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Cover: A railway at Driving Creek for moving man-sized pots.photo: Steve Rumsey

contents

SPRING 1974 VOLUME 16/2

Driving Creek Potteries

HandbuildingChester Nealie 13

Small one-chambered kiln 14

Raku makers 18

4 generations of potters 22

Fassett Burnett and Batik 24

Exhibitions 28

Clay preparation 38

Electric kilns for stoneware firings 42

Howard Williams - ceramic decorator

NEW ZEALAND POTTER is a non-profit making magazine published twice annually

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46

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Editorial/subscription/advertising correspondenceP.O. Box 12-162 Wellington North New Zealand

editor: Margaret Harrisadministrator: Esme Marriscover and layout: Nigel Harris

advisors and helpers:John Stackhouse, Nigel Harris,Ruth Court (Auckland), NolaBarron (Christchurch), AudreyBrodie, Jim Brodie

Printed by Deslandes Ltd. Wellington

Driving Creek Potteries - a way of lifeThe life of the potter is just as he makes it.

Some like to create an appropriate environmentbefore they start potting. Others pot first andgradually shape their environment as they go.Having just about done both now, I cannot saywhich is the best approach, except that this timeit has been a communal rather than a personalendeavour.

My change of direction arose probably fromthe fact that potting for, to and by oneself is notso much fun as potting with others. The meaningand reality of pottery is basically communal.

One often wonders what is the nature of abowl, jug or cup. Why are these things soimportant that we educated civilised beings aredevoting our lives to making them when we couldbe using our talents to make ourselves morematerially secure. So with various thoughts inmind, none too specific and none too sure, Ithought it time to advance, pick up the swag andoff once more.

There are eightofus at Driving Creekjust now,with some comings and goings. it is importantthatthe setupis elastic—inthatwhoever comesis no more bonded or bound than I myself would

wish to be. The aim is potting first and foremost.Good pots. Unless the emphasis is on producingwork of the highest quality, the ship will sink.

So having acquired seventy carefully chosenacres we setto work. Now one yearlater, the endof stage one is in sight. At last it can rain andthere is some sort of roof over most things thatmatter.

Like all journeys there have been the usualnumber of snags, pitfalls and problems by theway to be solved. Greatest of these in the physicalsense is the plastic nature of the localcountryside. in summer the clay is well behaved.in winter it turns quickly into slush. It moves, andcan carry away walls and even buildings with it.We have laid mud concrete now and the farsighted souls who have helped make this placefrom the beginning are now assured of acomfortable place to live and pot.

The site was bulldozed out of a gently slopingsouth-facing hillside on which our buildingsfacetowards the north and so create a shelteredsun-trap courtyard. With very little financialplanning we had to put first things first and eachmove was considered with great care. In

retrospect one tends to bite off more than onecan chew, but encouragement for our cause hasmade us press ahead more or less undaunted.

Believing in the principles of organic growth, Ihave tended to avoid set planning and allowedthings to take their course. To take an example,our new workshop basically completed, hasaltered almost beyond recognition from earlierand more rigid concepts as to what a communalworkshop would be like. It is good to let otherswho Will be working there, shape their ownenvirons, have their wedging tables, wheels andstillionswherethey will, and all the betterifthesethings are constructed by their own hands. Withthe main frames of the workshop built on amassive post and beam principle, all partitions,walls, windows, floors are structurallyindependent of the main building allowing foralterations when necessary. Pot stillions areeasily moveable and work spaces adjustable tosuit the needs of each potter.

So farthe potters themselves have largely builttheir own corners to suit their individual needs.They have shown a healthy degree ofcarpenterial skill. The "troops” have lately beenweather-proofing the kiln shed which until nowhas been a wind funnel.

The scheme under which potters or studentsare accepted is also plastic and is designed toallow for as much human independence aspossible. Complete beginners have set aside half

of every day for wheel practice. The rest of theworking day is spent on work of a communalnature such as building or clay preparation jobs.

It is not right to set time limits on anyone forwhen they can start selling their pots, the timewill vary with the outlook and the skilfulness ofthe student. During this period their food andlodging is provided. Other requirements are attheir own expense. As these students begin tosell their work, they are given increasing time topot, required to do less chores and begin to sharein food costs.

A continuing, altering, but balanced system ofgive and take is thus allowed for, with of coursecomplete freedom for staying or leaving. It issurprising how many foreign people, especiallyyoung Americans, are interested in this approachto making hand crafted pottery, and | get theimpression that they favour this country aftermuch globe trotting. It seems too that there is aspirited revival at hand for non-material values.Most of these young people are more interestedin submerging themselves in their craft thanmaking names or big money.

It is only by taking this approach that thepottery movement in New Zealand will retain anyvitality. For me it is refreshing to see the “pots forpeople“ philosophy replacing that of “pots forexhibitions".

Despite the philosophies and the ideals thefundamental practicalities of establishing aworking pottery must hold first priority. Theproblems at times seem insurmountable. Weface the usual series of bad firings. We lost twofull wood fired kiln loads due to lack ofvitrification offirst the body, then the glaze. Aftera lot of testing some considerable rewards are insight however.

We have found a local source of “Cornishstone” feldspar which mixed with our own whiteplastic clay yields a slightly translucentporcellanous stoneware body. We are fortunatein having abundant clays on hand ranging fromwhite to yellow. However as with most northerntypes of plastic clays differential shrinkage is agreat problem unless countered by suitablegrogs and additives. It seems that thehalyocite/kaolin ratio is high, causing the ten—dency for biscuit shrinking and embrittlement inthe glost fired pot. For this reason it seems pru-dentto add certain aluminous fireclays and chinaclays or grogs depending on the plasticities re-quired. Most of these very plastic local clays alsocontain much finely divided silica Which couldaccount for cracking during firing as well. Theyare certainly intensely refractory and gobble up atleast two ounces of feldspar per pound of wetclay in order to secure vitrification alone.

In earlier years I used naturally feldspathiclocal clay containing rock-grog instead of muchsilica. While such a clay did not present so manyproblems, it was a rare deposit and we have justabout exhausted it. The strongly plastic clays weare now using are by far the more abundant andare well worth researching on because of theirease of extraction and potential worth instoneware bodies. While changing over to thistype of clay during the past year or so l have had afew troubles due to lack of regular systematicresearch in assessing its nature andcomposition.

Our other great standby has been the terracotta clays. This clay is ideal for bulky plant potsand outdoor sculptural pieces. This localyellow-brick clay is abundant and often veryplastic. It tends to overlie the decomposedandesite on all moderate sloping ground both onridges and in some valleys. It is a well weatheredprimary clay and is reliable when loaded with upto 60 per cent local stream sand. This sandconsists mostly of water-worn andesite rock

particles, it hasn’t excessive silica, and itsfreedom from calcium carbonate makes it anideal opening grog. Biscuit cracking can stilloccur however if the sand content is notappropriate tothe plasticityofthe particularterracotta clay being used.

It is no doubt surprising to the layman to learnhow long ittakes to sort outthese clay problems,but the potter knows it is a lifetime’s research,bristling with snags and promises of success,depending as much on insight and clearvision ason book knowledge.

In former years i had always been interested indigging and processing our own local claystogether with designing and installing thenecessary machinery. The new workshop here islaid out to include eventually all the machinerywe need for blunging and pugging the claybodies (parallel but different processes) andcrushing of local rocks for grogs or glazemaking. The blunger and pugmill are nowoperational. The pugmill is steam driven.

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SEWON. AOur first machine was the blunger. It’s an old

four feet six inches diameter steel turntableobtained as scrap from a brickworks. On it ismounted a concrete farm paddock tank in whichdips a stationary adjustable paddle. A half horsepower electric motor provides sufficient powerto rotate the tank slowly. The slip runs into asettling tankthrough a sieve and is later ladled onto a wood fired slip drier. When harvested forthrowing, it is balled and placed into plastic bags.One of the students has taken over this activityand he keeps his wheel in the blunging shed sothat he can maintain vigilance while getting in histhrowing practice.

The pugmill is from the old Avondale Collegepottery classroom. I believe it was installed thereby Bob Field who introduced Len Castle tostoneware pottery. It is of interest here that BobField was the first to introduce the Leach conceptof pottery into our schools and literature. Thepugmill was driven by a ten horse power threephase motor. As I did not wish to put in heavywiring, the idea of steam power seemedappropriate and attractive. I, who have been athorough devotee to steam since childhood,could now offer it a real job rather than makingspare-time models.

[have the greatest admiration forthe quiet andcontrollable power of steam: and there are otherassets. Like the fun of the teamwork(Stoker-engineer, pugmaster and clay passers),the soft sort of steam oil and the cheapness ofthewood fuel.

A suitable water tube boiler was constructedand a small engine obtained from a scrap yard.After some vital repairs to the pugmill itself. themachinery was installed and has given

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remarkable service for three years.Recently the equipment was dismantled,

moved to its present site and reinstalled. Itcontinues to give excellent service. We are usinga slightly larger boiler which is intended tobecome a source of all power and heatrequirements for the potteries in the years tocome as the wood fuel is so cheap and abundant.Naturally a sauna bath house is becoming a toppriority.

There seems an endless amount to be doneand sometimes one wonders whetherthe place isa pottery workshop, builder’s scrap yard or acountry engineering joint.

I for one am more keen than ever to spendmajor time at potting. It‘s frustrating to be stillinvolved with what seems endless building.Everyone here has finally obtained a chosengood spot for their wheels and we all feel that thepotteryisjustaboutto get under Way. Thetwo-orthree-chambered trolley loading kiln will becomea necessity as soon as the present two kilnsbecome inadequate.

Although wood firing is a blessing, hugequantities of pine slabs are required. A stock pilehas to be made and dried out for winter use. Insummer the slabs can be used within a month ofcutting. One of next summer’s projects will bethe storing of kiln wood, a task in which thetroops turn out in full force. This again can beaided by mechanisation and some good pottingtime will need to go into constructing a railwayand large wagons and drying shed to make woodhandling easier.

Currently a local truck delivers bundles ofwaste mill slabs which we then cut to four footfirebox lengths with a chain saw. The wood is

then stacked nearthe kiln and covered. Wood forstoneware glost firing is stacked on a rack abovethe kiln’s firebox to dry for later firings. Theheavier pieces are stacked separately to be usedin either the earlier stages in firing or for theboiler for steam raising. By using a railwaysystem the wood needs to be handled once onlyand moved en masse to wherever it is wanted, bypowerful human locomotives.

The wood-fired kiln is essentially anexperimental model built in a great hurry lastOctoberto fire candle stocks up to terra cotta forNew Vision’s pre-Christmas exhibition. It wasbuilt largely from old white sandy chimney bricksfrom the local Star and Garter demolition, andwas scarcely intended for firing up to cone 10.With such voracity did it go however, that wetried'an experimental stoneware firing. This wassuccessful so it received an A grade overhaul. it isinteresting to find that when stoking correctly atfull heat there is hardly a flame out of the stackbut every pot right down to the floor on thecoolest side is always perfectly fired and glazed.This is something of a revelation for such a crudekiln and shows up the effectiveness of the longhot flame from the wood.

Firing to full stoneware requires time andpatience, and it is easierto chokethefirebox andget an excessively long cool flame, than it is tostoke at the correct rate. A small bung near thetop ofthe doorisa handytell-taleforthefireman.

On the subject of choice of wood, we find thatdry thin pine is the ultimate fuel. At the lowerstages of the firing cycle, tea tree is fine as it.keeps in without so much attention. Any speciesof wood, wet or dry, is satisfactory for biscuit orterra cotta temperatures, but we keep to the thinpine for stoneware. The addition of dry seaweedto the fire at the end of a firing is fun as well asgiving a toasted effect to the pots. lt also providesan excuse for everyone to go off to the beachesand enjoya swim while doing a rescue operationon sand-stuck vehicles.

Mention should be made of our satellitepotteries — the old barn down in the paddocknear the road. This building, centre of thepotters’ “Dos” now has a new wing with smalldrip feed stoneware kiln and a ground floorpotting studio. Used mainly by one of the gangduring the year it is thrown open for most ofJanuary for the Do, and provides shelter and ameeting place for all.

We hugely enjoy the free for all aspect of theDo, particularly the sight of the paddocks filledwith tents of all shapes and sizes. The Do is tobecome an annual tradition. Every year we offerincreasing facilities for making and firing thepots which seemed to get laid like so many eggs.

I should like to express gratitude to all thosewho have helped get our project underway.Although it has not been easy, I see it as a humannecessity that potters get together to sharethoughts and the tasks connected with thecommunal approach to potting.

On reflection this has been the basis of theworld’s traditional, and now timeless, people’spots of the past. 80 there is every reason thatsuch an approach will be relevant also for thefuture.

| see the need for steering a course betweenthe inanimate, mass-produced utilitarian pot onthe one hand, and the one-off, individual,capitalistic style-bound aesthetic kind on theother.

Apart from during the Do we cannot open the workshop tocasual visitors during the year. /t is very difficult to stop work andcope, and awkward for the students. It is easier if previousarrangements are made. Anyone wishing to buy our pots willfind them for sale in the local craft shop in Coromande/ where weintend to stock a good range.

Thanks Barry

About the potter’s Do, 1975

As before, the Do proper can start on 7January. However this year arrangements will bemade to leave the paddocks open for the wholeof the month, as several potters preferred to stayon and inspect our local scenery.

A possible feature of this occasion could wellbe the firing of the wood-burning kiln up to fullstoneware. Again we will have terra cotta clayavailable in bulk and plenty of wood for thosewho simply must make pots.

Unfortunately the good ship Presto will still beout of the water as we have not had time to workon her this year. But we will try to arrange theislands picnic day using other means oftransport.

We are gradually improving camping facilitiesand will have a wood fired hot water machine inthe barn. You need your own toilet requirementsand your usual camping gear. With a shoppingcentre only a mile away there are no foodproblems except an occasional shortage of goodwholemeal bread. it is of course vital that weconduct another hangi and the stones from lasttime are being carefully guarded.

The Do is open to all potters of serious intent,whether full or part-time or beginners and theirfamilies. There is no charge. I have only one realproblem — a bad memory for faces and names.80 please forgive me if I put my foot in it.

Hand Building

Every now and again we participate at a potteryschoolwherethe personality oftheinstructoris sosympathetic and the enjoyment she finds in herwork so infectious that we are kindled with newenthusiasm for our craft. Such a school was theone recently given by Hiroe Swen, a charmingJapanese from Australia, living and working atCanberra. There she and her husband, a graphicartist, have a private gallery where most of herwork is displayed.

Her pots are mainly hand-made, and her schoolsin New Zealand were all on different aspects of thismethod.

Many of her ideas were new and exciting to us.They encouraged us to explore some moreunusual approaches, and Hiroe Swen explained tous the various techniques she uses in her work.

She began by suggesting that we all made asmall pinched pot. We joined two of these bowlstogether to make a whole and then we wereinstructed on her methods of decoration: thedesign was scratched on lightly and then tiny rollsof clay were closely pressed into the pattern tomake a compact and flowing design.

These were fascinating to do — atime-consuming but peaceful occupation. Maorirafter patterns for instance could be adaptedbeautifully to this method.

The next exercise consisted in making anothersmall pot. Two slabs of clay were cut out andcarefully joined by a roll of clay. We gently blewinto the formed pot which we then decorated aswe wished. It was a lesson in itselfto watch Hiroework with such care, love and patience.

On the second day we made use of the slabs ofclay (prepared the day before). These were by thenvery stiff and would stand without bending. Shecut them by using two sticks and a wire held taut in

their notches (But no rolling, please!) The slab potwas carefully joined with slip without scratching.The slabs were quite thin and the openings'werethickened with a coil.

It was interesting to see how Hiroe joined thetwo slabs:

They were not mitred, but joined flat, and afterpressing them together an incision was madedown the outside of the join and a small roll waslaid on and smoothed flat. The usual coil was alsoput on the inside as well.

Still clay slabs

coil of clay inside

groove made along jnin

small piece of clay pressedalong groove

> inside of put at top

coil of clay at top of pot to giveimpression of solidarity

On these slab pots wewere shown four different types of decoration:

Little curved scraps, egg. in theform of tiny petals, were shaved631%g g3 from the clay, and these little

» “*Qfib motifs were placed on the pot.

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A soft slip was patted on with aputty knife and flattened.

The same method was used, onlywith more substantial pieces ofclay pressed flat. The pattern wasoutlined.

(2 __ 2% These motifs were also used to63$ represent miniature trees on an

incised landscape.

Later we were shown how to use the moulds wehad previously made with great care, drying themin spite of Wellington’s Southerly lashing at us.This was great fun. How does one make a ballwithin the hollowed-out semi-sphere of a plastermould? Hiroe enjoyed our puzzled looks as webegan to fill the mould with the textured pieces ofclay. These were backed with a thin covering of

10

clay. Our semi-sphere finished, we were told totake a lump ofclay and press itdown, gently liftingthe pot in the mould and moving it up and aroundby aboutthirty degrees. We proceeded to fill in thearea in the mould which had in this way becomeempty and repeated this process until, at last, wehad madeacomplete ball vase, atechnique whichwe thoroughly enjoyed.

semi - sphere plaster mould

pot half made then turned in mould

The other mould we had made was a humpmould which was used to make a platter. First wehad to draw a design.

From this we made the clay platter on the mould,starting it with small balls and strips of clay. Thenthe whole was carefully covered with small, evenpieces of clay or completely with a flat slab. Whenthis had been moulded flat, the whole wassmoothed off and left to stiffen. The result was aclearly impressed design on the face of the platter.

design placed on hump mould

Hiroe showed us slides — her large squareplatters were coiled, she explained. Straight away

Flora Christel/er, Patti Meads and Evelyn Kelly attend the schoolin Wellington. photos: Evening Post.

decorated interior of bowl

11

she proceeded to show us how she made them:She rolled short, sturdy coils between her hands.We tried this and found it rather tricky. Our coilsdanced all overthe place, breaking and droppingon the floor. We watched her careful twisting androlling the clay and then fixing it on the inside ofher pot and pulling it into the required position.

In this and otherdemonstrations ofher methodsour most important impression was that of love,care and attention Hiroe gave to all her work.Nothing was missed, she took no shortcuts, andeverything had to be as perfect as possible. All thetime we were reminded how carefully andaccurately a craftsman must work. She knewexactly what she was doing and the resulting potswere beautifully controlled. Hiroe is an artist, andcombined with her enthusiasm went a delightfulsense of humour which endeared her to all of us.She made the four days at the School into a happy,as well as an instructive time.

Flora Christeller

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12

Chester Nealie

“My pottery is influenced by my environment,hence my involvement in organic forms. I have agreat love forthe artistry ofthe early Maori.Theseare the forces influencing my work. it’simportant to me that my pots are exciting in avisual and a tactile way. Touch to me is the mostimportant sense. I work in brown and whitestoneware using oxides and natural glazes firedin a self designed twin chambered 50 cubic footspring arch oil fired kiln”.

Chester Nealie — self taught potter. AtAuckland Secondary Teachers College he hadthe opportunity to handle clay. He wasintroduced to the Auckland Studio Potters andsoon became deeply involved in potting.

Retired from science teaching 1972 to becomepart-time lecturer in pottery at North ShoreTeachers College and to spend the rest of thetime developing his own work.

Exhibited with the Auckland Studio Pottersand the New Zealand Society of Potters. In Aprilhe exhibited in Wellington at the Media Gallery,Karori.

Peter Stichbury’s

This is a small, one-chamber kiln built to atwo-shelf plan. The volume of the stackingsection is approximately a cube in proportions.Note that the spaces between shelves, andshelves and walls is 75 mm (with minor fractionsin some spaces to accommodate whole bricksfor ease of building the walls of the kiln). Thefiring area is 150mm wide for flamedevelopment and movement.

The kiln is a simple box of bricks, leaving awicket 31/2 bricks wide and built to the followingdimensions.

Inside: Length 41/2 bricks — 1025 mmWidth 21/2 bricks —— 570 mmHeight 11 bricks — 840 mm

Height is from top of floorto base ofskewbackbricks supporting arch. Arch is calculated on anangle of 60 deg (see diagram).

Building stages:

1. Concrete pad of suitable size which couldinclude an area in front of the kiln for ease ofmovement for the potter.

2. Lay two courses of common brick to theoutside measurements of the kiln. Lay morecourses if added height from the ground isdesired. Level off with sand.

3. Lay three layers of firebrick, leaving theopening for the flue. (This passage is 225 mmwide and 150 mm high and is central in the kilnas shown in the plan).The top layer of brickswhich becomes the floor of the kiln should bebuttered with fireclay atall touching surfaces.The two passages for the burners should alsobe built in, and ifthe kiln isto be started with apot burner, the port for this should be built atthe same time. (see A, on plan.)

NOTE: To allow the floor bricks to cover theflue channel —edge the under layer of bricks 12mm overthe channel on each side, so that the full225 mm brick can cover the channel. The topfloor layer and the under layers of bricks are setin on the 75 mm face, so that these 2 layers are225 mm in depth.4. Lay one complete course of firebricks as the

base of the kiln wall — set with fireclay.Complete the kiln ‘box’ up to another 9 layersof bricks leaving the wicket, or door opening,which is 31/2 bricks wide. Where half-brickshave to be used at the edges of the wicket, setthese in whole, with the other half at right

14

small one chamber kiln

anglestothe wall away fromtheinterior ofthekiln. The common bricks which form theinsulation can be fitted into these when theinsulation is added, which is the next step.

. Build up the insulation with common bricks,leaving a small gap between them and themain wall. A very light cement mix can be usedhere. Use thickly to build up the height andlength of the commons which are usuallysmaller than the firebricks. A mix of say, onecement to six builder’s sand and six fireclaycan be used. This is surprisingly strong. Makesure that the top layers of brick-fire-brick andcommon, are verylevel and even atthe ends ofthe kiln.

. Carefully set six skewbacks across the tops ofthese end walls. Make sure that the edges atthe inside wall are parallel.

. The kiln bracing should be fitted at this stage,as the arch cannot be built until the walls aresecured. A careful study of the photographswill show how the bracing is added. Materialsare light angle iron with welded lugs, drilled totake the rod (1/2”) which runs the length ofthekiln. Note that the channel iron supportsdirectly behind the ends of the skewbackswhich support the arch.

. Fit the bracing loosely at this stage. Supportthe arch former in the kiln at one side —— sothat the ends of the curve are level with thepoints of the skew backs. The skewbacksshould of course have a 60 degree angle.

. The arch has 16 bricks to a course, as stated inthe materials list, with nine S 12 (70 mmbottom face) and seven 8 8 (64 mm bottomface) Huntly side arch bricks per course. Planthese out on the ground with a skewback ateach end to see that the arch ”forms"correctly before placing these in order on thearch former. Once carefully in place, removethe former and repeat across the kiln. Everynow and then tap a set of matching brickssideways until a half-brick gap is made —fit inanother appropriate brick where whole brickscan be added, and half-bricks wherenecessary. This ties the arch together so thatthere is not a row of half bricks at one side ofthe kiln. When the arch has been set in, tightenup the appropriate bracing, and with ahammer lightly tap the bricks into a smoothcurve. There will bound to be some bricks outof line when the first setting of the arch hasbeen made.

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10. Complete the ‘well’ above the kiln —a brickin height above the top of the arch — two ifrequired. At the wicket another arch can bebuilt slightly lower (50 mm) than the mainarch, or the opening can be carried right upto the top of the well, which means that theopening isfilled with bricks rightto the top ofthe main arch each time the kiln is packed.

11. Tighten upallbracingtofirmtightness—donot overdo this.

12. Build the stack up to 3 metres. This can beto the toplevel of kiln in brick and thena200 mm diameter steel pipe—or all brick—whichever suits. Brace stack with angle iron.Where the bricks conflict with the kilnbracing —— cut in channels to allow rods topass through. In the plan there is shownprovision for a removable whole brick —about three layers up from kiln floor level.This is used during reduction to allow air tocool the stack, and thus decrease the flameflow and increase the flame pressure in thekiln chamber. Adamper may be built into thestack also, or used alone if preferred. If asection of iron pipe is used to complete thestack, then it can be stayed with twisted wireto the outside corners of the kiln — to thebracing, and to a peg set in the ground a fewfeet away at the back of the kiln.

General

The first two shelves in this kiln should sit onthree props of 112mm (cut firebrick) in height.When stacking the kiln ~ keep larger pots on thebottom shelves, and on the top shelves, andstack all the smaller pots in between. Theelevation gives an indication of this stacking.This allows flame movement through the bottompart of the kiln, and over the top. The pots inbetween have enough flame movement andradiation to make the kiln heat very evenly.

Materials

Arch bricks. 31/2 courses each of 9 x 812 and 7 x38Fire bricks. Approx 600 standard Huntly H30Common Bricks. 1000 approx.Angle iron. 4 pieces each 1400mm long, 38mm x38mm x 3mm.Channel iron. 2 pieces 75mm, each 92mm long.Half—inch rod. 4 pieces each 1620mm longthreaded 100mm both ends.2 pieces each 1120mm long threaded 100mmboth ends.Builder’s mix, sand, fireclay, cement.Insulation - vermiculite or perlite.

Equipment

Two jet burnersTwo pot burners (optional)Fan (commercial Tellus vacuum cleaner —second-hand — is suitable)8.7 metres of 38mm flexible air hose.Copper pipe — 1/4” for fuel supply from tank, oneat each burner.Attach latter to end bracing rods, by means ofcopper supply pipe firmly clamped to it.

Air control

Build a small box with a sliding lid. Two 38mmholes at opposite sides. Attach one 1800mmlength of air hose to each. Fix fan or Tellus outletto end of box with suitable hole made to allowinflux of air. The sliding lid gives control ofamount of air actually delivered through airhoses to burners. See diagram ofthis. It is easierto set small lengths of 38mm pipe into theseholes so that the air hose can be clamped on tothem, using hose clips.

The air is controlled by opening or closing thesliding lid ofthe box. The morethe lid is open, theless air is delivered to the burners. Experiencewill give the potter easy control over this.

Firing sequence

Kiln can be started by either pot or jet burners.Pot burners are started with a small cotton wastewick in the burner channel. No air is delivered tothe burner, which should be placed in the portwithout the air hose attached. The burner willdraw in its own air when lit, and the oil supplyshould be very light and the flame as clean aspossible. When the burner is hot and burningwell, air is introduced —— very lightly — and airand oil increased asthe kiln and burner area gethotter. If the change to jets is to be made — leave

Stichbury kl/n at Palmerston North

this until the kiln is showing good red heat, whenthe jets will take over very easily. Block thepot-burner hole with firebrick.

When using the jet burners to start the kiln themethod is somewhat different. The jets areplaced on their side supported on brick ledgelevel with burner port, with jet pointing into thefire port. A wick of cotton waste (soaked in diesel)is placedjustinsidethefire port.Thisis litand theair and oil turned on very lightly — enough tospraythe oil gently on to the wick but not to blowout the wick. The air and oil can be increasedgradually until burning strongly.

Keep an eye on the ports, so that theydo not fillup with soft carbon — but also keep them as fullofflame as possible. After about two hours firing,when the kiln is red hot inside, turn down the oil,clean any carbon out ofthe burner ports, turn theburner upright (oil right off) and place right intoburner port—turn oil up sufficiently, and pull theburner slightly back until the oil jet catches theedge of the firebox on the inside of the kiln. Thisensures that the oil burns cleanly off the hotbrick.

The kiln will rise fairly quickly in temperature atthis stage and once it is seen thatthe flame is welldeveloped, the burners can be pushed right intothe port and leftthus. Block off the secondary airgoing in above the burners with a prop or piece ofbrick. The flame should not be too fast or fierce,but should flow softly and fully through the kiln— more volume of air than pressure of air. Whenreduction is started — pull out the brick from thestack and adjust the oil to cope with the greaterpressure in the kiln. This means turn it down,until a medium reduction flame comes from thespy-holes—with not too much black smoke fromthe stack. When cone 8 is half—down, the brick isreplaced and the oil turned up. The secondary aircan now be allowed to enter above the burners

Teachers' College photos: Stan Jenkins

and extra oil given to cope with this extra air —which, however, is only slight.

Some experimentation will be required to firethe kiln very evenly. Do not expect perfect resultsafterthe firstfiring. Conditions vary with packingof kiln, amount of air supplied, speed of flame,weather. Place sets of cones at approximatelythe positions marked with an X in the elevation.Note the small spyholes built into the wallsdirectly above the burner ports. These can beused to check the flame quality and quantity andto see that both burners are supplying equalamounts of flame.

To soak the kiln, reduce air and adjust oil to asoft, gentle flame.

Cones to Use:

Top Cones 10 : 9 : 8Middle Cones 10 : 9 : 8 : 6 Cone 6 is a helpfulindication of progressBottom Cones 10 : 9 : 8

Nosettimeisgivenforthefiring cycle—averagecould be twelve hours. A similar kiln fired atArd more Teachers College a few years ago tookeither nine hours or up to fifteen hours, dependingon the stacking and other conditions mentioned,and which student was firing it!

aku Makers

Nancy and Bill Malcolm

In America, Raku is common. But it tendsto bethe stuff of holiday workshops for potters or aflashy and effective introduction to ceramics forvarsity students in the arts— “from digging clay tofinished pot in the same day”.

By contrast we’re attempting the unlikelymarriage of Raku with classic thin-section thrownware, hoping for pots that are truly functional butcolourful and delicate. We chose delicate potsbecause they feel good in the hand and are achallenge to throw on the wheel, not becausewe’ve tired of stoneware. Indeed, we findoutselves admiring the thrown dinnerware thatNew Zealand is justly famous for, and want to tryour own hand at it out of envy.

Some Raku potters in America claim that Rakuis a way of life, an acceptance of the unexpected,looking for beauty in earthy, common things.Their ware, like traditional Japanese Raku teabowls, is built rather than thrown, and often is notfunctional. We would be embarrassed to claimsuch mystic rapport with Raku, although we doprize simple forms, and the unexpected in Bakufiring. It’s inevitable anyway. We’ve borrowed littlemore than the firing technique of the Rakutradition. Many New Zealand potters by now havetried it.

With tongs a pot is put into a red-hot kiln and leftuntil its glaze surface is glassy. Then the pot islifted out and smoked in oil-soaked rags or leaves.Most combustibles will do. Metallic oxides in theglaze are reduced where the fuel touches theglaze. Oxidation effects are added by pulling thepotout ofthefuel while it’sstill hotand exposing itto air. Then water-quenching freezes the mixtureof effects. It takes some practice to recognize

, 1 . . -

colours when they‘re dulled bythe high heat ofthepot. As a result, sets of pots often sufferfrom glazevariability.

We fire with oil, but electric kilns give more evenresults, although the repeated thermal shock ofopening the kiln is said to shorten element life, asdoes glaze splatter during the firing. TraditionalRaku firing temperatures are low, and the glazesare usually based on lead. Because we wantedfunctional ware, we‘ve avoided lead, even frits,and finding suitable glaze formulas has taken along time.

We sell onlythrough shops, having soughtoutarural life to escape population pressure, andknowing that visitors would leave us with littletime to work. We’re happy with the best piecescoming out of our Raku attempts, but losses havebeen high and still are, often 70%, inevitable withthe rigours of heat-shock and water-quenchingduring the firing.

We emigrated from the New York area in 1971,driven out by population pressure and itspathology of traffic, prices, pollution and frenzy.

Not that New York isn’t exciting — it’s where“everything’s happening”, but the dollar andpsychic cost of getting at it all is too high. We wantan unspoilt environment that doesn’t always leanon us. To that end, we’ve shifted to a sunny ruralvalley near Nelson, and are breeding dairy beefforexport. We‘re relaxed and happy in New Zealand,and would not return to America.

Nancy holds a Master's in ceramics fromRutgers University New Jersey, having studiedwith Hui Ka-Kwong, who makes brightly colouredhard-edge sculpture-pots. But we were notproduction potters in America. The market there iseitherthrough galleries for kinky arts stuff (strictlynon-functional ware like heavy funk, sometimes

Few potters seem to be interested in working inRaku to any depth. So far my progress as beenslow. I’ve built one Raku kiln from a mixture ofrefractory materials which are suitable for castinga shape which is aesthetically pleasing.

Out of this kiln have come sixty pots usingdiffering clays to find a clay body which can standup to thermal shock and the rapid cooling. I alsowanted a suitable clay colour — white. Severalformulas have been tried until a workingknowledge of the material has been obtained.

With the aid ofa Queen Elizabeth II Arts CouncilGrant, this year I’m working on kiln design. I‘ll bebuilding two more kilns for different shaped Rakupots—tall pots, larger platters and averaged sizedbowls. Also I want to find ways of reducing thelarger pots inside the kiln, and be able to immersethem in water while still red hot. l’m experimentingin the construction of light weight Raku kilnsusing a special castable material which makesconstruction quick.

not even ceramic), or craft-fairs (traditionalstoneware and earthenware, of varying quality).Most people there buy ceramics for art-investment

or as with-it tokens of membership in theback-to-earth movement. Rarely do they buy foruse. in New Zealand, far more people buy pots foreveryday use.

After we settled in Nelson, Nancy continued herpotting, and especially Raku because she enjoyedthe colourful glazes it can produce. She sold somepots locally and then more widely. Finally shedrifted into modest production. With the bottomout of the beef export schedule, the pottery isassuming more importance to us.

Sunday Creek PotteryWakefield, Nelson

Denys Hadiield

My first real contact with Raku was during anAustralian visit in 1972. I met up with a potter inQueensland and did some work'in Flaku with him. Ibegan to see great possibilities for creativeexpression through Flaku.

After years of learning and gaining knowledgein more conventional pottery, here was an aspectofthe craft that showed me things. Raku pots hadelusive qualities — qualities not created byplanned methods but by other spontaneousfactors.

Back in New Zealand I found that a change in mypersonal direction was necessary. After years ofpotting in peaceful countryside, I moved to thecity. It took me nearly a fortnight before i couldsleep at night, such was the contrast from thequiet country.

To my amazement I soon found an old brickbuilding suitable for a studio almost in the heart ofthe city. The landlord was a blacksmith. From thisstudio has developed the Artist Quarter where

there are now a weaver, a screen printer, an artistand two leather workers. In our studio we’verebuilt the trusty 50 cubic foot and a 30 cubic footkiln. My brother Philip, who is showing thenecessary dedication and skill to be a potter,helped with the building.

Raku techniques can be suitable to the novicepotter and I plan to use this approach to potterywith school students and with adult groups.

I have come to Baku the long way round. In 1964lfirst started taking art lessonsfrom John Coley inChristchurch. A piece of stoneware by BernardLeach used as a still life subject was new to me andit captured and held my interest. Later I worked

.with Marion Mauger learning the basics ofearthenware. Then in 1966 I started with YvonneRust in her studio in Christchurch and had awonderful time gaining insights into stoneware.

Shoji Hamada visited Christchurch. Watchinghim working at Yvonne’s studio had a profoundeffect on me, and my attitude towards stonewarechanged.

After a year with Yvonne I decided it was time tobuild and fire my own kiln. I started with RoyCowan’s 50 cubic foot kiln using his low pressureburners. (l have yet to see a more suitablestoneware kiln). The next 18 months were spentperfecting the firing method. Then I made thedecision to forsake all and go potting.

Thirty miles north of Christchurch in the heart ofprosperous downland farms was Philip Coleman’s120 year old homestead. I bought it. It had beenempty for three years, but was built of 80lb sodblocks and rimu rafters so it was sound. It was twostoried with six bedrooms having been built by theColemans as an accommodation house forhorsemen travelling north. The house stood in anEnglish garden of flowering trees. Here I built twokilns, one for glost and one for biscuit firings, andgot working.

The next four years was spent learning thediscipline of throwing runs of domestic ware andfinding a suitable range of glazes for them. It hasgiven me great satisfaction to create, to form, toplan, to bring to life an object which carries one’sfine sensitivities. The expression of these innerfeelings brings love and joy into life. All this is intotal contrast to the current worldly motivationsfor consuming and greed with little respect for thereal needs of humanity.

Some say ”no point in making Raku because it‘sso fragile”. But this very factor has its ownadvantages. It has less power to exalt the humanego because of its usefulness. It‘s possible tosuper refine it, butl believe the real message I getis from blacked, smoked bodies, white crackledglaze, bands of rich reduced copper and pleasing

20

Fi‘aku kiln, number 1, temperature 9006. The pot on the wicketis ready to go in.

imperfections. It teaches me things and alwaysmakes its own final statement.“

What is Baku?

During the first half ofthe 16th century, atype ofearthenware, ever since known as Raku, wasdeveloped. The first Baku potter was Chojiro whowasthefirstofa long continuing line ofhereditaryRaku master potters down to the present RakuXIV. There has been, for many years, an interest inBaku techniques in New Zealand and to someextent this has taken the form of communityefforts at pottery parties.

It has been suggested that there are some whoregard Raku as something made in the Xmasbarbecue. I might reply to this that a few peoplewho are making what they call Raku are merelymaking low fired earthenware. It is certainly atechnique well worth investigating and perhapsdeveloping, but I have certain reservations.

I do not believe that successful work is everproduced completely at variance with its ownperiod. Some may argue that a great artistproduces from his own mind a vision thatinfluences a period and lays down the style of thatperiod. I prefer to believe that the artist distillsfrom his surroundings and time its essentialessence, and puts it in visual form.

Thus a soft paste Worcester vase is a laugh in a1970 pottery art shop, Braque, in 1700 would havebeen incarcerated, and Thackeray is hard readingtoday.

Raku ware, which mainly consisted of bowls,arose purely through the demands of the teaceremony. This extremely stylised procedure ofdrinking tea provided a time for leisurely gossip,for relaxation, and fordiscussion ofsurroundings.The tea bowl provided fuel forthis, and the rangeand subtlety of the observations upon each bowlwould be completely beyond the comprehension(or patience) of most people today.

These discussions would cover the form, thetexture and colour, the qualities of heattransmission, the feel of the rim on the lips, thephysical balance ofthe pot, and the techniques ofmanufacture.

The pots were, of course, hand built.In addition to this, Japan was a closed society——

nearly all contact with the outside world was cutoff and art turned inward. This had the effect ofcrystallising art forms.

This then, was the condition under which Rakuflourished. Indeed, there is a Japanese belief thatno great Raku was made after the 17th century.

A further point of interest is that Raku wasalways a great dilettante exercise in Japan.Wealthy sons would make tea bowls in a dabblingsort of way.

21

| see no great place for Raku in today‘s worldotherthan an interesting exercise often producingunexpected and very beautiful results. It providesan instant appreciation for the new potter of thequalities of clay and glaze under fire, but asentimental journey backto17th Century Japan isnot justifiable.

Trevor BaylissAuckland Institute and Museum

ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERSThe answer to many subscribers who have asked if it isnecessary to have prepayment of subscriptions, is“yes." The Potter's circulation has more than trebledover the past four years and we cannot assume thatyou will all want to renew.A renewal form is enclosed with this issue. It wouldhelp us if this were returned with your remittance nowor early in the new yar. A receipt of acknowledgementwill be sent only if requested. Where cheques are sentthis is not necessary, but we would ask that thesepeople tell us if their cheques are not presented withina reasonable time.

We aim to have the Potter published by June 30, andNov 30. Allowingtime afterthatfor mailing, itshould bein your hands by mid-July of mid-Dec (later for over-seas subscribers because it is sent surface mail.)

Early potters of MexicoThere is a strongly developed aesthetic sense in the Mayan

pottery that I saw in Mexico. Decoration was rich and varied.Sculptured figures and sculptured forms were used in manydiverse ways.

Before the Spanish conquest the potter’s wheel wasunknown to the Mayan craftsman, vessels being made withmoulds of clay or modelled by hand. This may account for thegreat variety of sculptured motifs which includejaguars, dogs,monkeys, birds and serpents as well as men and mythicalmonsters.

Mayan potters seemed to have excellent technicalknowledge and they produced big and elaborately modelledceramics. Often these had a religious purpose. Incenseburners and other vessels of great size, beauty and technicalbrilliance were produced. Many u'nglazed pots were paintedwith gay colours and they show a strong sense of design.

The potter always seemed to create a shape even ifunembellished with sculpture or grafitti in which grace andfunctional purpose combined. These qualities together withwit, Iiveliness and humanity, madethe Mayan potteravery real

man to me. From Lorna Ellis‘s notebook

School Pupils exhibitThe most outstanding achievement of the South Wales

Potters as a society last year was the staging of the “Ceramicsin Schools” exhibition. This was one of the most ambitiousprojects tackled by the S.W.P., and of a new kind — using ourcorporate capabilities to promote the work of others. Onethousand pieces from two hundred recommended secondaryschools all over Britain (Orkney Isles to Isle of Wight) wereassembled and displayed. Five pots were sent from eachschool but there was no selection of these and no theme. Thefirst exhibition of its kind, the range of ability and expressionmust have been an eye opener to many people and is a tributeto the teachers concernedfThis lively show was mounted inCardiff, London and Glasgow.

Janet Hamer, Newport Gwent, Wales

4 generationsof potters

Te Mata Potteries, kingdom ofthe Fulford familyfor more than 50 years, is a historic landmark inHawke’s Bay and the symbol of four generationsof potters. Now its kilns are cold, and the largedrying sheds which once held 28,000 flower pots,contain only hay and other storage.

The pottery began when Huelin Fulford boughtback his old treadle wheel which he had soldbefore World War I, and in 1923 he began makingpots for fun. But what started as a hobby soongrew to be a business.

As a potter, Huelin Fulford was certainly born tothe craft and his inherited knowledge of potterywas widely respected.

His father and grandfather were both potters.John Fulford senior made bricks in Jersey,Channel Islands, and Huelin‘s father, John juniormanaged a brickyard in Granville, France. It was inthis yard that the pipes for the first Paris sewerswere made. At the outbreak of theFranco-Prussian War he returned to Jersey and it

Hue/in Fulford

by Jan Bell

was then the family decided to come to NewZealand to manage a brick yard at Napier.

John Fulford Jnr moved to Havelock Northeventually, and set up his first business a fewchains down the road from the present site in TeMata Road. This business seemed fated and anearthquake terminated a spring which providedwater for the pottery.

In 1892 John started again, this time in JollRoad, Havelock North, near what is now theshopping area, and Clay was excavated from alarge area right up to the Anglican Church. Thefactory was commissioned to supply bricks formany buildings which were later devastated in the1931 Napier earthquake. A million and a halfbricks were used in the Grand Hotel, thenconsidered a skyscraper at four storeys high.Fulford bricks were also used to build the floor ofthe T.M.V. Vineyards plant —— one of the oldest inNZ.

Work with clay at this time was very heavy, withlittle mechanization, but John was fortunate inhaving the help of a horse named Ned. Ned’s jobwas to pull the trolley of unfired ware from thedrying sheds to the kiln and he knew the routewithout human aid, but there was a drawback,sometimes he failed to appear as usual. Eventuallysomeone would have to investigate, and sureenough, there was Ned having a quiet snooze in

one of the first in Hawke’s Bay

the only spot out of sight from either end of theproceedings.

At the beginning of the 20th century there wereat leastfourother brick and pipe works in the area,so eventually the market was over-supplied, claybecame scarce, and in 1915 the Fulford brothersdismantled John’s factory.

A much cherished family possession is a largeurn, made by John about 80 years ago. It has twosnake like handles and is made with 3 buff claytaken from the vicinity of Cape Kidnappers.

After World War I, Huelin Fulford established TeMata Potteries, and for many years thousands offlower pots were made by machine. Severalworkers were employed including three ofHuelin’s sons. At peak capacity the pottery wasturning out 15,000 pots a week, made from localred clay firing at 1050" centigrade.

Huelin concentrated on hand thrown bird baths,garden urns and some glazed earthenware. Allsizes and all shapes were supplied to nurseriesthroughout New Zealand and the pottery becameknown as the home of earthenware.

Huelin designed and built several kilns, his firstwas very small and was soon replaced by a muchlarger one. Unfortunately this was partiallydestroyed the day ofthe 1981 earthquake. The kilnhad been fired the day before the quake and was

still full of hot pots when disaster struck. He thenbuilt what is still probably the largest down-draftkiln in Hawke’s Bay, at first using over one ton ofcoal for each firing, but later converted this to anefficient oil burner system.

Then sad times again fell on the pottery. Withthe advent of plastic the demand for clay potsdeclined as plastic flower pots replaced theearthenware. The Fulford sons turned to otheroccupations, but Huelin continued to producehand thrown gardenware and glazed earthenwareuntil his health forced him to give up regular work,and in 1970, at the age of 79 he died.

Huelin Fulford became well known asa potter ofmerit, one who loved his craft. He was alwayswilling to demonstrate to visitors who often usedto come by the bus load, or to help aspiringpotters. In his opinion a person could only betaught so much. “It is all in the feel”, he said,“potteryis something which isin your blood, butaman is not a potter until he can turn out a row ofpots and see they are all the same". The youngestson, David, then took over the family pottery, as a4th generation potter. He continued the Fulfordtradition and was well known for large garden andpatio urns, but early in 1974 he closed Te MataPotteries. He hopes to establish a studio on hisown property some time in the future.

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FASSETT BURNETT AND BATIKFassett Burnett of the Bay of Islands, practices

this ancient Javanese craft. The technique isIndonesian, but the designs are inspired by NewZealand plants and animals so his batik has acharacter of its own. Fassett Burnett is one of ourbest interpreters of Maori motifs.

He is a craftsman with a fine sense of design. Hishangings have been outstanding exhibits in craftexhibitions. They are equally usable asbedspreads or tablecloths or on walls as works ofart.

Batik, meaning drawing and writing inJavanese, is a process of wax resist dyeing. It hasbeen practiced as a craft in Indonesia for centuriesbut the method of decoration was also known inIndia, Europe and parts of Africa. Batik prints inthe last few years have been found by the fashionpromoters.

The process is a direct way of making design onfabric. Fassett Burnett draws on the fabric with hotliquid wax. Then he paints on the dye which is

24

absorbed only by those parts of the material thatare wax free.

In preparation, the material is washed to get ridof the dressing, then it is stretched on a frame.Using a traditional Tjanting, a small copper kettlewith a long spout, the hot wax is painted on freely.Fassett Burnett makes no use of blocks or stamps.Each piece is original. When the drawing iscompleted it is taken off the frame and lightlycrushed to crack the wax. The dye penetratesthese cracks to give lines characteristic of batik.Thefabric isthen returned to the frame fordrying.Great care and skill are needed to get an evenspread ofcolouroverthe length of batik. It is left tocure for two days. Then it is rinsed in cold watertoremoveexcess dye. Fassett Burnett has a handycreek for doing this. Finally it is washed in hotsoapy water to remove the wax. The waxing anddyeing process can be repeated giving additionalcolour to enhance the fabric. It all amounts to agood deal of handling.

Fassett Burnett left New Zealand in 1956 forJava and became interested in the batik process inJogjakarta. Later he went to Europe and theremarried painter Huia Rowlands.

“By 1964 I had had enough of being away fromNew Zealand. Living in other people’s countries isfine, but somehow the hills are never quite theright shape and no matter how delightful thepeople, you never quite feel that you belong.

In 1965 we returned home. Huia and I had bothpainted in Spain, but when we came home anyurge to paint deserted us and I began to makesome batik dress lengths and work on the wharf atOpua. In many ways we were back in the sameposition as we had been in before we left NewZealand — getting by on a shoestring and notentirely committed to making a living out ofcraftwork.”

Like so many ofour craftsmen the Burnetts havetaken over an old house. This provides them with aspacious and interesting environment in which towork and they become caretakers for part of ourhistorical landscape.,“The house at ClendonCove, Russell, Bay of Islands was built in 1842 byJames Reddy Clendon. It is not as grand as someof his other houses and has been added to untidily

overthe years, butwe are slowly getting ittidy andplanting trees in the eleven acres surrounding us.

On the property there is a Maori Pa site and thecreekthatrunsintothe bayisjust large enoughforus to get our yachts into. I have an old boat“Mirage” which was, in her day, one of the fastest22ft racing yachts in Auckland.

Our son Tom, sixteen, has an eighteen footcruising yacht that sleeps three which means thathe doesn‘t have to put up with his old father whenhe and hlsfriendswantto get away forafew days.The reason for having two yachts in one family isthat the correct management of small craft seemsto excite fiercer and more bloody disagreementthan anything elsel can think of. lfound that whenTom crewed for me it was difficult to restrainmyself from giving a steady rain of advice which ofcourse takes a lot of fun out of the game. With hisown boat he can do things his own way.

After moving down to Clendon Cove we reallygot busy with batik and made a great many dresslengths. We used a front room of the house as asmall gallery and sold sufficient to cope with thebills. But making dress lengths for the prices thatpeople will pay is not a way of makinga living, asthe outlay in material is too great.

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26

i had been making some wall hangings as wellas the dress lengths and l was asked to exhibit inCanberra. The show was a success and we wenton making ever greater numbers ofwall hangings.There were other exhibitions.

The boy who had been working for us left to geta job on an oyster farm, so I decided to take achange of direction. Our property, because ofinflated land values had become valuable soldecided to borrow some money from the bank ona mortgage and give myself a year making onlywhat I wanted to make. l have concentrated onwall hangings and Huia and l are both paintingagain. Being able to spend forty hours on onehanging has made a lot of difference to my wholeattitude towards batik and I realise now that theproduction routine I got into was a mistake.

l’vejust had an exhibition in Dunedin. lttook methree months to draw, working eight hours a dayfor six days a week. I made twenty-nine hangings. lscrapped eighteen of them. The eleven thatremained justfilled the Moray Gallery and hangingthem was a satisfying job.

This last year without the stresses of employingsomeone it has been easier to come to terms withwhat I really want to make, and now, having aclearer idea of what I am trying to do perhaps Iwon’t make so many mistakes or head off in somany wrong directions.”

Some of Fassett Burnett‘snotable comm/ss/ons inc/ude a 34ft hanging for thenew telephone exchange, Canberra, and one for thefoyer of the Mercury Theatre, Auckland.

Margaret HarrisThe Burnett batik process

Now I am printing on a good solid canvas. Ihave ceased cracking the wax as I think that forwall hangings the characteristic ‘crackle’ of batikis too fidgety and that the designs should standup without it.

I use procion dyes which can be obtained fromICI. I mix the dye with water into a thick paste andthen dilute it to whatever strength I want.

I paint the dye onto the waxed canvas with abrush.

Before painting on the dye chemicals areadded as fixing agents. The recipe is:

5 lbs urea to 2 gals water1/2|b washing soda and 1/2lb baking soda to 2gals water.I store the liquids in 1/2 gal flagons and justbefore putting on the dye | add equalquantities of each liquid.This is a safe and sure recipe. To be quite sure

of fixing, the fabric should be left for two daysbefore washing in boiling water with plenty ofTaniwha soap powder.

27

Drawing with hot wax

painting on the dye

EXHIBITIONSANDREW AND JEAN VAN DER PUTTEN

Andrew van der PuttenBorn in Amsterdam. Came to New Zealand whenhe was 20. Worked with Len Castle, Helen Masonand Jeff Scholes. A fulltime potter. Lives andworks in Auckland’s Waitakere hills.

Jean van der PuttenBorn in Kuala Lumpur. Came to New Zealandwhen a child. Studied at Elam School of Art.Began working with clay in 1969 because shemarried a potter. Works fulltime as a potter herselfand as the mother of three young children.

In something like 20 years New Zealand pottery hastransformed itself from a twee hobby to a secure andflourishing cottage industry.

The humble stoneware coffee mug makes a perfect symbolof change. Once a treasured cult object, it can now be foundrubbing shoulders with utility cups on most office tea trollies.

In many ways taki ng homemade pottery for granted has beena good thing. The old battles that used to rage in the ’50s aboutwhether pottery was an art or a craft are seldom heardnowadays. Likewise the equally fruitless rivalries between“amateur” and ”professional" that used to cloud the potteryscene in a fog of bitchiness have vanished.

All that is on the credit side, but there has been a loss alongwith the gains. With bare exceptions New Zealand pottery isbland and boring. Each new pottery exhibition is predictable.The level of craftsmanship is generally high but that ofaesthetic stimulation is low. The acres of small brown and greypots that line the display stands at pottery shows are all, nodoubt, useful additions to the kitchen cupboard, but they dolittle for the spirit.

In this climate the appearance of a young potter like Andrewvan der Putten, whose first major show is at the new AlicatGallery, is more than welcome.

Significantly van der Putten has not emerged suddenly out ofthin air. He is very much the product ofthe best influences anddirections within New Zealand pottery. He has served avaluable apprenticeship, working with Len Castle and firingwith such competent potters as Helen Mason and Jeff Scholes.From his work it also seems obvious that he looked carefullytoo at the work of Barry Brickell.

With this kind of background it is not surprising that van derPutten begins to combine in his work the careful craft and kilnmanagement of the best domestic potters with the spirit andinventiveness of innovators like Castle and Brickell.

28

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~.

From the latter he has learnt that the nature of clay is plasticand that its plasticity must survive the processes of the kiln. Hisforms are very much alive. They move and surge still in muchthe same way they originally took shape on the wheel. Van derPutten doesn't force the clay to death, but lets it live. If onething is the mark of good pottery it is this. No matter howcarefully wrought the form may be, or expert the glaze orinventive the decoration, the basic element that moves theimagination is the plastic nature of the clay.

In an uncanny way the volume inside van der Putten‘s largerpots seems to go on shaping the form. It is as if the clay hadbeen laid round something else—some living thing perhaps.Where the potter needs to assert his final word he does. In theattachment of handles, in rims, in hands and feet, van derPutten firmly pins the pet's overall form in place. The bestexamples of this are in the strange knobbed and tipped bowls(a form derived and developed from some of Castle‘s morerecent work). The scooped-out—lip in these pots is balanced bya solid base to the knob protruding info the bowls internalspace.

In many ways balance is the strongest element in van derPutten's formal imagination. He works like ajuggler. His glazesare rich and once again these come from the potterymainstream, but are taken a step further by his use of them.

The potter shares his exhibition with his wife Jean. This ismore than a domestic arrangement, since Jean van der Puttenis a competent potter in her own right.

Her pots are bound to be overshadowed by his. As yet shedoes not work with the same spirit, but there is one element inherworkwhich deserves comment—like few potters heresheseems determined to prise pots loose from the monopoly of thewheel and express a more basic joy in handling clay. .

Perhaps Jean van der Putten could be regarded as still , ”Wserving herapprenticeship. lfthat isthe case, she could hardly ‘have chosen a more lively, talented or spirited tutor.

Hamish Keith

29

Mama Wafu IA Mix

The potters invited were each to ask one otherpotter to also take part, which is as good a way asany I suppose and the resulting exhibition wasboth varied and interesting.

Margaret Milne‘s work is always consistent inquality and restrained in character. Her porcelain;a fine bowl, a lidded box, a small, pale blue bottleand trio of small, pebble-textured cylinders wereall beautifully crafted. She also showed a largebowl and a platter, both with thin, rather dry, rims,and one of the now familiar fissured pots. | feelthat the top ofthis form has yet to be satisfactorilyresolved —— it is here perhaps more successfulthan the split fish-tail top on a similar pot shown atDunedin, but it now has a stunted, “broken-off”look at variance with the pure form of the body andcalling attention to a top already made prominentby glaze and colour.

Mary Hardwick-Smith also had an entirelyconsistent showing of carefully thought out andequally carefully finished domestic ware, theglazes pleasantly tactile in muted, yet rich,colours.

#65729: whbwm

Margaret Symes showed her interest in formand texture in her handbuilt bottles. The“dry—grass pots”, globular and heavily textured,were very successful but the groups of elongated,spindly bottles balanced precariously on smallbases. For me the least satisfying piece was thethrown bowl with a deep blue centre and aroughened and harsh manganese-washed rim —its apparent ruggedness belied by an unctuous“bottom-of-the-kiln” yellow foot.

Howard Williams is primarily a decorator. Hecasts his simple forms in wafer-thin whiteearthenware and uses a variety of interestingtechniques to embellish the surfaces. His tall,black, cylindrical lampbase, pierced by a series ofradiating holes was effective and the square vasewith the feather motif was delicately decorated.On the other hand I felt that too much had beenattempted on the salad bowl.

Anna Gandy showed some vigorous, freelythrown pieces. The salt-glazed bowls had arugged honesty about them.

Brian Gartside exhibited press-moulded bowls

and platters and oblong dishes. These were morecolourful than his work in the past and lackedsome ofthe earlier glaze quality—probablyduetoa recent, iftemporary, change from an oil burningto an electric kiln.

Roy Cowan also showed a number of largepressed bowls—some with high standing thrownbases. The shallow, concave shapes were used asa basis for bold stencilled decoration — notalways successfully translated as a ceramicmedium, particularly where strong black shapesdominated the surface.

Guy Mountain showed good colour in hisoatmeal and ochre dinner set and a sense ofhumour in his “absurd Honey Pots", eachstanding on its own tall stern. I liked best his bowl,light and well thrown in a speckled, warm grey. Itwas marred only by unnecessary light brushstrokes on an already beautiful interior. JocelynMountain’s work is big and bold and of joyfulthings — bells and fountains and candle holders.

Arnaud Barraud showed only three pots, allbasically the same form, a generously swellingglobular shape rising from a high narrow foot.Two ofthe pots were salted — one with a heavyish,ill-fitting and rather bubble-breasted lid — but theblue and white, carved, porcelain vase was one ofthe pots of the show for me.

Charles Holmes had some attractively colouredtiles and some strong, square, sculptural pieces,black and heavily textured with touches of gilt orselenium red. He also showed a collection of “finpots”, matt black, hand-formed cylinders withprotruding, sharp-edged fins. These pieces couldpossibly be criticised for being harsh or metallicand unclaylike, but where other similar pots havesometimes failed these are, I think, successfulbecause of this potter’s sure sense of form.

John Fuller

opposite page: dry grass pot Margaret Symes and lidded jarArnaud Barraud. On this page above: Japonica bottle JocelynMountain, bowl Margaret Milne (bought by Palmerston NorthTeacher’s College), Sculptural piece by Charles Holmes

photos: Stan Jenkins

31

k/o‘bél—u MmThe overall standard of work being done by Wellington

potters is improving if judged by the pottery exhibited at theirannual exhibition in Rothmans’ Gallery in July.

The pots were displayed against a background of batikpanels by guestartist Diana Dekker. As an artistic arrangementthe display was successful, butfrom the point ofview of seeingthe pots to advantage, it was overcrowded. Perhaps an answerwould have been to cut down on the number of pots.

The pot of the show was Juliet Peter’s round branch pot withnarrow neck and a blue-green glaze reminiscent of a giantpoppy seed head. Anneke Borren had an outstandingstoneware Iidded pot in subdued colour. All her things welldeserved their place. Patti Meads’ cylindrical ikebana pot andlamp base were notable for their good colour —— oyster greymerging to black.

Flora Christeller showed a fine, big pot with a well maturedtenmoku glaze. Raeburn Laird must be singled out asthe mostimproved potter. Her several sets of high fired earthenware,show she has control of her medium. Arie van Dyk produced alarge and lively bowl. Judith McMillan‘s jars and plate andpencil holder made an attractive group. She used Mexicanmotifs for decoration which shows that designs do not have tobe original to be worthwhile. Audrey Brodie‘s bowl had apleasant liquid glaze.

Ray Mudd exhibited a well made decorated flat inlaid pot.Dave Dalrymple had a fine thrown vase with sensitivedecoration. Muriel Wright achieved interesting effects withrubbed on oxides on her hand-built stoneware platter. JillBagnall has a nice feeling for a small pot; her work is carefully

crafted and shows promise.David Shearer’s stoneware vase with tenmoku glaze was a

pleasant sort of pot. With wife Jennifer a more experiencedpotter, they make a promising husband and wife team. CarolWilson is another promising new potter showing flair andcompetence in a field restricted at present. She showed agroup of bottles.

Minna Bondy has been away for a while and it was good tosee her back among the potters with a group of small pots.

This was an interesting show. On second viewing there weresome exhibits that should not have been included — some selfconscious pots. Not that one wants to knock adventure, butthere they were — contrived pieces that have no place in anexhibition of good pottery.

Muriel MoodyNew Auckland Gallery

On July 1 Auckland’s new Alicat Gallery presented its firstexhibition, the work of Andrew and Jean van der Putten.

Andrew has always had the reputation of being a ”potter'spotter" and the opening tended to underlinethis. PresentwereLen Castle, Jeff Scholes, Doris Dutch, Adrian Cotter, RichardPoor, Howard Williams, Charles Holmes and Don Thornley.And in the fortnight that followed almost every potter in anaround Auckland must have come in to look at the pots,

Reviews of the exhibition were excellent which shouLd add tothe already considerable reputation of Andrew and Jean vander Putten.

Peter Slnclalr

PETER SINCLAIR‘S

ALICATNew Zealand’s newest gallery, bringing you

the finest pots from the finest pottersin the country.

Only a minute or two from the heart of Auckland,Alicat features a special window display

from a top potter each month,a major exhibition every six weeks.

October: From breadcrocks to trinket boxes.An exhibition of very large to

very small pots.ALICAT GALLERY

52 JERVOIS RD, PONSONBY, AUCKLAND: 769874

Open from 10 a.m. every day except Sunday

The Canterbury Potters Exhibition was held in the C.S.A.Gallery Christchurch 12-27 July 1974 — 162 pieces wereselected by Denise Welsford, Margaret Higgs and RexValentine from the offerings of 45 members. The work ingeneral was soundly based on precepts extolled by BernardLeach and exemplified by the Mingei Pottery traditions ofJapan. The standard this year was in my opinion betterthan lastyearand it was heartening that some ofthe strongest work wasfrom younger members of the Association.

Michael Trumic displayed two magnificent bottles. However,Michael exerts such a strong influence that the top of hisbottles reappeared on far, fartoo many bottles by others. Thepossible variations of form are practically infinite. Surely suchduplication of a successful detail is at the least a sign of a lackof imagination.

Hiroe Swen’s influence was also evident — again a pity thatsuch a strong influence hadn't been more completelyassimilated before work was exhibited. Lawrence Ewingdisplayed avery strong group of pots with carefully worked andscaled rope handles. Paul Fisher and Brian Cooke also showedgood work.

In any exhibition, size, extreme form, daring colour orextravagant texture all draw attention. Frequently the veryquiet pieces that carry more ultimate satisfaction areoverlooked. Nora Flewellen‘s charming condiment set withimmaculate glaze and delightful colourfalls into this category.Rex Valentine's work is also sometimes overlooked yet his setof landscape plates and in particular his set of bowls withunusual oil spot tenmoku glaze were worthy of concentratedstudy.

The Association was honoured by having pieces by DeniseWelsford, Gennie de Lange and David Brokenshire purchasedby the MacDougall Art Gallery.

The use of carpet flowing up over platforms at variousheights together with the contrast of muted colours gave a finebackground for the exhibition.

David Brokenshire

David Brokenshire himself exhibited four largeprim/f/ve—type vessels called “missionary pots” (forsmall medium and tall missionaries), He alsoshowed a sculptural form tit/ed ”evil wind” and acollection of small porcelain pieces with ce/adonglazes. (ed)

photos: Nola Barron

Dennlse We/sford

33

. 1.,3'

Rex Valentine

Brian Cooke

;. .n'

Nora Flewel/env y .V r-

Juliet Peter plant box

Carol Wilson bottles photos: Terence Taylor

In Wellington inJulythe New Zealand Academy of Fine Artsheld its annual exhibition of pottery sculpture and graphicart. This year guest potters were Juliet Peter, Yvonne Rust,Frederika Ernsten, Jim Greig and Peter Stichbury. The themefor the exhibition was “pots to use”.

Juliet Peter displayed a branch pot, an 18 inch high plantbox (illustrated), and three platters of the kind that werecognise as Juliet’s own, for holding fruit or other food. Thecraftsmanship, as always, was of a high standard and every-thing was eminently usable.

Frederika Ernsten selected a bowl, a vase and two bottlesof elegant form and fine finish. Peter Stichbury’s offeringshowed his customary competence. His wine set and coffeeset were simply and effectively decorated, but the angulardecoration on one of the platters was dominant and atvariance to its circular shape.

Jim Greig’s unfolding growth forms were shown in the lastissue of the Potter. Three big bowls from this series weredisplayed together with a set of asymetrical tiles.

A vase, a massive candle holder, a sunflower wine pot andgoblets and two fountains with pumps, came from the kiln ofYvonne Rust. A house with 3000 square feet of floor space inthe open country is about the scale needed to make thesepieces feel at home.

Among the notable pots from other exhibitors were acomfortable jug by Arle van Dyk, an Iron glaze plate and a budvase by Eric Stevens and a collection of stately bottles byCarol Wilson (illustrated). Her “landscape pots" were bottleswith overlapping tones In the glaze. Patti Meads’ forty fourpiece luncheon set in pale torquoise earthenware showedgreatcontrol oftechnlque.Anneke Borren’s group offlowersln bright earthenware colours and her twelve piececentlpede had to be noticed; they contributed someoriginality and galety to that corner of the exhibition.

M.M.H.

below: Brickel/ unglazed forest pots exhibited at Essex Emporium, Auckland

Right: Yvonne Fiust’s fountain exhibited at New Vision, Auckland. photos; Steve Rumsey.

OTAGO POLYTECHNIC

FULL-TIME COURSE IN CERAMICSOtago Polytechnic School of Fine & Applied Arts offers a one year course leading to aCertificate in Ceramics. Applications are invited for the 1975 course. . . .Bursary assistance is available to qualified students who have not had prev10us assmtance intertiary education.

Enquiries to: Mr R.J. DickisonCourse SupervisorSchool of Fine & Applied ArtsOtago PolytechnicPrivate BagDUNEDIN

()TAGO POLYTECHNIC

CERAMICS TUTOR

A tutor-in-charge is required for the Ceramics Sectionbf the School of Fine & AppliedArts. Applicants must be competent potters with teaching and administrative ability.The School has the best facilities in New Zealand for Ceramics teaching and caters for fulland part-time students. A one-year full-time course was started th1s year.

Salary : either Tutor 1 $5084 to $7557 _ _or Tutor 2 $6934 to $9225 Enquiries to : Deputy-PrinCIpal,Otago Polytechnic,Private Bag, Dunedin.

Pots for sale, plus a fewprints and a painting or twoRoy Cowan and Juliet Peterat the Settlement Gallery,155 Willis Ston Monday May 13thbetween 4 and 6.30 pmThe Settlement Gallery was bursting atthe seams.Juliet and Roy’s pottery is so usuable thateveryone wants to buy it. This was a small show ofcharacteristic high quality work in an almostdomestic setting with the prints taking equal placewith the pots.M3 “7;; ;a M.M.H.

Outdoor pots need to be displayed in an outdoor setting andEssex Emporium in Dominion Road, Auckland, provided sucha setting for an exhibition of garden pots by a dozen pottersfrom Coromandel and Auckland. With the help of some pottersEssex have converted a city backyard into a garden courtyardwith mellow old bricks and rough, bark fence. Not all the potswere terra cotta. John Tolands' wood fired kiln produced twoglazed stoneware pots; and Don Thornley exhibited stonewareblossom jars and tablets. Una Sharply displayed barbecue setsfortea, for curry and rice and for wine, all in glazed stoneware.

Barry Brickell’s contributions were two glazed stonewareterrace pots, a sculptured fountain and a series of four foothigh, unglazed forest pots. Brickell likes working on a bigscale. The forest pots were generous forms with richly toastedsurfaces showing rugged strength appropriate to useoutdoors.

Other notable pots in this exhibition were Merle Bryildson'slarge bird pots and Claire Dockstader's huge unglazed acornpot.

Auckland Star

Swap JobsAustralian teacher/potter wants to swap jobsand houses for one year under the exchangescheme.

“i am a social studies teacher, Bachelor ofEconomics - teach economics geography andhistory in upper school.

I sell $A4000 worth of pottery a year -stoneware fired at 130000 in two chambered oilfired catenary arch kiln. Have well equippedworkshop - 2 electric wheels, large capacity,pugmill, ballmil|,50’ x 50‘ shed, clay prepara-tion bed for local clay - Vanguard utility.

The near-new two storey house is on thebeach at pleasant holiday resort of BrusseltonWestern Australia”.

An interested New Zealand potter or suitablyqualified social studies teacher could write toErland Happ Box 410 Western Australia 6280

36 37

CREATION

It has been pushed out from the womb of the earth,Born as molten rock in a labour of fire.Mother Earth has given birth to her child of granite.lt lies on her breast, hardening, shaping.The birth pains are over,The orifice heals.

Water and wind nurture the childUntil it divideslnto smaller and smaller particles,With the care of the rain and the windIt ages, Then, dust to dustIt becomes.

80 it is washed to the gull/es and lower placesWhere it lies, awaiting its rebirth,When a god will give it eternal life.One day he comes and gathers the clayinto his great, gent/e hands.Loving/y with water he emba/ms it,Kneads it, shapes itA form of beauty, rising and spinningOn a wheel ofnew life.

lt gleams with the water as it becomesA fluid, graceful form,Growing, expanding, liftingIn plastic beauty,

And then to fire once more it must go.Fire the purifier and new life giverTo emerge from this pyreNot charred and dead and blackened,But transfiguredAlive and glowingWith a beauty as never before.lts rythym glows with the life of the fire,The colours are those that have been hidden there.So this beauteous, glowing objectLives forever.

WA JewellQueensland, Australia

Pottery in AustraliaPublished by the Potters’ Society of Au-stralia, twice yearly in spring and autumn.The yearly subscription is $A3 and themagazine may be obtained from theeditor Pottery in Australia 39 Mary Street,Longueville, Sydney 2066.

Clay Preparationby Jack Luckens

The preparation of clay has always been apotters heaviest and usually most arduous task,and for this reason many potters — I wouldventure to say most potters — buy their clay readyto use.

Nevertheless, for many reasons (recipes,coarseness or fineness) or like me just plaincussedness, some of us prepare our own, utilizinga local clay, perhaps mixed with others.

Clay, to be satisfactory should be ahomogeneous mass of suitable consistency. Forthis reason some of the locally prepared bodiesfall down as they are prepared with machineryused in the brick and pipe industry, with the resultthat the product is often not as well mixed as couldbe and contains undesirable pieces of wood, coal,road metal and even nails. The ideal method iswhat some potters call the “kindest” method —reduce dry clay to a slip, then get rid of surpluswater and presto — clay.

Simple, in theory, but how frustrating in reality.The article and design of a filter press a couple ofyears ago in the “NZ. Potter” shows the interestby potters in the subject, but a filter press, whileideal for continuous and large production,requires mechanical and engineering capabilitiesoften beyond the average studio potter. I amtherefore offering a method which is capable ofuse by even those of us not so robust, and toproducefrom1kiloto 200 kilos at atime—orfrom1/2 gallon bucket to a bathtub full.

I have evolved this system over 10 years andwhile I would not claim it to be perfect, I think lhave ironed out most of the bugs; each operatorwill find adaptionsto suit his or her apparatus andingenuity:

. Dig and dry clay.

. Break up clay — the finer, the quicker the slaking.

. Slake clay and pour into container through sieve.

. Add other ingredients — feldspar and other clays.

. If possible sieve again into a second container, settle anddecant several times stirring well after each decanting.

. Ladle out into cloth and hang.. After several days take down puddings and flatten on

concrete floor.8. Place pancakes on wedging table, remove cloth and

knock into suitable blocks to wrap in polythene and store.

WA

GO

N—

l\IO

')

An alternative to drying in cloths will be described which isfaster and suitable for small lots of from 1/2 to 5 kilos, replacingoperations 6, 7 and 8.

1. Thorough drying of clay prior to crushing is essential — itis easier to crush and slakes better, and therefore goesthrough sieve better.

38

2. Any containers can be used, but for a useful quantity ofclay (200 kilos plus) old cast iron baths are the best forseveral reasons, and two are better than one. They are nottoo deep, which aidsfilling and emptying, if placed on twobars they may be rolled with the aid ofa barand hook, thusmaking decanting easy. They are cheap (scrap iron value$2) as well as being robust, if there is no plug, fitting acouple of pieces of hardboard or plywood and a roofingbolt will block the outlet — a perfect seal is not needed.

Slaking —I use five four gallon square tins — Kerosene tinsto us oldies—about3/4 full ofwaterand putabout4kilos ofdry clayin each. Slakingtimevarieswithclay. Stir with blungerand pour into bath throughdesired sieve. A 16 mesh sieve for a coarse bodyand a 20 mesh makes a nicefine body. Extra watermay be needed for the first bucket or two, afterthat, surplus water on top of sieved clay in bothcan be used to wash clay through sieve. A highpressure hose may also be used for washing claythrough sieve. l grind my dry clay to about 16mesh in a grit grinder, and find that to sieve 20kilos only takes 6-7 minutes. Keep a check boardwith chalkto record what you put into the bath. Mynormal mix is 140-150 kilos dry weight of all bodyingredients (except grog) which makes around200 kilos of plastic clay. If using powdered clay(Hyde ball, airfloated fireclay) and feldspar or talcin the body, leave thesetill all washed clays are in.lfthe bath istoo full, decantafter settling awhile. Itis a characteristic of airfloated clays and feldsparnotto settle readily, whereas washed clays unlessof bentonitic or otherveryfinetypes usuallysettlequickly.

Now add the powdered clays and they will settle into thesurplus water on top of the bath, though it may take a fewminutes afterspreading each bucketfull. it is useful to use acoarse sieve to spread these powders (and to remove stringand other impurities).

Once all the ingredients are in the bath, then stirthoroughly: a 4" x 3“ piece of wood or ply nailed into theend of a stick is ideal.

Ideally it is now better to bucket the contents of one bathinto anotherthrough the same sieve, first it makes sure thatthere are no pockets of one variety of clay left, secondly itaids greatly in the mixing and thirdly it removes any debrissuch as blown leaves and twigs that get into the first bath, asit takes two or three hours to complete the first process.

Now get a 6 foot sheet of corrugated iron and place overthe bath. This keeps out further leaves but not all the rain,but that matters not for the clay may now settle. One maystartto dry outthe clay atthis stage, but it is better clay andhas less water to get rid of if left for several days or evenweeks. One point —— decant after 24-48 hours and stirthoroughly again — levitation in the wetter slip will tend toplace a noticeably coarser fraction to the bottom and thefiner to the top; this also has the effect of trapping water. ifwater is decanted and not stirred, less water will rise in thenext 24 hours than if the slip is stirred.

Now for the really easy part of the job and the one whichhas in the past been one of much frustration. All opendrying methods have problems of uneven drying and thedanger of foreign bodies entering the slip including mice,bugs etc.

For several years I used newspaper as an absorbent forsurplus water and indeed for small amounts — usually testbatches, I still do. It has the advantage of speed and veryeven drying, buttakes moretime than the cloth method, andin large amounts presents a problem with used wet paper,and is heavier work. But it is still a good method and is asfollows:

Procure at least two 18” by 24” sheets of hardboard,fibrolite or even plywood. On one place a good level wad ofnewspaper—a Saturday edition is aboutright. Ladle outasmuch slip as possible ontothis; the quantity will depend onhow long the slip has settled and therefore how thick it is.lget upto 15 lb of usable clay ifthe slip is reallythick and onlyabout 5-6 l'b if it is thin.

Over this clay place another wad of paper, then a secondbattto hold itdown. It is betterto use a single sheet of paperunder and over the slip at first, as it may be peeled off morereadily when the wad is removed. After a couple of hoursremove the batt, then the paper. Replace with dry paperthen a batt, then flip the lot over and do the same with theunder lot, which is now uppermost. Always keep paper ontop of the clay; oddly it never dries out at the edges and infact the centre is usually slightly firmer because of contactwith the paper. This method has a fair amount of elasticity.For instance the second paper may be left for a couple ofdays but will really be enough to absorb sufficient moisture.At the later stages the fibrolite may be used without paper,once the clay is past the sticky stage.

A better method if used with discretion is the clothwrapping method. For this we need a number of squares ofcloth a yard or metre square —45” would not be too big, aconvenient rail with either hooks or 4" nails about 3“ fromthe ground, as many loops of light rope as squares —clothesline rope is a bit thick — ideally a synthetic up to 1/3"diam. is best. About 18" is tied into a loop. Syntheticmaterial is better than cotton, which is rapidly affected byacids in the slip.

Place the cloth over a large basin 18"-20” diameter andnot too deep; ladle slip into cloth (experience will soon tellhow many ladels-full are required) gather up the corners,pass the loop round and interloop then hang on rail.Depending on thickness of slip and weather, drying timewill vary, but3 days isthe shortest l have had. Rain does notaffect drying appreciably, so any place will do, but a

preferable site is on the dry side of hedge or building. Directsun dries the neck out though a hosing down will cure this.

When the bag feels just a little too soft for working,remove it from the rail and drop on to concrete to flatten it,making sure the loop fastening is still intact. Do the samewith second bag then invert over first one, or if you haveonly one, invert it. This ensures the creases around neck donot dry more than the body.

Twenty four hours on d ry concrete is usually enough; theconstitution of the body and texture of the cloth all affectjudgment of the internal condition.

Place the bag (now a flattish pancake) on wedging table,remove loop and open out. If too soft, carefully replace loopand put the bag back again on to concrete. Concrete seemsto have an osmotic effect and sucks water out quite rapidly.

A yard square of cloth will take 10 kilos of clay — a usefullump to belt into a block and wrap in polythene. 10 to 12kilos may be wrapped in 36” x 32” polythene and keeps aswell as in a bag and is easier to wrap and unwrap. This alsogives us the reason for using squares of cloth instead ofbags. They are easier to load and unload, there are fewerproblems in cleaning and they store more readily. They areas well cheaper and easierto make with no sewing involved.They are just a little more difficult to loop up, but so muchquicker to load and empty, with the advantage that it iseasierto prevent over—d rying round the neck. I can hang upand till 8 squares in 20 minutes and it takes just slightlylongerto unload and block and wrap — 160—170 lbs of clay!

Well maybe you'll still preferto go to the pottery supplierand buy it ready made — but good luck in either case!

Cobcraft — Pottery EquipmentPOWER WHEELSKICK WHEELSBENCH WHIRLERSTURNING TOOLS

Our range is being constantly added toFull details from our distributors, Smith and Smith Ltd.

or COBCRAFT: Lamb and Son, Engineers

39

94 King St., RangioraNorth Canterbury.Phone 7379

Mistaken identityThe pot on the left which we attributed to MargaretMilne in the last Potter was by Patricia Perrin. It wasexhibited at the National Exhibition in Dunedin lastyear. On the right, fissured pot by Margaret Milneexhibited at the Manawatu Art Gallery this year.

photos: Stan Jenkins

RYLAND POTTERY KILN BLOWER* Tested on many high firing oil fuel stoneware kilns.* Simple variable speed adjustment provides accurate, controll—

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4O

ELECTRIC KILNS FOR STONEWARE FIRINGS.

by Wilf Wright

The advantages of firing with electricity are thesimplicity ofthe proceduresinvolved.Thefactthatthe kilns, especially the smaller average sizes arerelatively portable, and that no chimney isrequired since no organic fuels are beingconsumed, contribute to their popularity as theseare advantages that make for easy installation andkilns that are safe to operate in most homesituations.

Not only are the normal procedures simpleenough, but it is possible to become moresophisticated and have the whole firing cyclecomputerised. By installing a control pyrometercoupled to a timer clock you are able to set thepyrometer to the maximum temperature requiredand at the same time set the clock to the requiredsoaking period and the kiln will reach thattemperature and maintain that temperature forwhatever time the clock has been set to.

One disadvantage with electric kilns is the highcost of the kilns in relation to the inside stackablespace. And of course there’s the high cost ofinstallation. This is not such a problem forsomeone for whom pottery is only a hobby and issatisfied with a two cubic foot kiln costing $300.But for the professional potter who may require aten cubicfoot kiln, the costwill be around $1 800 to$2000. Naturally a potter considering such apurchase would want to be sure that such aninvestment would be economically viable.

Installation costs

One of the most important considerations apartfrom the actual cost of the kiln is the cost ofinstallation. Most of this cost has to be met by thepurchaser and can only be determined afterconsultation with an electrician and arepresentative from the local power board.

When contemplating the purchase of a largekiln the first essential is to get all the relevantdetails from the manufacturer that will be neededby your electrician before he can work out the costof installation. Once the electrician hasdetermined what is required, the power boardshould then be asked for advice. Then a writtenquotation can be obtained from your electrician.

The power board is responsible for ensuringthat sufficient power is available at your nearestpole, and from there the costs are yours. That is,you are responsible for upgrading the wires toyour switchboard from the outside power pole and

42

any upgrading or replacement of the actualswitchboard itself, and of course the wires fromthe switchboard to the kiln.

All large electric kilns require three-phasewiring which may consist of four aerials, one foreach phase and one neutral. Ot it can be in theform ofone large cable with all four wires encasedin a thick, plastic coating which can be usedoverhead, or placed to power board specificationsin a two foot deep trench.

Running costs

When discussing installation requirements withyour power board it would be advisable to find outwhat your kiln will cost to operate. Consider theadvantages of day and night metering. With mostpower boards cheap power is available forcommercial ratings between the hours of 9.30pm. and 6.30 am. and the difference in rates isconsiderable. if you are a professional potter andusmg a large electric kiln you will automatically beput on to commercial rates for your power at thecost (in Reikorangi) of 3.1 cents per unit used. Ifyou are on a night rating system between thehours of 9.30 pm. and 6.30 am. the cost of powerused is calculated at 1 cent per unit. Before youcan be placed on such a system you mustundertake to use no less than $50 of power at thenight rate per year. The average professionalpotter would use considerably more power thanthis in a year.

To be put on this system you have to have dayand night meters and a timer clock relaymechanism added to your switchboard. Thepower board will supply the meters and the clock,but if your switchboard is not big enough to takethem you have to pay your electrician to put in alarger one or make a small panel to be placedalongside the existing switchboard.

For stoneware firings the firing cycle exceedsthe nightrate period, butthe change overfromtheday meter to the night meter is automatic. Thefollowing information may be a help in assessingoperating costs. At Reikorangi we operate twoseven cubic foot kilns with a rating of 19 kw overthree phases and a ten cubic foot kiln with a ratingof 32 kw overthree phases. This means that the 19kw kilns use 19 units of power an hour and the 32kw kiln uses 32 units. The table shows definiteadvantages in using the night rates. (Since thisarticle was written it has been discovered thatalthoughthe100ubicfoot kiln israted at 32 kwitisin fact using no more than 24 kw overthree phasesand therefore is using 24 units of power an hour. l

Type Time taken Hours HourskW of Max for on on

rating firing temp firing cycle dayrate night rate

No units No units Cost Cost ofused used of night Total

day rate night rate day rate rate COSt

32kW glaze 1300 13hrs 4hrs 9hrs 128 288 $3.84 $2.88 $6.72

32kW glaze 1300 13hrs 4hrs 416 — $12.48 $12.48

19kW biscuit 800 7hrs — 7hrs — 133 — $1.33 $1.33

19kW biscuit 800 7hrs 133 — — $3.99

24kW glaze 1300 13hrs 4hrs 9hrs 96 216 $2.88 $2.16 $5.04

24kW glaze 1300 13hrs 13hrs 312 — $9.36 — $9.36

have included in the table figures to this effect.)ltis interestingtonotethatthe nightrate system

was originally worked out for bakeries and wasknown asthe “bakers' rate”. As we glaze fire in the32 kw kiln and biscuit fire in the 19 kw kilns at themoment, the figures quoted show our presentfiring pattern.

The number of units used by each firing cycle isactually slightly less than those quoted. This isbecause in the early stages of the glaze firing therate of increase in the temperature is kept down.Thisis done byturningthe simmerstatcontrol toalow setting which in turn activates what is called acontacter which is a magnetically operated makeand break circuit control instrument. In this way allelements are always on simultaneously when thesimmerstat is on high, while at lower settings theelements are all on forasetduration, and all off toa set duration, relative to whateverthe simmerstatdial is setto. This meansthat in the early stages ofthe firing there is a total durationof time in whichno power is being consumed. in the interests ofsimple arithmetic l assessed the costs of the dayrate units at 3 cents a unit instead of 3.1

On the basis of the costs shown in the table,there is no doubt that electricity is a reasonablyeconomic fuel especially if you make use of thenight rating. And if one wants to be altruistic, thereis a reduced demand for power in the communityat night and therefore if a potter does most of hisfirings at night he helps to spread the demand.

Maintenance costs

As any potter knows, the fuel costs are not theonly cost involved in firing a kiln and with anelectric kiln the replacement of elements are theother big costs. Basically there are three types of

43

elements:(a) elements wound from a patented alloy

known as “Nichrome" wire with a maximumworking temperature of 12000

(b) elements wound from a patented alloyknown as “Kanthal" wire with a maximumworking temperature of 13000.

(0) elements which take the form of rods madeof silicon carbide with a maximum workingtemperature of 14000 to 15000.

Obviously for stoneware potters the siliconcarbide rods would seem to be the mostsatisfactory. Unfortunately the cost of these, foreven a very small kiln, is prohibitive andapparently they can still be burnt out at any timeand are expensive to replace.

Nichrome wire is the standard wire used forradiators, toasters and so on and even in a heavygrade is not suitable for use in a kiln to stonewaretemperatures, or even for sustained use toearthenware temperatrues.

Kanthal Al is much more satisfactory. Mostmanufacturers use only Kanthal Al wire forelements.

Most kilns are made in such a way that theyconsist of an inner chamber lining of light weightrefractory bricks with insulating bricks orinsulating material of a loose nature between theinner lining and the outside steel case. Manymanufacturers prefer to set the elements ingrooves cut into the bricks making up the innerlining.Athightemperatures,the elements dotendto crawl out of the grooves. This may be remediedby heating the element that has moved, with a gastorch until it is red hot and slowly bending it backinto place again.

Another method of setting in the elements iswith a series of individual ceramic tiles designed

in such a way that the elements are held inposition. Each individual tile can be replaced Thisis a much more expensive method however.

Earthernware potters firing their kilns attemperatures ranging from 10500 to 1150c do nothave the problems that stoneware potters havewith element loss. When firing stoneware, themaximum temperature reached may be close to13000 which is nearthe limit ofthe Kanthal Al wire.But if care is taken not to exceed the maximumworking temperature then element loss shouldnot adversely affect the economic viability ofstoneware firings.

It’s always a good policy to discuss fully with themanufacturers the maintenance procedures andgeneral managementtechniques ofthe particularkiln concerned.Other costs

Freight charges on a large kiln weighinganything from one to two tons can beconsiderable especially when a fork lift crane hasto hired.

Another cost not already mentioned is shelves.Suitable shelves of high quality silicon carbiderequired for the higher temperature firings areavailable at prices ranging from $7 for a 12 inch by8 inch, to $20 for a 20 by 20. Supports of the samematerial are available at prices ranging from 22cents each for a one inch prop to 54 cents each foraten inch one. These prices are likelyto varyfrom

one shipment to another.Glazes

It‘s best for potters to work out their own glazesfor electric kilns to suit their own needs. Moststandard iron glazes (tenmokus etc.) with amaturing range between 1250c to 1300c fire wellin electric kilns. Papa glazesgive good results andexperiments using papa with whiting or ash inamounts from 10% — 20% should produceworthwhile results.

Celadons are also possible,althoughthe resultsare not the beautiful cool blue type typical ofreduction firing in either oil or wood fired kilns,but tend to be more a warm yellow green, quiteinteresting in its own way. Magnesium glazesrespond well in a neutral or oxidising firing andsome interesting combinations of matte glazesand iron washes over textured surfaces arepossible.

We still use oil fired kilns at Reikorangi. Wealways look forward to firing a kiln where we aredealing directly with the basic element of fire andthe results that can be achieved by reduction.

However we have found that it is possible toproduce interesting pots from electric kiln firingsat stoneware temperatures: that electricity is notan expensive fuel: and that because it is mostconvenient, more regular firings are possible andconsequently a more regular income isobtainable.

Capacity 6 cwt per hour3/4 Horse power singlephase motor with overloadprotection. Complete readyfor use.

Price: $852.00 ex worksPO. Box 51-032, Auckland

phone 596-603

CODES MARK 4 PUG-MILL

NATURE AS DESIGNER

Bertel Bager — Frederick Warne London 1967

Dr Bertel Bager, distinguished Swedishsurgeon shares with us a lifetime of study of thedesign of plant forms, in particular those of seedcapsules, the beginning of life in which natureseems at its most inventive. The magnificentrecord made by his talented photographic friendsof the great variety of organic forms will be asource of inspiration for potters whose workderives from these. While the photographs andtexts are excellent in themselves they shouldstimulate personal research into the great varietyofourown indigenous forms both of land and sea.

This is notjust a coffee table book but as much atext book as Daniel Rhodes.

My copy came from Black ofCambridge UK. butI have seen one in Vital Books, PO. Box 8601Symonds St., Auckland, if your local supplier hasnone.

Olaf John

45

Above: Lecythis P/sonisLeft: Hibiscus Escu/entus

Howard Williams - Ceramic decorator

Howard Williams is primarilya decorator. He usesthe slip casting technique to provide earthenwareceramic forms for his decoration. His isthe graphicartist’s approach to ceramics, and this is new in thiscountry with its established tradition of high firedstoneware where the emphasis is on form. A pieceof decorated earthenware which owes everythingto the skill of the maker and nothing to the effect ofthe fire is the antithesis of the pot from the rakumaker.

Howard Williams learnt his craft in Europe, froman expert — Kenneth Clark. “Most of what I’velearnt in the ceramic field was given to my byKenneth Clark and his wife Anne. As well as'givingme ajob in the pottery he was a great teacher. Workoften stopped when some practical problem arose,and the staff would have a discussion about it, orKenneth would give us a full lecture on theparticular topic. He was always ready to shareknowledge. Anne was the decorator and I learntfrom her by watching and listening”.

Kenneth Clark atthistime wrote his second bookfor Studio Vista, called “Throwing for Beginners”.Howard took most of the photographs to illustratethis work.

With New Zealand landscape painter CharlesBlomfield for a great-grandfather, Howard Williamswas following afamilytradition when he decided to

make a career in the arts. In 1956 he was awarded athird year specialist course at Dunedin Teachers’College where he made his first pot and fired hisfirst kiln — a small electric one. As itinerant artspecialist based in Hamilton he was still mainlyinterested in painting, drawing and photographyand his first exhibition of drawings was in aHamilton coffee shop alongside early GraemeStorm pots.

With Graeme Storm he spent the next two yearstravelling in Europe. It was here that his interest inpottery took root. He answered an advertisementfor a decorator at the Sevier Pottery in Ham pstead.To his amazement after an afternoon’s practicaltest, he was given the job, the first time he hadattempted to decorate a pot. Two years of fairlyheavy slog followed, though he was learning all thetime. From 9.30 am to 6 pm for $12 a week hedecorated majolica ware.

“The pots, mainly mugs, plates, cups and saucersand ashtrays, were thrown by Bill, a craftsman whohad spent his life in a factory doing piece-work,throwing stoneware inkwells, bottles and acid jars.A girl pulled and attached the handles. Bill‘s son didthe firing and the glazing. The decorating wasdoneby another girl and by me. Mrs Sevier threw the ArtPieces and her husband managed the business anddid all the selling. The decorating consisted ofbrushing coloured glazes and pigments on to apredetermined pattern. The earthenware pot wasbiscuit fired, then dipped in white tin glaze. Thedecoration was applied and then the pot was glazefired. Three 6 cubic foot electric kilns were beingfired continually in rotation”.

During this period Howard met Kenneth Clarkwho became his teacher and the main influence inthe development of his own work. When the SevierPottery closed, Howard went to work in Kenneth’spottery which was then in an ancient ClipstoneStreet stables. it has since moved to the CoventGarden area. He worked on Kenneth’s staff for fiveyears, mould making, slip casting, glazing anddecorating, packing and delivery, doing murals andmosaics, some throwing and designing.

In 1968 he started working on his own. With hiswife Lynn and daughter Keri, he moved to a 1680cottage in Northampton which with Lynn’s parentsthey completely rebuilt by hand. “It took six yearsliving with cement and dust to build a house andstudio. Lynn taught in the village school while I triedto develop my own style of pottery and market my

46

work. For a year we travelled to London every weekto sell pots, my drawings and Lynn’s embroidery atthe open-air art market in Piccadilly’s Green Park.We held several exhibitions of paintings, pots andjewellery at the studio and I had a one-man show atAlnwick, Northumberland. I was commissioned tomake three ceramic murals in Northampton and apanel for John Dankworth and Cleo Laine’sWavendon Music School. In spare time we took theopportunity to visit galleries and potters like LucieRie, Hans Coper, Bill and Vicki Read and BarbaraCass”.

In 1971 the Williams decided to come back to NewZealand. On a ten acre block at Silverdale 20 milesnorth of Auckland they established a home andbuilt a studio. From Karanga Ceramics StudioHoward does his slip casting, tile decorating andmural panels.

He was guest exhibitor at the New ZealandNational exhibition at Dunedin last year. This yearhe was invited to exhibit at the Manawatu ArtGallery. He has had one-man shows in Auckland,and Wellington people had a chance to see his workat Van Helden’s Arts and Crafts at Day‘s Bay in June.

He has just compteted writing his book, ”BasicPottery for New Zealand Conditions" which will bepublished by Beaux Arts at the end of the year.

“I was excited to return to this country as there isa great interest in craft work, particularly pottery,though I was at first worried by how my type ofdecorative work would be received here. Pottery inNew Zealand has been largely influenced by theLeach tradition, and the scene seems to favourthrown stoneware fired in a home-built kiln withindividually developed clays and glazes. WouldSlip-cast decorative earthenware, with raw glazes

47

Left: Studio at Silverdale AucklandBelow: Platter.

sprayed on and once fired in an electric kiln beacceptable? Barry Brickell once called them"sophisticated damned things!” However, potters’interests in the whole ceramic world is so great, thatIfeel I can contribute a little in my own wayfrom myexperience in Britain. I think it valid to considermyself as a ceramist more than a potter andcontinue to cast simple shapes with smoothsurfaces asvehicles fordecorativetechniques.The

important thing with a creative desire isto be true toone’s own individual style and to the materialsused, and to always have a deep concern for thequality of one’s craftsmanship”.

Mural for Auckland architect‘s office.Red and grogged buff clay with cop-per oxide, and strips withCadmium/Selenium orange glaze 14“high 15 feet long, Photos: Howard Wil—liams and Brian Wilson.

PETER SINCLAIR‘S

COUNTRY ARTSOnly a short drive from the centre of Auckland,

midway between bush and surf,Country Arts has established itself as the home

of a tremendous range of good pots.We offer everything from the potter’s wheel —

large and small, rugged and delicate.A special feature is our courtyarddisplay of terrace and patio pots

along with a selection ofplants to go in them.OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AT MURIWAI BEACH,

JUST OUTSIDE AUCKLAND.

Phone 69R Waimauku.

John and Ann Lawrence have moved to Ted TwissDannevirke, Hawke‘s Bay. John Lawrence says the aunethe death occurred of Ted Twiss, one ofAuckland’s

kiln is bigger than before to take the new size early studio potters, leaving a place that will be hard to fill.. . . . He Inherited from the Twlss family tradition a large share of

Engl'Sh Shelves" They mtend firing two Chambers that driving force which has kept them always busy and0f bisque and two Chambers Of QIOSt to combat the always seeking something new to do. With his wlte Kay, herising COSt Of fuel. The Lawrences cond uct established a cooperative way of life In whichthe two sharedcourses, and pottery groups wanting information their talents and worked together successfully making,could write to themc/- 31 King Street Dannevirke selling or giving away beautiful and useful hand made

' ' articles.Paul Melser has moved from FeatherSton in the On committees Ted was active and constructive, but as a

wairarapa to Masterton. Anna Gandy who worked background man he was a dependable tower of strength,with Paul has taken over his old place in almostindispenslblefor setting upexhlbltlons and always on

Featherston where a leather-worker and a hand for local functions whatever they might be.

. . . He built a number of small kilns and advised In thefu m 'tu re maker are also In production. On the day operation of others. But to generations of potters the burnerswe called she was firing a heaving three bearing his name have been a great contribution to firingchambered kiln more or less single handed. technique. Twiss burners can be found In kilns throughout

the country.He made few pots but exhibited with originality In both local

Auckland and National Exhibitions. He was a member of theNew Zealand Society of Potters.

May Davis in a newsletterfrom Peru said thatshe was gomg to England in July taking a break frompottery undertaking in Peru. She wants to visit hermother and restore her own health after a good stint His wife Kay, and sculptor son Greer both carry on the

0f hard work in a difficult climate. She says ”i “OPE creative family tradition. To them we extend our sympathy.Nina will to some extent take my place. I do not know Brian Luskhow long itwill be beforelreturn. ltdepends on manyfactors, things here, and how i feel when I can see it alla bit less subjectively. Mr address will be 156 EastBarnet Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire”.

CorrectionThere was a printer’s error in the title of an

article in the last issue of the Potter. The Dowse Artgallery of course is the City of Lower Hutt‘s publicgallery. It is not a private gallery.

John Parker is still researching into oxidised stoneware inboth electric and gas kilns atthe Royal College of Art, London.“I have been seduced, not unwillingly I might add, by thedelights of lustres, enamels, transfers, Egyptian paste andother low fired delicacies.”

Screen printing and Ceramic Supplies Ltd5 Rutherford St, Lower Hutt. Telephone 699-588

P.0. Box 30-588, Lower Hutt New Zealand

Glazes, Clays, Wheels, Corks, Kilns.

48

English Stoneware & Earthenware New Mini Test Kiln

NZ Hume Crum Body Harrison Mayer

S.C.S.

Kickwheel

Cobcraft, C.C.G.

Leach

Pixie & 20ubic- ft to iOcubic ft Kilnswide selection of

Pyrometres & ThermocouplesHarrison Mayer Glazes C & C kones or s

alsoElectric Wheels

Catalogues On Request

49

Summer SchoolA summer school will be held at Massey

University, Palmerston North from 15 to 24January.

The tutors will beRoy Cowan on ceramic sculpture and glazetechnologyBrian Gartside on handbuildingMirek Smisek on wheel throwingStan Jenkins on drawing as an aid to vision anddecoration.Enquiries to Massey University Extension.

Kiln buildingfor the new generation of potters

Cowan kiln designs for what Roy Cowan calls the smallest“big“ kilns were brought up to date and published in NZ.Potterin 1971. We still have back copies ofthis issue, Vol. 13/1.

Other back copies available are Vol 12/1, 13/1 and 15/1 and 2.

Waihi Beach. Advice sought of good stoneware potting clay,East Waikato, Thames Valley district. Would also like to meetother Potters in District. George Hurley, 86, Main Rd., WaihiBeach.

Firing with gasPottery In Australia have put out two booklets on gas fired

kilns which sell for 500. One is by Les Blakeborough called”Gas Kiln (CatenaryArch)", reprinted from Vol 5 n02 of PotteryIn Australia. The other is “Cooking with Gas”, a top-loadingkiln plan and description by Ivan Englund, (also a reprint.)These can be obtained from the editor, 39 Mary Street,Longueville 2066, Sydney.

[FEMALEFor SalePottery. House. Coromandel. .Con5ists new, three chamber kiln, 150feet a prox. Fired onl once to date,“exce lent results”. ew studio (notshed). Lots of outdoor working area.Sunny OSItion. _ _ _ _House arge, old colonial, Within 1 mile ofPost Office. All-electric 1500 sq ft plusattic bedroom. Verandahs all round. Hasust had extenswe renewals and repairs.rivate section-With about half acre ofCrown Land ad acent.Price $27,000. ome finance available toapproved purchaser.

We would prefer sale to a potter.Contact Gerry Greenwood, Coromandel,or phone Coromandel 536.

50

Auckland’s Studio Potters Group has 509members. In Christchurch there are 206. Does thatmake around 2000 active potters throughout thecountry? If so, more people could be subscribersto this magazine. We depend on your support.

Conservation week“Only when the divine respect of green power,only when the love of vegetation becomes part ofus all, only then we can improve, step by step ourdying enivronment”

Hundertwasser

For internationally known artist Hundertwasser,New Zealand represents something like the lastearthly paradise, as yet largely unmarked by theugliness of Western civilisation which hasresulted in polluted water, a poisoned atmosphereand ravaged forests.

The idea of conservation, of caring for thenatural world. has always been a central part ofHundertwasser’s message. His favourite colour isgreen symbolising living things. He likes spiralsand curving lines which he sees as more naturalthan the characterless blocks man has imposedon himself in technological cities.

For this reason he agreed to do a painting anddonate it to be sold as a poster markingconservation week in New Zealand.Hundertwasser himself subsidised the printing ofthis poster in eight colours with metal imprints inthree colours. He did it in the cause of conservingNew Zealand.

Forthcoming exhibitionsGraeme Storm at Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt25th October ’74 — 15 NovemberMuriel Moody and Len Castle both at the Dowselate next year

Jennifer Shearer, Carol Wilson, Dinah Wright(batik), Antipodes Gallery Wellington 27thOctober ‘74.

Vases, platters, planters at Alicat, Auckland March’75Winter pots, casseroles, stewpots, ramekins andromatophs at Alicat Auckland May ’75Porcelain Alicat, Auckland August ‘75Erotic ceramics Alicat, Auckland November ’75

If you want to make an announcement in thiscolumn you should send us the information threemonths in advance.

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