieving an 

image I had in mind. However, at times, it was difficult to 

resolve ideas to three dimensional sculplUral fomls. Glaze 

application proved critical for vibrancy of the colours. 

Each new problem had to be worked through to gain 

control which allowed funher experimentation. 

Finally, I came to realise that outwardly the 

craftsperson transforms raw materials into new forms but 

inwardly the material transforms the craftsperson. 00 

RECIPE 

The glaze sekcted was: 

Potash Feldspar 37 

Barium Carbonate 37 

Kaolin \0 

Colourants added 

were: 

Copper Carbonate 16 

Chromium OXide 13 

60 POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA + ISSUE J811 MARCH 1999

GREAT GLAZES 

Alkaline Glaze 

LEONIE NORTON, University of Westem Sydney searches for her 'perfect glaze', 

As a graduating ceramic student in 1998 at UWS 

Macarthur, this was a journey I took over three 

years, Almost weekly experiments resulted in some 

exciting test results, only to discover duplication on a 

larger scale was often an im[Xlssibiliry, to name but one 

obstacle, 

In my final year 1 was producing ornate goblets, with 

both an Australian and medieval theme, along with 

platters imaging an Australiana flavour created by the 

impregnation of gum leaves into a slightly textured 

surface, To enhance both pattern and theme, my pieces 

required a rich, deep, glossy green glaze, 

At this [Xlint, Michael Keighery, the head of Visual Arts 

and ceramics lecturer at U\'(o'S Macarthur, was conducting 

research into alkaline glazes, After consultation with 

Michael, the basic fonnula was produced, Now my own 

experiments began, After several unsuccessful 

experiments, I was beginning to despair. How familiar 

this must appear to many dedicated ceramist" However, 

I began to spray the glaze, experimenting with many 

layers, altering the temperJIures and lastly, adding a CMC 

suspension age nt (2%), as the glaze separated very 

quickly whilst spraying, 

The glaze remains my favourite, It is versatile and can 

he sprayed upto three coats, prodUCing varying effects 

and depth of colour. The colour range can be altered 

drastically by minute adjustments in the pigments, The 

formula produces degrees of crazing due to its high 

thennal expansion, 

My platter using this glaze was acquired by the UWS 

Macanhur Depanment of Business and Commerce as a 

trophy for the Conununiry Business Innovation Award, 00 

RECIPE 

Transparent 

Peacock Turquoise 

Alkaline Glaze 

980'C - 11 OO'C 

(Cones 07-03) 

Oxidation 

Frit No 3110 

Bentonite 

Potash Feldspar 

Copper carbonate 

Chrome oxide 

80 

2 

12 

5,8 

0,2 

Leonie Norton, 

Ornate Stand, 

Alkaline glaze. 

h27cm. 

3812IUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRALIA 61

"The Sacred Balance" 

'In my final years work I searched for an expression of the fragility and the accelerated extinction of 

species in the last 300 years within the vulnerable systems of island networks (including Australia and 

New Zealand).' LYNNE CROCKER, student at Northern Beaches TAFE, Brookvale. 

62 POTTERY IN AUSTRAUA + 38/2 JUNE 1999

Above: 'Untitled'. 

Slab built, dry barium glazes. 

25 x 35cm to 20 x 3Ocm. 

(Photo Ernest Crocker) 

Left: 'The Sacred Balance'. 

Giant Ammonite with Foucaults 

Pendulum suspended above. dl.5m. 

Below: Surface detail showing fossil 

sprig. 

Opposite: Ammonite. 

(Photo Ernest Crocker) 

Early in the fmal year of my Diploma I knew that my 

work would be a large scale sculpture using clay as 

the major component. The concept for this work 

was based on my earlier reading of David Quammen's 

book "TIle Song of the Dodo' and David Suzuki's "The 

Sacred Balance". Quammen researches the accelerated 

extinction of species in the last 300 years within the 

vulnerable systems of island networks (including 

Australia and New Zealand). Suzuki presents us with a 

most complete expression of an environmental ethic as 

he discusses the ecological balance of planet earth, the 

dangers we face of upsetting that balance and forever 

ch;mging life on earth as we know it. 

In my work I searched for an expression of the fragility 

of that balance in the hope of making my audience 

aware of some of these issues. 

In my earliest drawings' envisaged using a spiral form 

as it has held significance for every culture and 

civilization from the beginning of recorded time. I 

decided at this point to introduce another component, 

Foucault's pendulum which measures the rotation of the 

earth under the force of gravity. I felt the use of the two 

components combined with a sympathetic site would 

produce a work which was visually arresting, ere-dting 

tension, the slow constant swing of the pendulum 

suspended just above the large spiral form. The 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN A USTRAlIA 63

pendulum which marks the passage of time and in this 

instance shows the rotation of the earth in conjunction 

with the distant stars, must be in complete hannony and 

balance with its surroundings to work. If the balance is 

disturbed it will not work. If the pendulum is over 

stressed the wire will break, smashing the spiral form 

beneath. If all the components work together the 

pendulum will continue 10 demonstrate the continuum of 

the sacred balance and life on earth in all its rich variety 

and remarkable beauty. 

After spending the fi rst few months of the year 

researching extinct species, I came across the beautiful 

fossil form of dle long extinct ammonite. [ based my 

spiral ceramic fonn on this. Several days were pent in 

the Palaeontology Department of the Australian Museum, 

under the direction of Dr Robert Jones where I was able 

10 fossick, pressing fossils of extinct species into clay 

beds, in order 10 produce clay sprigs. [ also spent time 

with Dr Tim Flannery photographing bones of extinct 

indigenous mammals and also lOok impressions. This 

research led to a series of simple rectangular, shallow 

forms hand built in day. [ was able to use ulese initial 

forms 10 experiment, using sprigs and transferring some 

of the fossil images onto fresh clay slabs. These were 

later used for dry glaze experimentation for the larger 

work. 

THE PENDULUM COMPONENT: 

The Pendulum was designed to be suspended from a 

fLxed point 11 metres high, with a swing of l.l metres. 

This makes the aspect ratio 10, a criti cal va lue as it 

simplifies the suspension mechanism. The pendulum 

consists of a 200 mm aluminium ball, 11 metres of 

commercial piano wire and a 

suspension devi ce whi ch 

houses the wire and allows the 

ball to swing freely .The 

Pendu lum was built with the 

help of information from the 

Foucault Pendulum website. 

Mr Wal Van Heeckeren 

designed and built th e 

suspension device and 

polished the 200mm 

aluminium ball which was 

filled with lead shot to 

achieve a weight of 5 kilos. 

Added advice came from Peter 

Maul and his team at Sydney 

University Physics Department 

who were responsible for the 

Pendulum in the Queen 

Victoria Building in Sydney. 

64 POTTERY IN AUSTRAIJA + 3an JUNE 1999 

The theory behind the Pendulum is that it swings in a 

plane that is fIXed, relative to the distant stars and the 

Earth rotates "under' the Pendulum. So over time the 

Foucault Pendulum will appear to gradually sweep out a 

360 degree circle. The ball keeps swinging in the original 

plane in which you started it (thanks to inertia) and the 

Earth rotates under it. Th e ammonite beneath 

demonstrates this fact by locating a true centre and 

marking the pendulum's changing position. 

THE CERAMIC COMPONENT: 

For the purposes of handling and firing, the ceramic 

component, a giant ammonite was made to half scale (1.5 

metres) in diameter. Working from a pressing in clay 

taken from The Australian Museum, a drawing was made 

of the ammonite and blown up 10 scale. In making large 

scale work it is vital to use as many visua l aids as 

possible to allow you to come to terms with the size of 

the components you'll be working with. Scale drawings 

also mean that mistakes on paper save countless hours of 

work in clay. Small models are also useful, although the 

Above: At the Australian Museum researching fossils. 

Below: Impressions taken from fossil collection at the Australian Museum.

scale doesn't always translate visuaUy to a larger scale. 

After much consultation it was decided that the best 

way to make the work was to model the ammonite in 

sand, to scale. Plaster would then be poured over the 

entire su rface which wou ld be di vided into 8 

rectangu lar sections. The plaster sections would retain 

their weathered sandy texture and could be reassembled 

to form the original spiral. A clay surface 

would then be pressed over the plaster moulds and redivided 

into 9 sections in radial axes following the form. 

Reinforcing walls wou ld be added and the rolled edge 

of the form, coil built and fin ished off, before removing 

the work from the plaster moulded base and allowing it 

to dry. It wou ld then be slowly bisque fired and finally 

glaze fired with dry glazes to seal the surface and give 

th e form its fi nal colour and wea th ered surface 

appearance. 

1. Working on the floor, a plastic sheet with the drawing 

was taped to the floor 

2. Ten bags of 'fatty" b'Jsh sand was tipped onto the 

plastic sheet and held in place with a 25 em galvanized 

metal collar. Measurements were made at each end of 

a mid line to establish the fall to the centre of each of 

the seven spirals. Fourteen templates were cut and 

used to roughly determine the levels and widths of the 

diminishing spirals. These levels were then compacted 

and refined using a steel kidney. The spiral spines were 

carved away using tuming tools. The sand was kept 

well compacted and constantly moist. 

3. Once the sand form was complete, metal dividing 

shims were inserted into the sand in eight sections. 

These were taped with duct tape and the sculpture was 

sprayed with a mixture of 50/50 Bondcrete and water to 

seal the surface slightly. 

3812 JUNE 1999 + POTTffiY IN AUSTRAlIA 65

SITE: 

The sites considered for this work were few because of 

the requirements for housing the pendulum. The ideal 

site from my point of view was the foyer of Customs 

House at Ci rcular Quay It was the entry point for 

European settlement in Australia, some 200 years ago and 

has a close proximity to the harbour, the ammonites 

original habita!. It also houses collections for The Centre 

for Contemporary Craft and The Australian Museum. 

This wo rk is seen as a rough scale model. The 

pendulum would be free to hang tlle full distance from 

ceiling to the floor of the foyer. The ammonite beneath 

would be a diminishing spiral with its highest point sel al 

floor level. Pendulums are at present housed in the 

Uniled Nations building in New York, a large banking 

corporat ion in Edinburgh and the Queen Victoria 

Building, Sydney. 

THE SANDCASTING PROCESS: 

The choice of the sandcasting process was made in an 

anempt to retain a sense of the wholeness of the work, to 

give it a life of its own. In nearly every other process I 

believe this sense would have been los!. Modular forms 

would have looked hard and contrived, and each one 

would have had to be altered as the spiral diminished. J 

could have built it directly out of clay, but if a section 

had cracked or broken in the firing it would have been 

virtually impossible to get it right again. TIle moulds offer 

nOl only the opportunity of repealing the process but 

also of making work from the individual seclions which 

in themselves form an interesting grou p. 

The process suited the way I like to work. I like to 

push boundaries, 10 experiment and 10 keep the whole 

ceramic process as flexible as possible. In this way it 

allows for changes at the last minute if something isn't 

working. 

The process of sandcasting has generated a very 

interesting learning curve. Often without knowing how 

to deal with a particular set of problems I was very 

grateful to have so much good advice and technical 

assistance from all the staff at Brookvale TAPE, and for 

this I thank them. I would also like to thank Dr Roben 

4. A runny mixture of plaster was 

carefully applied to the surface . 

More plaster was added at a 

thicker consistency to build up 

the sections to approximately 5·6 

cms in depth. These were left to 

harden and dry. 

5. Once dry the metal collar was 

removed and the plaster sections 

were hosed down to remove 

excess sand. The sand imprint 

worked well giving a lovely 

surface. The sections were 

placed in a drying cupboard for a 

week. 

66 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + 3812 JUNE 1999

Jones and Dr Tim Flannery of The Australian Museum, 

th e staff at Macquarie Un ive rsity Earth Sciences 

Museum, The Foucault Pendulum Team at Sydney 

University and Mr Wal Van Heeckeren for their advise 

and expertise. 

Lastly [ want to encourage all those reading this article 

to S

[ICII NICAL 

Getting Plastered Without Excess 

ANNE GAZZARD, a student from Hunter Institute of TAFE, Singleton Campus, takes a logical 

approach to, what is for many potters, a hit and miss affair. 

When confronted with the problem of just how 

much plaster I needed fo r a plaster ba ll, my 

maths reacher's words from way back rose in my 

mind-'remember these formulae, you may need them one 

day!' Indeed, by remembering how to calculate the 

volume of the ball, I was able to estimate just how much 

plaster would be necessary without any wastage. 

By realising that ule plaster baIt is actually a nallened 

cylinder, the formula for the volume of a cylinder can be 

used (a simple hand held calculalOr will make it easier, 

but it is not essential). 

Volume = 1tr2h 

1t is a constant number that is related to circles. Its 

va lue is 22/7 or 3. 14 

r is the radius of the circle or half of the diameter 

which is the distance across the centre of the circle. 

r 2 means the radius is squared or multiplied by itse lf. 

h is the height of the cylinder or the thickness you 

want the ball to be. 

If all the measu rements are made in centimetres it makes 

the conversion to liqu id volume very simple as your 

calcul ated volume will give an answer in cu bic 

centimetres which is the same measure used in liquid 

volumes i.e. 1 litre = 1000 cubic centimetres (1000 cc). 

THE CYLINDER 

As an example, if you want a plaster batt which has a 

diameter of 32 cm (radius 16cm) and a thickness of 3cm. 

See diagram below: 

Then volume of cylinder = 3.14 x 16 x 16 x 3 

= 24 11 cubic centimetres 

= 2.4 litres 

ow, the amoum of dry plaster you will need to make 

up this vol ume of pl aster sl urry can be calculated. 

Obviously, if you start with this volume of water and 

then add the plaster 10 it you will end up with a greater 

volume, so you need 10 know just what that volume 

change is to avoid ending up with an excess of plaster 

slurry. 

A plaster to water ratio of 1.4 to 1 is recommended for 

plaster slabs. If you want a harder or softer piaster, you 

can adjust this ratio. 

Using 1.4 to J, J found the fi nal volume increased to 

about one and a half times the volume of water used. So 

to achieve the desired final volume I would actually only 

use about two th ird~ of that volume of water. 

Back to the example: for a final volume of 2.4 litres, you 

will only need; 

2.4 x 2/3 litres of water = 1.6 Iitres of water 

TIle amount of plaster you need to add to that water is 

the volume of water mUltiplied by the plaster ratio of 1.4. 

1.6 litres x 1.4 = 2.25 kilograms of plaster. 

Now Ul3t this simple principle of volu me is understood 

you will easily be able to apply it to other plaster shapes 

you may want to cast. Here are some other useful 

formulae for calculating volumes. 

13cm 

-- 

32cm~--------------------------------------~· 

68 POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA + 38/2 JUNE 1999

THE BOX SHAPE 

Vohune - area of the base x height 

Or length x breadth x height 

V -Lx Bx H 

BJI' 

~--------------~ 

L 

THESPHERE 

Vohune - 413 It r3 

V = 4/3 x 22/7 x r x r x r 

A herni-sphere is half of !he above. 

ACONESHAPE 

Vohune • 113 It r2b 

V =1/3x 22nx r x r x h 

If you have an interesting bowl or object that is not a regular shape like these, !hen you may be able to measure its 

volume by: 

I Filling it with water and measuring the volume of water it contains. 

2 Filling a larger vessel of known volume (e.g. a 10 litre bucket) with water !hen submerging the desired object into 

!he water. Water will be displaced by !he object so the difference between the initial ten litres and !he final volume 

in the bucket after you have removed the object will be the volume of that object. 

Don't be deterred by the maths! Happy plastering!1 GIll 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN A USTRALIA 69

II C II j\; ICA l 

Planning A Firing 

A successful firing demands good planning - particularly 'lkien it is a wood firing. ANDREW ALLEN, 

from laTrobe University, explains. 

Considering the abundance of natural materials 

around Ihe Bendigo region, it is easy to see why 

wood-firing has proven to be so popular amongst 

students from both the local TAFE college, and La Trobe 

University. Learning how to plan and organize a woodftri 

ng is an education in itself, and Ihe amount of work 

and people involved makes effective planning essential 

to Ihe success of any firing. 

Planning ensures adequate time is allowed for each 

stage of the process, from wood collection Ihrough to 

making, stacking and firing. It helps establish who will be 

involved in the firing and to what extent. One of the 

main aims of planning is to assist in decision making 

about the type of ftring effects that are achievable. This 

helps to aid in the selection of clays and glazes, 

according to temperature, time and atmosphere. Early 

planning also helps establish ongOing communication 

between participants, especially in regard to shapes being 

made for each section of Ihe kiln. 

TEMPERATURE, TIME AND 

ATMOSPHERE 

Temperature, time and atmosphere are established 

according to what effects are being sought, and in 

consideration of the types of clays and glazes used. 

Cross-draft kilns are often uneven in temperature, 

being hotter at the front and cooler towards the back. 

This can be controlled through both the stack and the 

stoking panerns. However, by working with this natural 

variation in temperature during planning, a large range of 

effects can be achieved within Ihe one kiln load. This 

requires the appropriate selection of clays and glazes for 

each area. For example, a 13OO"C flashing slip may not 

be suitable for the cooler end of Ihe kiln, which may be 

126o"C; therefore a low melting glaze can be used instead 

, thereby increasing the successful output of the kiln. 

Often in planning it is wise to plan backwards from the 

date required for unstacking. This ensures adequate time 

can be allocated for collecting wood, making and drying 

of pots, and stacking and firing of the kiln. 

TIMELINE 

Where specific deadlines are concerned, a timeline must 

be established. This ensures a general overview of what 

needs to be done and when these activities need to occu r. 

Starting with the date of the un loading, a rough 

timeline may read like Ihis: 

Unloading 

Cooling 

Firing 

Stacking 

Making & Glazing 

Clay & Wood prep. 

Total 

5 days 

3 days 

3 days 

4 weeks 

2 weeks 

8 weeks 

If firing were to commence immediately dates would be 

set as follows: 

Unloading 

8 weeks 

Stacking 

6 weeks 

Wood and clay preparJtion should be the first concern. 

Having an excess of wood and clay means the making 

process is much more relaxed. Doing the wood early 

ensures everyone involved has time to help. Ideally, extra 

time should be allowed for each aspect of the process, 

Ihereby allOWing for nexibility within Ihe time line. 

KILN MAP 

The kiln map is a top view and side view cross-sectional 

plan of Ihe kiln, and can be used on both a group and 

individual level in planning. It can be used to table notes 

on specific areas of the kiln and also to plan shapes and 

clay bodies for each part of Ihe kiln. 

If properly utilized, the advantages of a kiln map are 

limitless. Some of the ways which it can be used are 

listed. 

• By dividing the kiln into sections, it enables each part 

to be dealt with separately. This helps in Ihe locating 

of specific zones and Iheir effet1S, as well as the setting 

of atmosphere and temperature range for each step, or 

area. 

• It will help both beginners and experienced poners to 

choose the correct clays and glazes for each area 

according to Iheir requirements. 

• Having shapes that stack well together is very 

important. By keeping individual charts of shapes 

70 POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA + 3Bn JUNE 1999

eing made for each area, and cross-referendng with 

other group members, it can be easily determined what 

shapes need to be made to fill each area. 

• The kiln map can be used as a reference guide during 

planning, making, stacking, firing , and most 

importantly, analysis of results and plann ing for the 

next firing. 

• 1t helps in promoting organizational and co-operative 

skills and the sharing of ideas and results, which is 

beneficial to everyone. 

• Helps beginners to effectively evaluate results, expand 

their knowledge, and concentrate on specific areas of 

the kiln. Understanding why and what occurs in each 

area helps in repeating positive outcomes, or rectifying 

undesirable results. 

• This idea can be adopted to suit any kiln for a variety 

of purposes, most notably stacking space. 

• A co-operative attitude is important for the successful 

use of the kiln map. There should be one main map for 

group usage, around which such issues of temperature, 

clay bodies, and shapes are based. Single maps can be 

used by individuals for a variety of needs, whether it is 

tabling of results or ideas, to planning of shapes. 

ANALYSIS 

At the unloading, the group has the advantage of seeing 

a large variety of results from each other's work. This is 

the best time to discuss, analyze, and share information 

about one another'S work. 

Analysis involves identifying a pots position within the 

kil n, then discussing why cerrain effects may have 

occurred. Then look at similar clays and glazes 

throughout the rest of the kiln. This can help build an 

overall picture of atmosphere, heat and flame throughout 

the kiln , as well as focussing on individual areas and 

their effects on different clays and glazes. Pots can now 

be referenced back to the kiln map and participants can 

discuss individual results and why they may have 

occurred. Once it is understood why certain effects may 

have occurred in each area, this can then be used to help 

repeat the effect or alter the cause, depending on the 

result. Obviously there are innumerable variables, each 

playing a part in the end result. Therefore it is wise to 

keep an open mind when unloading a kiln. 

Predetemlining the outcome is a fool's game and will 

inevitably lead to disappointment. On the other hand, 

even firings considered a failure could produce the pot of 

a lifetime. 00 

r 

Date of firing: 

Type of firing: 

length of fi ring: 

= "";;;,;;0:;,: T. ~o";: ,:: L,,,,;;:,:: L: ::,;g,;;;:;: ::":: 

;;;;;;;;:;:::! 

I" " I 

: : 

· . 

' . 

: : 

· . 

· . 

: : 

ie 

: STOKEHOLE 

TEMP: 

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- _ ___ - --- "- - - -- - - - - - - - - --- - - ~ . --- - -- - --- - - _ _ A! ' __ • _____ • - ___ _ _ _ _ _ •• ___ ____ ___ • _ _ ___ • _. __ 

Kiln Map Side View 

J8J2 JUNE . 999 + POTIERY IN AUSTRAUA 71

Alone in Dong Nai with 1.5million 

Vietnamese and a Tonne of Clay 

By CHRISTINE PEARSON 

Looking at my slides now 

that I have rerumed home 

I realise that my stay at 

Dong ai College of Decorative 

Arts as their first Artist in 

Residence was a success, but at 

the time my thoughts were 

'What am I doing here?'. How 

can my thoughts and potting 

experience be of any value to a 

college that is surrounded by 

thousands of small and large 

factories producing masses of 

pots for the home and export 

market. 

I have vis ited Vietnam and 

dle College a number of times 

so being alone in a rural town 

was not a concern . J was 

looking fo rwa rd to working 

uninterrupted. 

There is only one lecrurer at 

the College with whom to have an easy conservation. 

The only problem was that she was not always ava ilable. 

J communicated by writing in chalk the English words 

and my students would write the Vietnamese. It wasn 't 

long before the Ceramics workroom was decorated with 

bilingual scribbles. This was fun and the srudents enjoyed 

listening to me ask for a bucket of ice instead of the hot 

water for my cup of tea! 

My time at the College was to be spent making a body 

of work to be exhibited before I left, to give lecrures on 

Health and Safety in the work place and present slide 

talks on Australian ceramics, especially Canberra, because 

I am President of the Canberra Poners' Society. This all 

sounded feasible as J had been making work influenced 

by my trips to Vietnam, and [ planned to expand on this. 

Upon arrival I realised that my plans had to be flexible 

- very flexible. The clay had been delivered by truck and 

dumped into the pit for processing. This was being done 

by feet and hands but the weather was not cooperating 

and th e typhoons persisted. This clay delivered was 

especially for throWing but did the sticks and leaves 

Some of the early completed work. 

know this? Time was not long 

enough to reprocess the clay so 

my first ideas were abandoned. 

We all did, however, make a 

breakfast set which developed 

much discussion on what 

everyone had for breakfast - 

unfortunately it seemed tha t 

most students could not afford 

breakfast and only had a coffee. 

The pulled handle was a big hit; 

I was amazed that this western 

secret had been kept for so 

long! 

The textures and pa tterns of 

the textiles worn by onhern 

Minority Peoples have 

influenced the work that I have 

been developing but it did not 

seem right to continue with th.is 

idea in the south where the 

people of the Mekong Delta 

have their own culru ral traditions. 

With the weather, clay, time, and unknown glaze 

ingredients in mind I decided to play safe and first cancel 

the idea of an exhibition. l11is released me from some 

pressure. My revised plan was now to get the srudents 

thinking their own thoughts and to develop a piece of 

individual work. Please remember, Vietnam has only 

been open to free expression in recent years and that it 

still has a Communist govenunem. In all things it is wise 

not to express too many of one's own thoughts. Widl this 

in mind I also did not want to make the teachers feel 

upset with me so we talked about a project based on the 

conical hat as a symbol of Vietnam. I explained to the 

student, that when I first came to Vietnam the conical hat 

was what YOll saw in ule fields and the cities. Now there 

are baseball caps bearing brand names and western style 

ladies hats. 

The project was agreed on: taking the conical hat 

shape to express the changes that you h'lve witnessed in 

your life and your country. The fll'St questions were for 

the exact dimensions of the shape so I cut out a rough 

72 POffiRY IN AUSTRAUA + 3812 JUNE 1999

shape from a piece of paper. Next 

minute I was presented with a metal 

template of the rough paper cut out! 

'Do you need 15 of these", 'One for 

each student?' Vietnamese are great 

copiers" 'No' r answered, and 

explained the student, were to take 

the shape and cbange it to fit their 

ideas of the conical hat; not to make 

exact copies of the piece of paper. 

Such creative freedom provided the 

first problems. 

All the students were very capable 

ske tchers of subj ects such as 

traditional folk tales, the symbol of 

the town, or the hero from the north 

who saved the south. r had to 

encourage them to think past the standard images for 

true self expression - and all this through an interpreter! 

We talked about clay work being three-dimensional 

and how to decorate and not just make a drawing as on 

the su rface. My interpreter, Boi Tran, told me that this 

was all very foreign, which was right down my alley as I 

was the foreigner. 

So that night r worked late making examples. r kept 

the basic hat shape but rounded a comer, made a longer 

side or tried to give the round feel of a hal. For the 

decoration r added clay to make waves - Vietnam has a 

very long coastline - another had the Nike tick and Just 

Do It', a third an aerial view of the countryside using 

sgraffito to highlight the patterns of the rice fields. 

The one decoration which proved the most fun was 

writing allover the piece the Vietnamese words 

associated with the people who wear the conical hats - 

those who cook and sell food, farmers, and those who 

hawk wares. The students hel ped with correcting my 

Writing as a dash in the wrong place makes a completely 

different word. 

The message was getting through as work appeared 

with factories with billowi ng smoke and dead fish in 

rivers. EI Nino was discussed. Streetscapes were buill in 

relief and decoration was carved into the shape. As the 

work progressed it lost the paper cut-out look. 

We had a great firing. Everyone was very nervous and 

could not wait to crack open the kiln. They had never 

used the decorating techrlique of coloured slip, so they 

were keen to see the results. 

We had a party and discussed the results and talked 

about tbis work as examples of what can be done. TIleir 

project was to continue with this theme and to produce 

work for an exhibition in three months time in March. In 

the meantime r was to return to Australia. 

Mr Thang and students working on the 'Conical hat' project. 

The teachers made very poSitive speeches about my 

time at the College staling that at first they did think 'Who 

does she think she is' and 'what is this women on ahout'! 

They had come to understand and appreciate the giving 

of my time and were keen to participate in the project. 

The next step was to plan a venue for the exhibition in 

Ho Chi Minh city. 

r would like to thank the Australian Consld General in 

Ho Chi MimI City for supplying assistance to allow my 

participation as the inaugural Artist in Residence. GI9 

Christine Pearson will lead a pottery and cultural tour to 

Vietnam with Sue Buckle leaving 30 June 2000, for 14 

days. Potters' studios, large potte ries, different types of 

kilns and a day's hands-on in a pottery included. 

Information: 

Active Travel. Tel 02 6249 6122 Fax 02 6249 6788 

Mr Nhan and Christine at the Vietnamese-built wheels. 

3an JUNE 1999 + POffiRY IN AUSTRAUA 73

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New courses 10 be advised 

YKJ1!BIA 

lto\lIT University I Melbourne B.A. fine An fIT; PIT 3yrs fIT; • .5yrs PIT 

B.A.Hons Fine Art FIT; PIT 'Y'" FIT; 9yrs PIT 

MA.Fine Art (by coor>

I'KI\I\ln OlW\I\IIO \ " " I(I\I I I \ll RI ' 

Development of production, conceptual & indu511i;11 skills 

The 30chilectural & cenntics program centn.>d on bilincing 

aesthetics & skills. Course flexible 10 srudents Interests. 

Interdiscip. studies avail. 

Flexible program for artiSiidprofessional skills. 

Contemporary lheorcy & hIStory. ImerdisCip. & intefCImpu. .. Sludies available. 

!lev. product'n & conceprualskills 

Articulates into [)egree programs. 

Ik\'. hroad hase of pr.U.1K: .. I, design & t:OrK:t!plual skills 

The elective progrJm allows srudenl5 to choose 3 specialist path that suilS 

im..liv. nttds and and abilities. 

Developing COIlC

l iNI I()')

WIDE 

A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS 

FROM OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES 

her work and raku firing. Later in May the group are 

planning a ferry trip across the Bay to visit Paul Davis in 

his studio. 

The Valley Potters are organising a paper kiln firing 

and a pit firing with Barry Hayes at his pottery in Devon 

Meadows on June 19. 

Warrandyte Ceramic Studio and Pottery School featured 

Ted Secombe demonstrating various throwing techniques 

of small and very large forms and a variety of additions. 

Deborah Halpern will present a handbuilt sculpture 

workshop. 

The VCG are celebrating their 30 anniversary with 

'Clayfever', an exhibition staning August 9 at Chapel on 

Chapel Gallery, Prahan. This gallery is also popular for 

music and performance. There will also be a retrospective 

giving an historical overview. 

Chris Sanders is coordinating the committee for the 

10th Ceramics Conference in Melbourne in 2002. Rob 

Knighton is co-ordinating the VCG Gallery. If interested 

contact the gallery on 03 9329 1919. 

• Marg Hornbuckle 

TASMANIA 

The Tasmanian 'filterpress' has been very sluggish - a sign 

of wimer's approach! 

The Southern Potters had a workshop with l.auren 

Carpenter in April and with Ben Richard,on, well known 

thrower in June. A workshop is planned with Trudy 

Golley - not to be missed. For funher information contact 

Dianne Martin , Ph : 03 6225 3731 or emai l: 

tassie.nel.au/poltery/tas.potters@tassie.nel.au. 

In the nonh, Launceston Anisan, Charles Street Gallery 

had a wonderfully eXCiting show 'Australian Ceramics, '99' 

with ceramics by Victorians Andrew Cope, Ted Secombe, 

Peter Ries and John Dermer, NSW's Chester ealie, Bob 

Connery, SA's Peter Andersson, Qld's Rick and Leonie 

Wood, Tassie's Lisa Boyter, Billie Powell, David Paul, 

Rynne Taman and Zsolt Faludi. It was a feast! 

After 16 years Condios Pottery & Ceramic Supplies has 

changed hands and is now operating as Tasmanian 

Pottery & Ceramic Supplies. Welcome to new owners 

Tony & Jan Mitchel. The address is 10 Windsor Road , 

Haroola 7267, Ph: 03 6395 43 18, mob: 0408 954 218 fax: 

03 6395 4301. On behalf of Tassie potters a sincere 

thankyou to Arend Piest for his friendly and emcien! 

service during the last 16 years. He will still be available 

for kiln and equipment repairs. We hope his dreams of 

extending his pottery will be fulfUled. 

A plea to Tassie potters, students, educators, galleries - 

please let us know what is happening well in advance! 

• Bernadine Alling, Leanne Vanderslink 

NORTH QUEENSLAND 

Despite cyclonic weather and considerable flooding, 

much planning as been going on here. Mt lsa Potters hold 

their annual Pottery Competition end of May. Chris 

Harford is judge and is staying on to 11m a raku workshop 

in Townsville and Charters Towers. TIle Burdekin Potters 

have workshops organised with Marc Sauvage and Bev 

Butler and the Wide Bay-Burnett Potters are looking 

forward to workshops with Carol & Anhur Rosser and the 

Flying Arts School. 

Here in Townsville the Perc Tucker Regional Art 

Gallery has solo artists from North Queensland as its 

focus this year, two of whom are pollers. 'Beneath Our 

Fcet' is the first of these exhibitions by Jenny Mulcahy 

from Magnetic Island. 

A major retrospective of Connie Hoedt's work will be 

exhibited in July and in late August the Regional Gallery 

will also host the 1999 Townsville Ceramics Competition 

organised by the Nth Qld POllers. For the first time thil; 

year's major award of $2000 from the Gallery will be 

acquiSitive. The judge is Patsy Hely. We look forward to 

an eXCiting exhibition. 

• \Vendy Bainbridge 

WA 

Conference time is upon us - onal details are in place and 

all systems are go. Every effort has been made by the WA 

ceramic community to welcome you to an interlude of 

meaningful stimulus for the potters mind, body and sou l. 

It' not too late to join in - book now. 

The delegates exhibition, 'Diverse' will open in the new 

gallery of the Studio Ceramics and fine An Building at the 

WA School of Art, Design & Media. This will be the 

inaugural show for this wonderful new wedge-shaped 

gallery space. The centrally located WASAD ceramics 

facility will also be the venue for all the Conference 

3812 JUNE 1999 + POnERY IN AUSTRALIA 79

AUSTRALIA 

WIDE 

workshops, so those attending will be situated in the 

hean of Penh's cultural centre, with the State An Gallery, 

Museum and State library nearby. Craftwest galle ry 

exhibition 'Ellipsis' and the Nonhbridge cafe strip are JUSt 

a shon walk away. 

The Art Gallery of WA will also be presenting an 

exh ibition 'The language of Clay' from 12 June to 22 

August. The works arc selected from the W A State An 

Collection and shows works from the past two hundred 

years from Australia, the Americas, Europe and As ia. 

The 'Earth Sculpture Installation Performance Fire' 

workshop presented by Jorgen Hansen from Denmark 

will run for 7 days - 28 June-4 July. Panicipants will build 

a iarge outdoor clay sculpture, which will culminate with 

a nightime fire performance. If you want to panicipate 

contact Anne Airey Tel/Fax 08 9276 9954 or ema il 

cala@penhpcug.org.au. Cost if $150. 

To compliment the activities of the Conference, a 50 

page Conference Handbook will be available so even if 

yo u cant attend the Conference, look out for this 

informative, valuable publication. 

Penh Potters Biannual Selective Exhibition is one of the 

many extraordinary exhibitions which will be staged over 

the conference period. Ex-president Di Sigel will be 

selecting works for the show and Greg Crowe will open 

the exhibition on Wednesday 30th June at 7.30pm. All 

welcome. 

The CSG had its AGM, Sharon Peterkin gave a very 

informative talk on Trade Fairs and a new Presidenr Ian 

Minchin replaced me as retiring President. CSG members 

will present their exhihition 'New Waves', opening Friday 

2 July at the Fremantle Arts Centre. 

The anagama kiln built by Dianne McKusker and Greg 

Crowe (see last issue PIA) has had its first fi ring with the 

help of wood fire enth usi ast~ and Greg reports pleasing 

results. 

The Conference's PubliCity Officer, Irene Poulton has 

been doing a great job of promoting the event. Check out 

the June issue of the Qantas inflight magaZine for an 

article if you're commutin g to WA by air. Other 

publications include Artlink Magazine, Australian 

Ceramics Yearbook, Scoop, Homes & living and a front 

page mention in the Japanese newspaper, 'Ja News'. An 

important job raiSing th e profile of not onl y the 

Conference but also the an of ceramics . 

• Lookingjorward to seeing you all soon, Lyn Robinson 

WA Ceramics 

Groups 

Continued from Issue 38/1 

BUNBURY STUDIO POTTERS 

Stirling Street Art Centre, Bunbury 6231 

The grou p has an average of 25 members and was 

established in 1979. Three groups meet Monday, Tuesday 

and Friday and combine for social events such as raku 

days and workshops. 

An annual exhibition and sale is held towards the end 

of the yea r. 

We welcome visitors anytime. 

Contact: liz Birkett: 9721 8656 

Jenny Whalen: 9721 1020 

Davida Palmer: 9721 6646 

CANNING ARTS GROUP INC 

enr High & Riley Rds, Reverton, WA 6148 

The Canning Arts Group is a non profit community based 

group which provides educational, recrea tional and 

social interaction promoting and fostering all fonns of art 

craft and fellowship. Founded in 1971 it is still going 

strong with an active membership. 

The Group has a large, well equipped working area 

for potters, as well as an additional area for fine ans. The 

ceramics area includes wheels, pugmill, extruder, electriC 

kilns, slab roller and glaze mixing equipment and raku 

kilns. 

Classes are offered to adults and children. The gift 

shop and gallery are open Monday to Friday 9.30-2pm 

and Saturday 9.30-4.30. The office is open Monday to 

Friday 9.30-2pm 

Contact: Merilyn O'Shannessy Ph/Fax 08 9457 9600 

eSG member Murray Brown 

with a piece of fired art 

(whoops)! 

80 POmRY IN AUSTRAUA + 3812 JUNE 1999

II;\N[)~ ON 

PRODUCT UPDATE 

CLAYWORKS NEW WHITE 

HANDBUILDING CLAY· WHC 

The recently reJeased.Clayworks White Handbuilding 

Clay, WHC is proving to be extremely popular wIth 

a wide range of customers including schools, 

colleges and studio potters. 

Why is it so popular? Because WHC has: 

• The extra tooth required for a handbuilding body 

• A broad firing range 

• Glaze fit with a range of eanhenware glazes 

• A good colour response 

• Low talc body and high plasticity propenies which 

make it a forgiving clay and easy to handle 

• It is excellent for throwing, slab rolling and 

handbuilding. 

We recommend firing in the Cone range of 02-01 but we 

know customers who fire this clay to Cone 5 without 

slumping. 

In response to market demand Clayworks undertook to 

develop a very white handbuilding clay that has glaze fit 

with commercial eanhenware glazes. With Clayworks 

WHC, this has been achieved. 

Since its release WHC has attracted very favourable 

responses from happy (1Jstomers who have really put it 

to the test: 

Anniss Seymour: 'NSW Pottery Supplies are delighted 

with Clayworks WHC, it has filled a gap in our range. 

Schools and studio poners were wanting a good white 

earthenware handbuilding clay suitable for slabs, coiling 

and pinching. Whiteness was critical for bright undergJaze 

colours with good, clear glaze fit. WHC does all this as 

well as being suitable for throwing. Thank you Clayworks'. 

Heather Priestly: 'As a user of many different clays in 

my roles as teacher and studio potter, I find Clayworks 

WHC, to be a versatile, reliable body. It can be used for 

throwing, handbuilding and sculpture and is responsive 

to underglaze decoration'. 

CLAYWORKS NEWEST RELEASE: 

WSP/WSS 

In keeping with Clayworks comm ittment to satisfy 

customer requirements for whiter clays, we have just 

released ou r whitest body yet WSP/WSS. It is an 

incredibly white body which comes in plastiC and slip 

casting or filter cake form. 

Impressive features of this body include its broad firing 

range, outstanding glaze fit with a wide range of 

commercial glazes and its wet to fired shrinkage rate 

which is comparable to other stoneware bodies. The WSP 

which is tile plastic body is excellent for throwing and 

pressing. The WSS which is the slip version has excellent 

casting properties and is a stable and reliable body. 

For more infonnation contact: Clayworks Australia 

6 Johnson Court, Dandenong 3160 

Tel: 03 979] 6749 Fax: 03 9792 4476 

email:c1aywork@ozemail 

www.ozemail.com.au/-c1aywork 

CERAMIC GLAZES OF AUSTRALIA 

High Temperature Printing and Brushing Ong1aze 

Colours 

Just released - a range of colours ready to use on fired 

surfaces. 

The Onglaze Colours are fired at high temperatures 

and may be included in the 'gloss firing' of other pieces. 

This eliminates the need for the traditional separate low 

temperature firing and results in great time and energy 

savings. The CGA Onglaze Colours are water soluble for 

easy clean up and handling. 

Using the Print Gocco system and CGA Onglaze Inks, 

both simple and intricate designs are easily applied to 

any ceramic article. CGA OngJaze Inks are also suited to 

sponging which gives a monied effect. Brushing Onglaze 

Colours can also be used to furth er decorate printed 

designs. 

Tiles already glazed and fired may be printed to 

produce a unique set for you r bathroom or kitchen. 

Using Transfer Paper and tile Transfer Printing Method, 

curved surfaces such as mugs, bowls, platters and vases 

may be decorated. 

Unlike decals and traditional transfers, Onglaze Inks 

become pan of the glaze surface during the firing and 

form a durable; dishwasher-safe product. 

For furtller details contact CGA on Ph: 03 9887 1702 

Fax: 03 9801 4650 

38/2 JUNE 1999 + POTIERY IN A USTRALIA 81

POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA - ORDER NOW 

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84 POTIERY IN AUSTRAlJA + 3811 MARCH 1999

I)OOK 0111 R\ 

CERAMICS 

ANDPR1NT 

GLAZES 

--AWl 

UlllH HIIIOIII 

,.-y·( 

~, 

I. The Encyclopedia of POllery 

Techniques by Peler Cosentino 

A comprehensive diredory of 

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Full colour 

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Practical guide to decorating 

techniques incl. screen printi ng. 

Very clear & useful text 

exploring a range of lechniques. 

Special 522 incl postage' 

(Rrp 524.95) 

O/seas $34 inel PI' ainnail 

3. Glazes & Glazing Techniques 

by Greg 1}"ly 

An essential text for all CerJmislS 

wishi ng lO understand and 

t:xplore surface finish. This is 

easy w read and inspiring. 

Sp.,cial 539 indo pp' (Rrp 535) 

O/seas $5) air inel pp 

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4. TIlt: Pot:ter's Palette by 

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Claycraft 

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EXTRUDERS 

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Group 

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for everyone interested in pottery 

25th June - Meeting 

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\(aUIU

Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 

in cooperation with 

Territory Craft 

presents tlIe 

19th National Craft 

Acquisition Award 

March - May 2000 

Entries for the Award are invited from craftspeople 

throughout Australia and Indonesia working in the area of 

ceramics. The Award provides craftspeople with the 

opportunity to have work acquired for a significant public 

coUection final entl'ies will be pre-selected from slides. 

Entries dose: 11 November 1999 

Entry fonns available from: 

Museum & Art Gallery of the Northenl Territory 

Conacher Street Fanrtie Bay, Darwin 0801 

Ph, (08) 89998201 1 FaX' (08)8999 8289 

2000 Sidney Myer 

Fund Intemational 

Ceramics Award 

in association with La T robe University 

The major intemational ceramics 

award held in Australia. 

Offering AUD$15 000 Premier Award 

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Entries by 35mm slide are now invrtec 

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Entries close 1 September 1999. 

The judge will be a ceramicist of 

intematklnaJ renown. 

For further informatkln contact 

Shepparton Art Gallery 

Locked ba9 1000 Shepparton 

Victoria 3632 Australia. 

Tel: +61 (0)358329861 

Fax: +61 (0)35831 8480 

email: gallery@shepparton.net.au 

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87

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Bendigo Pottery Production Body 

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Bendigo Pottery, Australia's oldest manufacturing pottery makes available their 

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This complete system produces a robust clay/glaze combination appropriate to 

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.I NEW BRICK UDS, roN available on 

all models 

.I Fitted with lockable wheels for easy 

movement and storage 

.I High grade KanthaJ A 1 elements, 

economical power rating, easily replaced 

.I Low density brick construction, with additrnaJ 

ceramic fibre lining to minimise heat loss 

.I 12 months warranty 

FREE 80 mirute v'deo incIt.ded with HoI:Jt¥ech kilns, 

"Over 40000 hobbyists 

can , t b e wrong. '" 

@ PRIOR INDUSTRIES 

AUSTRALIA ~:n; , hT.p, 

Sole Australian Agent 

BRISBANE: 

P,O, Box 260 CoOIparoo O\.D 4151 

Phone: (07) 3394 3833 

Fax: (07) 3394 3836 

SYDNEY: 

P,O, Box 75 Udcombe NSW 2141 

Phone: (02) 9649 6388 

Fax: (02) 9649 6472 

MELBOURNE: 'Cranei

Art School 

Ceramics Courses 

Bachelor of Fine Art 

Ceramics 

Three years full time 

Winter School 1999 12-16 July 

A fIVe day intensive program with 

CHESTER NEALIE 

ANA-GAMA WOODFIRING 

To take place in Chester Nealie's studio 

in GuJgong 

ANDREW HALFORD 

WORKSHOP THROWING & SLIP INLAY 

Short Course Programs 

Evening and Saturday Classes 

LORRAINE LEE 

HANDBUILDING 

Monday 6-9pm, 10 weeks 

Starts 26th July 1999 

GAIL NICHOLS 

GLAZE & FIRING TECHNIOUES 

Tuesday 6-9pm, 10 weeks 

Starts 27th July 1999 

CAMERON WILLIAMS 

WHEEL THROWING 

Saturday 10am-4.30pm, 8 weeks 

Starts 31 st July 1 999 

93

ATIENTION:INTERNET USERS 

DO YOU WANT INFORMATION 

ABOUT KILN OPERATION, 

KILN REPAIRS, CONTROLLERS, 

PYROMETERS, THERMOCOUPLES 

WORKPLACE HEALTH & 

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OR A CONSULTATION SERVICE??? 

IT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE 

" NET" AT 

http://web.one.net.au/-dercoggins 

SPQ KILN PAGE 

Check out our page plus links to other 

sites for all you need to know about 

kilns and all associated equipment 

oryou can 

Phone us at 07 5499 0733 

Fax 07 5498 3345 

Only the BEST 

Electric top loaders 

Ask about the new range 

of electronic Cress ki lns. 

Want a cone 10 kiln but 

only have single phase? 

We have the solution! 

We also stock Pacifica 

Potters Wheels, with the 

famous magic pedal! 

Call for details and price 

infonnation. 

Ceramicraft 

33 Oenninup Way, Malaga WA 6062 

Ph: 0892499266 Fx: 08 9249 9690 

,Ad'.'anced Diploma, Diploma & Certificate Courses 

i " iii J 

Full and Part Tome Options 

Enquire at your local T AFE College or Phone 02 9217 4299 

i " iii J 

and Part TIme Options 

Enquire at your local TAfE College or Phone 02 9217 4299 

94

INTRODUCING 

• 

• 

• 

• 

BROAD FIRING RANGE 

EXCELLENT FOR THROWING AND PRESSING 

wtTTOFmEDSHRINKAGECONWARABLE 

WITH OUR OTHER STONEWARE BODIES 

OUTSTANDING GLAZE FIT WITH A WIDE 

RANGE OF COMMERCIAL GLAZES 

• 

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AVAILABLE AS LIQUID SLIP OR FILTER CAKE 

EXCELLENT CASTING PROPERTIES 

CONSISTENT AND STABLE PERFORMANCE 

CLAYWORKS AUSTRALIA P1Y . LID. 

A.C.N 007 005 932 

6 JOHNSTON COURT DANDENONG 3175 

PHONE (03) 97916749 FAX (03) 9792 4476 

www . ozemail.com . aU/~laywork 

Email: claywork@ozemail.com.au 

95

Featuring the work of more than 130 

Australian Ceramists, over 50 Galleries, 

Suppliers and Potters' Groups 

The essential reference for Makers and Buyers, 

Collectors, Curators, Galleries, Interior Designers, 

Tourists, Teachers and Students. 

Produced by the Potters' Society of Australia 

I WISH TO ORDER ( 

) COPIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN POTTER'S DIRECTORY @ $1 S.OO EACH 

NAME 

ADDRESS 

POSTCODE 

TOTAL AMOUNT $ 

TELEPHONE 

MY CHEQUE IS ENClOSED 0 DEBIT MY BANKCARD 0 MASTERCARD 0 VISA 0 AMEX 0 

CARD NO. DODD DODD DODD DODD 

NAME ON CARD 

EXPIRY DATE 

SIGNATURE 

*Th is offer avai lable within Australia only 

Fax or email your order to The Potters' Directory 

PO Box 937, Crows Nest, Sydney NSW Australia 1585 

Tel (02) 9901 3353 Fax (02) 9436 1681 Email: potinaus@ozemail.com,au 

96 

I HI AUSTRAIIAI" PO I II It\ PI RI ( I (lR) IIII AI! S I 1t.\II"" PO I II itS 1)11(1 ( I DRY

NORmc 

~ 

FOR YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST OR DIRECT FROM 

NORTHCOTE POTTERY 85A CLYDE STREET THORNBURY VIC. 3071 

TELEPHONE 03 94844580 FACSIMILE 03 9480 3075 

97

.- 

.. 

SOUTHERN SYDNEY 

INSTITUTE OF TAF E 

SUTHERLAND COLLEGE 

GYMEA CAMPUS 

SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF TAFE 

Campbelltown College 

Diploma in Ceramics 5495 

Certificate in Ceramics 5491 

Full Time and Part Time Ceramics Courses 

98 

CERTIFICATE & DIPLO MA COURSES IN 

CERAMICS 

FULL & PART-TIME ATTENDANCE 

Diploma in Ceramics - 

Roslyn Bruce 

Head Teacher - Arts & Media Amanda Hawlhom 

NARELLAN ROAD 

CAMPBELL TOWN_ NSW 2560 

PHONE: (0246) 201 700 

FAX: (0246) 201 752

!B & 11 'Jt:t{ow qJty.1 I td . 

FURNACES 

• ,I", III' "1,'" U, JU()O C • V,Jelllllll • 11i',11 11'(',IIIll"Il1 

• (lIl1lfllli'

ARTISAN CRAFT BOOK 

Metro! C raft Centre - Cnr Courtney & Blackwood Streets, North Melbourne 

P h : (03) 9329 6042 Fax: (03) 9326 7054 Email: artisan@alphalink.com.au 

The most extensive range 

of books on Ceramic s in 

Australia 

Ex hibition catalogue s 

postca rd s 

Ring for specific subject 

1 j s t s 

Mai1 order serv ic e 

P os tal rat es $7.50 for 

firs t book and $2.00 

b ook th e reafter 

All major credit card s 

Opening h o ur s 

7 Day s a week 

bo 

For further details contact 

Studio Coordinator, Peter Pilven 

Tal: 03 5327 9825 

Fax: 03 5327 9829 

email: prospectiveCballarat.edu.au 

website: 'NWW.baliarat.edu.au 

100

We supply you with the materials 

to bring out the 

creativity in your students. 

PRINT GOCCO Ceramic Printing Kits 

Onglaze Printing Inks I$'w ~ Transfer Inks 

Underglazes Kera Chalks & Kera Pencils 

Clear Glazes Glazes 

3/8 Eastgate Ct Wantirna Sth VIC 3152 

Tel 03 9887 1702 Fax 03 9801 4650 

Email cgaust@bigpond.com.au www.nehoc.com 

A.e.N. 007 043 281 

101

The Framework 

for vour Creativitvl 

WireForm is a fun, versatile aluminium 

wire mesh - perfect for modelling, 

sculpture, arts and crafts. 

Use as a base for plaster of paris, 

paper mache and clays. 

Shape, gather, stretch and twist! 

WireForm can be moulded over solid 

objects such as fruit, or into freeform 

shapes. 

It can be painted and is oven safe. 

Use your imagination! 

Available from all leading Art 

and Craft reta ilers 

AUSTAALIAN DISTRIBUTORS: 

NSW (02) 9607 1555 VIC (03) 9529 3533 

WA (06) 9277 6666 OLD (07) 36444421 

SA (06) 6363 0522 

NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTORS: (09 ) 276 9169 

102

ContemporalJ Clay 1999 

NxNe: PoIIItyA _ole __ 

199780m Emmerich. 

COWWARR 

s.tunIay30 

0dDIIer1D 

Sunday 28 

Novanberl_ 

.udp Sue Budde 

Editor Pottery in Australia 

NortIICGle PoIleIJ 

Award $500 of potters materials 

or equipment 

The VllalllIIeIOIIrce 

Award $500 of professional 

studio photography 

EIIbteI dole 19 Odaber 

Entries juried by submitted 

slides or photos . 

.... - tor...., ....... 

...... fld ... 

Id*lIlId ........ to: 

eo ... TArt ...... 

ART SPACE 

Tel: 03 5148 1321 

Fax: 035148 .... 

c. . .......... .,... 

CERTIFICATE. DIPlOMA & AJNAIUIJ DIJII.OMA 

COURSES IN CERAMICS 

ca.n. ..... • p' , ,.....JaIII ...... IOZI_ .. 

.... "I' "'W 

103

GALLERY AND 

POTTERY FOR SALE 

Cowaramup Pottery and the adjoining Sleeper 

Cutter Fine Wood Gallery are for sale. 

TURKISH CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL ART 

A special lecture presented by ceramic artist and visual arts 

teacher Tamris Ustun and The Potters' Society of Australia. 

Saturday 25111 September, 2pm 

Powerhouse Museum, Harris Street. Ultimo, 

All welcome - booking essential 

This well regarded pottery is situated in the 

heart of the Margaret River wine district. The 

Sleeper Cutter Fine Wood Gallery is a 

mixed media gallery which exhibits some of WA's 

finest craft and art works. Coweramup Pottery 

is sold through this outlet. 

The'40m' pottery studio-workshop is well 

equipped. The adjoining mixed media gallery is 

"2m'. A further 42m' office/store room and a 

smaller 50m' studio accompanies the gallery and 

pottery. Business & Freehold $320,000 PSAV. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 

GARY NICOL 08 9755 5467 

104

Pottery In Australia Vol 38 No 2 June 1999

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