Tim Lake

Recent work from new member Tim Lake.

Glass Minds

The next ‘Glass Minds’ meeting will be on 26^th January 2014, 2-4 pm at Bal Maiden Studio Glass, Trevenen Bal. Directions are  at http://www.balmaidenstudioglass.co.uk.

The meeting will be a general discussion, and will include establishing and allocating jobs for our September exhibition.

Whitewater Gallery Polzeath

Members Barbara Bell, Andy Titcomb and Katrina Trinnick are exhibiting at the Whitewatergallery Polzeath...

Christmas Lunch

CCGG Christmas Lunch Saturday December 14th 2013 at the Victoria Inn, Roche, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 8LQ
You are all invited to a Christmas Social Lunch and a chance to meet and discuss with other members anything under the sun. A great way to round off an enjoyable year in the CCGG . The Victoria Inn will arrange a hearty and varied 3 course lunch for us so we do hope as many of you as possible can join us at this social gathering. We are meeting at 12.30 in the bar, for lunch at 1pm.

Nic Harrison Open House Exhibition

Pam Tongue

Jennie Hale invite

3-phase pugmill

As part of a pottery rationalisation we recall that we have an old 3-phase pugmill, which we no longer require.  It has not been used for many years, and would need to be taken apart and cleaned out.  The motor would also need checked and possibly refurbished.  It was in perfect working order when we last used it.  This item is free to a good home – and whilst we know that some work and possibly expense would be involved in getting it in perfect working order again, we are talking about an item of equipment which retails new at well over £1000.

Interested? please contact us at 01637 860908 or cominos@mypostoffice.co.uk

Thanks in advance and regards,  

Andrew & Georgina

CC&GG AGM - 28th September

You are invited to attend the

Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group

Annual General Meeting

With Illustrated talks by Siddy Langley and John Pollex 

September 28th 2013 at Ladock Village Hall Ladock TR2 4PG

10.00 am for 10.30 am Start

Program for the Day

10.30 am - Opening and Illustrated Talk by Siddy Langley – Glass Artist

“I have had a love affair with glass for well over thirty years now and still, it shows no signs of abating.

It allows me to express myself like no other medium I have ever found. At its best, when one is working, it is like performing an intricate, choreographed dance with the glass. Equal partners, working together, to express a thought or idea”

www.siddylangley.com

12.30 pm – 1.15 pm ….. Lunch – a buffet lunch will be provided. Special dietary requests to

                                        ccggwebmail@googlemail.com asap please.

1.15 pm ….. CC&GG AGM official business.

2.00 pm ….. Illustrated Talk by John Pollex – Master Ceramicist

John Pollex has carved out a unique niche in the world of studio pottery. During the 70s and early 80s he established himself as a respected maker of traditional slipware, before his work took a dramatic turn in 1984. He dispensed with slip trailers in favour of brushes and sponges; intensely coloured earthenware slips are applied in a free and painterly abstract manner.

www.johnpollex.co.uk

4.00 pm ….. Close

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬CC&GG Annual Subscriptions.

Our subscription year begins on October 1st and we are pleased to announce that members’ subscriptions are being held for another year at £22, or £20 if paid at the AGM. For ease of payment and to reduce admin, we would urge you to pay by Standing Order if possible. You can easily set this up online yourself if you use online banking. October 1st is the annual payment date. Notify Carol Scott or Danka Napiorkowska when you have set up your SO.

Payments to Natwest A/c Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group, A/c No. 54073219, Sort Code 535037

Non Members attending the AGM talks.

CC&GG welcomes non -members to its events and non-members may attend the talks at this AGM for a fee of £10 including lunch. If a non-member decides to join the CC&GG at the AGM, the £10 will be discounted from annual subscription. CC&GG welcomes non -members to its events and non-members may attend the talks at this AGM for a fee of £10 including lunch. If a non-member decides to join the CC&GG at the AGM, the £10 will be discounted from annual subscription.

CCGG Kiln firing 2013

CCGG Kiln firing 2013

The day dawned...the Raku kiln was lit at 8 am and Nina, Rod, Barry and Lynn perked up their dozy sunday morning selves with a nice strong coffee!

From 10am 25 members arrived laden with pots, bowls, sculptures and very generously with soft wood sourced from skips, house renovations etc. The kiln performed magnificently and got to 1000 degrees centigrade in a couple of hours.....ably stoked by Georgina, Jackie, Jan and a few others who wanted to try to learn the language and rhythm of our great little club kiln.

After much chatter and splattering of glazes the first pots started to be fired. Lynn Forth worked hard lifting the pots out of the kiln and plunging them into sawdust...aided by a rolling team of helpers. Nina packed a pit kiln with pots, sawdust, organic material, salt, oxides and wood. The pit had been dug earlier in the week by Rod, Ninas’ husband, it was then lit and covered with corrugated iron. A small housebrick smoke kiln was constructed...Unfortunately we only had a few burnished pots but a few unburnished pots were added, this was then lit and covered to gently smolder.

Everyone pitched in either chopping wood, making coffee, helping to prepare lunch...it was a very jolly, friendly atmosphere only slightly dampened by a couple of rain showers when we all had to dash for cover.

Lunch of home made soups, homegrown sausages from Nina and Rod’s herd of Gloucester Old Spot pigs, bread made by Barry Marshall-Johnson, cheese scones by Georgina Cominos and cakes by Brenda Albert were hungrily consumed. Everyone gave £5 towards the lunch and a £70 donation will be sent off to ‘Cornwall Hospice Care’.

The day was long but no one faltered in their enthusiam. Towards the close after laying out all the results we had a little ‘crit’ to see what had been successful and what could have happened differently in terms of glaze application, clay type, form etc.. It was generally thought that the more expressive application of glazes had more of a vibrancy and charm...when too much thought and control was brought to bear then they tended not to work quite as well. Some of the glaze colours were just plain nasty when used on large areas but interestingly did work when just a small amount was expressively added or dropped onto the surface, they then gave the pots a little subtle liveliness and quirky identity.

The pit and smoke kilns were unpacked next day. As predicted the burnished, white clay pots worked far, far the best....they can now be polished with bee or furniture wax to bring out the colours from the fire. The rough unburnished pots are still good to see for the potential of both types of primitive firings.

So all in all it was a very successful day. CCGG intend to invest in more glazes for next time. We also hope that members will rise to the challenge of making burnished ware and then we can build on the experience and reflections of what we have achieved. In terms of the Raku maybe we could all glaze one pot early on arrival, fire them to get 25 results, do a ‘crit’ and from that then go and glaze another pot so the learnings are integrated on the day rather than wait a year.

So thank you for all of you...everyone stayed, cleared up and thoughly threw themselves into a fantastic club event.

AGM

You are invited to attend the Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group Annual General Meeting

With Illustrated talks by Siddy Langley and John Pollex September 28 Ladock Village Hall Ladock TR2 4PG 10.00 am for 10.30 am Start

10.30 am - Opening and Illustrated Talk by Siddy Langley – Glass Artist

“I have had a love affair with glass for well over thirty years now and still, it shows no signs of abating. It allows me to express myself like no other medium I have ever found. At its best, when one is working, it is like performing an intricate, choreographed dance with the glass. Equal partners, working together, to express a thought or idea” http://www.siddylangley.com/

 Program for the Day
12.30 pm – 1.15 pm ….. Lunch – a buffet lunch will be provided. Special dietary requests to ccggwebmail@googlemail.com asap please.

1.15 pm ….. CC&GG AGM official business.

2.00 pm ….. Illustrated Talk by John Pollex – Master Ceramicist

John Pollex has carved out a unique niche in the world of studio pottery. During the 70s and early 80s he established himself as a respected maker of traditional slipware, before his work took a dramatic turn in 1984. He dispensed with slip trailers in favour of brushes and sponges; intensely coloured earthenware slips are applied in a free and painterly abstract manner. www.johnpollex.co.uk

CC&GG Annual Subscriptions.

Our subscription year begins on October 1st subscriptions are being held for another year at £22, or £20 if paid at the AGM. For ease of payment and to reduce admin, we would urge you to pay by Standing Order if possible.

You can easily set this up online yourself if you use online banking. October 1st payment date. Notify Carol Scott or Danka Napiorkowska when you have set up your SO.

Non Members attending the AGM talks.

CC&GG welcomes non ­members to its events and non­ members may attend the talks at this  AGM for a fee of £10 including lunch. If a non­ member decides to join the CC&GG at the AGM, the £10 will be discounted from annual subscription.
 and we are pleased to announce that members’

Kiln Firing Event

Last year's kiln firing event was very successful and much fun was had by all. This year the CC&GG kiln firing day will again be Nina Ducker's farm in Feock and we do not have to build a kiln this year as we did it last time but Nina has dug a hole for an additional  “Pit Firing” cost. There will be a small cost to cover materials - £5 (pay at the door when we need to sign you in for Health and Safety) .

Nina will provide homemade soup and bread, coffee, tea and cake for £5 and proceeds of soup sales will go to Cornwall Hospice charity, but she does need an idea of numbers so please email her at ninaducker@hotmail.com  if you think you want her soup.

If you want to bring you own nosh and beer do so by all means. And remember, there is usually plenty of hot ash at the end so why not bring a foil wrapped potato.

The Wood Kiln firing is essentially Raku and CC&GG have a selection of Raku glazes. You just need to bring bisque fired pots and as much dry softwood as you can (no painted wood or MDF).

Please make your pots cup or Tea bowl sized as these are best for decorating and handling. Small figures and thin plates can easily break. Bring up to 6 pots and depending on numbers we will get as many as possible fired in the day.

For Pit/Smoke firing either red or white burnished clay preferably something that takes a thermal shock.....or be prepared for failures....to try to stop this ensure that the thickness is pretty even. For the Pit Firing it is best to have a burnished pot or dish of whitish/light clay for the greatest effects

All pots should be marked with makers name for ease of identification...especially if the pit firing is not finished....and certainly won't be cooled...You will have to collect pieces after the event or at the AGM.

Directions. A39 Truro to Falmouth, at Playing Place (shell garage) leave roundabout towards Feock.

Keep going straight, past Pub and KHF crossroads until Feock Methodist church on left. Take next turning right into Trolver Hill. After 300 meters turn left down small lane signed 'Trolver Old Farm', follow parking signs.

This will be the last event in the CC&GG calendar year before the AGM on September 28 forward to seeing you and your friends on the 8th September.

If you have questions please email me at  ccggwebmail@googlemail.com

BM-J

Danka Napiorkowska

Jennie Hale Shippon sessions

Draw and paint in the beautiful surroundings of my shippen studio and garden.
Artist lead walks in the Lyd valley, tuition in watercolours, drawing from life and keeping a journal.
Contact Jennie for more details on jennie@jenniehale.co.uk
Or 01822 860287:
Cost £38 per day 10am -4pm

Materials list
Pencils
Watercolours
Water containers
Brushes
Bag that is easy to carry things in.
Sit mat
Your general sketching stuff.
I have light boards you can work on.
Sketch book watercolour paper.
Hat, coat, gloves, suncream? boots or shoes you can walk in.
If you don't want to walk far the garden is lovely and full of things to paint and draw,
Don't forget your packed lunch, arrival from 9.30

JAPANESE MASTERCLASS PROGRAMME

 JAPANESE MASTERCLASS PROGRAMME:

Wednesday 24th July 2013 at Kigbeare Studios and Galleries, nr Oakhampton, Devon
www.kigbeare.co.uk/news


10.30 - 11.00    meet tutors over refreshments - three tutors introduce  themselves, and explain what they will be demonstrating at each tea break, the tutors would like to show how to  make a different type of Japanese tea and give students a chance to try.  The tutors will use their own work for the tea making, then during the demonstrations will show how the    pieces are made

11.00 - 1pm     divide into three groups and rotate round the three tutors  who will demonstrate their particular skills,

1.00 - 2.00        lunch : for lunch the tutors have chosen Japanese food  that is easy to prepare and the participants can get hands on experience if they would like to learn (then make at home).  Traditional English food will also be served

2.00 - 3.30        Two options:  take a throwing tutorial class with Peter Seabridge or join the decorating class lead by Reiko Ngata. Everyone will be provided with a bisque fired bowl to decorate. 

3.30 - 4.00        Tea ceremony

4.00 onwards        Private view in the Gallery/home

Notes:

This is a general outline of the proposed programme, to give participants an idea of what to expect.  It does not have to be rigidly adhered to, and there may be participants who wish to concentrate on certain elements or styles and work with a particular tutor to develop particular skills.   During the making sessions, participants can request the tutors to demonstrate making items.

At all breaks, and lunch, both Japanese and English food and beverages will be served,  and anyone with special dietary requirements will be catered for, provided they have advised us of these prior to the start of the course.

Reiko Nagata:  Reiko’s speciality is decorating, so her demonstrations will be mainly painting and not so much making.  We will have some blanks made up from her designs to demonstrate with, and if you want to bring a bisc pot or two of your own to work on, that is fine.  These pots will be glaze fired in the electric kiln.

Glass blowing lessons

Try your hand at glass blowing with a lesson on Sat 11 May.
Experience the heat, fun and excitement of glassblowing yourself!
MALCOLM SUTCLIFFE Glass Gallery & Studio
2 West Street, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 8EW
01326 377020

www.malcolm-sutcliffe.co.uk

BURSARIES FOR SCULPTORS & CERAMIC ARTISTS

DARTMOOR ARTS PROJECT SUMMER SCHOOL

28 JULY TO 3 AUGUST 2013 NEAR EXETER, DEVON

www.dartmoorarts.com

Dartmoor Arts Project has a number of bursaries to award to artists/sculptors/ceramic artists to participate in our summer school this July. The school brings together over 100 student & professional artists, architects and makers for a brilliant week of in-depth creative practice plus a programme of talks by leading contemporary artists. Summer School students get to work alongside and be taught and mentored by professional artists and can choose from eleven courses which run throughout the summer school week. This year performance artist PAUL GRANJON will be performing live, KAROLINA GLUSIEC, winner of the 2012 Jerwood Drawing prize will be showing and talking about her animated drawings and artist ANDRZEJ JACKOWSKI talks about his recent projects and exhibitions.

EARTH ARTS, STONE CARVING, FORGED METALS & CERAMICS FOR ARTISTS are part of our line up of courses on offer this year.

Dartmoor Arts Project is an artist run organisation funded by Arts Council England. Our aim is to support artists at the beginning of their careers and open up opportunities for them to work and discuss ideas with established artists. The summer school is intimate in scale and this means there are plenty of opportunities to meet and have conversations with leading contemporary artists as well as have a dedicated period of time to develop your practice.

TO APPLY FOR A BURSARY: VISIT www.dartmoorarts.com or call 01647 281295, or email admin@dartmoorarts.com. Bursaries cover up to 50% of the summer school fees and early applications are advised. There is no age limit for applications.

Firing space required

Can anyone help someone with some firing space near Par?
8-10  sculptural items about 12 inches high please email jthorneloe@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 01726815751 for more details.

Glass Group?

Hello to all Glass makers west of Bristol and Exeter.

I think there are not that many of us glass-makers west of Bristol and Exeter, and I would dearly love to belong to a like-minded group that meets on a regular basis to have a friendly chat and do social and practical glassy things.

To this end I am contemplating starting a Glass Group under the joint umberellas of the Contemporary Glass Society and the Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group. I am proposing that the inaugural meeting will be at 2pm on Sunday 28th April, at my studio at Wheal Betty. I am inviting a few non-members to join us also, and hope that we may be able to discuss a way forward for all of us to meet regularly as a group.

How the group works and what we do with the time we decide to spend together will have to be determined by the group, and I hope all attendees will bring with them a list of ideas and topics for future meetings.

For the initial meeting I am proposing that we meet and introduce ourselves by presenting up to three pieces of our own work, or a slide show of some of our work. We can talk about any aspect of the work for about 5 - 10 mins each, and have a question and answer session and general discussions on topics arising. How detailed this could get would depend to a large extent on how many people attend the meeting.

I will supply refreshments.

If you would like to get involved and attend this meeting please let me know as soon as possible. Even if you cannot attend on 28th April but would like to be involved for the future please let me have your ideas and suggestions for how the group could work and what kind of things we could discuss at these meetings,i.e. how often we might meet and for how long; where we could meet; and things we could discuss/do.

I know for some of you it is simply too far to travel, but I did not want to leave you out of this initial email and cause any offense.

My own ideas centre, at present, around group crits of work; solving work-in-progress problems through pooling of knowledge; exploring exhibition opportunities; experimenting with new techniques; teaching each other new skills; selling work ideas/solutions, etc.

Please email to me any ideas you have to go onto an agenda.

Please do let me know if you will be coming or not so that I have a good idea of numbers.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards

Noreen Todd

Bal Maiden Studio Glass

Wheal Betty

Trevenen Bal

Helston

Cornwall, TR13 0PR

Tel: 01 326 574693/ 07808 612074

http://www.balmaidenstudioglass.co.uk

noreentodd@btinternet.com

CC&GG visit to Sandy Brown

‘Squidge, squadge, squash and splash’ - CC&GG visit to Sandy Brown.

Walking through the door into Sandy Brown’s workshop at Appledoor in Devon, visiting members of CC&GG stopped in awe. The large light space drew us into a studio full of the usual wheels, kilns, clay, glaze bins and pottery paraphernalia.
Singing out along one wall were two rows of 18’’ square 1’’ thick tiles, each with bold, bright brushstrokes, a vast half made open form standing in front of a sizeable abstract painting, large striped platters leaning against one wall and a collection of maquettes gathered on a cupboard top. Decoration achieved through gouged and pummelled clay, cleverly painted with colours - blue, yellow, pink on white pull your eyes around the room. In contrast, Sandy making coffee to welcome us is dressed in black.

By way of introduction we were led upstairs into a white gallery where Sandy’s current ceramics and paintings are displayed. The majority of work is sold through exhibitions these days, this group is destined for a show in Germany and is an impressively cohesive body of work. An eighteen inch crank clay plate, painted with slips and colourful glazes, has metal bolts; the sprung spine of a notebook and chunks of shard, fired onto it giving the piece depth and vitality. More huge abstract paintings and sculptures fill the room, colour and texture on confident forms. We found It challenging to stand still long enough to allow Sandy time to talk, the piecesthemselves demanded attention and members split into small groups examining and discussing, excited by the work around them.

Down in the workshop, Sandy demonstrates and applies soft slabs of crank clay to the large open pot, patchwork style, talking while working and explaining her method of using maquettes as sources of inspiration. Having set a timer for 30 minutes, Sandy plays with the clay until the timer goes off, ‘‘Adventures happen’’ and a nine inch 3D doodle can develop into a four metre high sculpture. Loose cuts of clay are laid onto canvas covered board and pushed with the heel of her hand into a long, irregular slab. Ribbons of crank and porcelain are pushed on, forming random pattern and a flat plastic stamp is pushed onto the surface, creating further texture before the whole is turned over and rolled onto a taped cylinder of foam. It is left until hard enough to stand before adding the base.

Sandy had a difficult childhood but was a champion sprinter at school. It is in her nature to finish work fast but, she jokes, she now has more stamina for the longer race and these days is prepared to be patient, leaving pieces before adding the next stage and avoiding the risk of collapse. The black clay body Sandy is using now gives a strong contrast to inlaid clays, the pieces are then dried, biscuit fired in an electric kiln before decoration of slips and glazes are brushed on. The gloss firing follows with an oxidised atmosphere in a large gas kiln. Reduction effects producing more muted colour response are not part of her desired palette.

After lunch we watch a pile of plates being decorated. Already biscuit fired and glazed, the task is approached in a very Sandy way. ‘’I like creating an atmosphere where I don’t need a plan’’

Taking time to position her many pots of colours exactly where they are needed around the workbench and, only when satisfied they are all in the right place, ‘‘no talking or questions please’’ the plates are painted, deft brushstrokes - stripes, arcs, blobs and squiggles. It is controlled but free, painterly and Intuitive.

We returned to the gallery above, now we knew ’how and why’ we looked with a more open eye, appreciating the bravery and talent behind the work. Photographs do not do justice to Sandy’s pieces and the experience of the visit left CC&GG members heading for home with very vibrant impressions of Sandy Brown potter,sculptor, painter and her work.

Penny McBreen

Sandy Brown photos

See many more photos on the Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Facebook page

Vivian Robertson new work

New work by member Vivian Robertson

SANDY BROWN

SANDY BROWN – Ceramics and Art
Studio visit, talk, demonstration, gallery tour March 16th 11.00 am – 4.00 pm Anchorage, 3 Marine Parade, Appledore, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1PJ
                            
Gabi Dewald, editor of Keramik Magazine, wrote in 2000 ‘It is hard to imagine the European ceramics scene without Sandy Brown. She is famous for her spontaneous, passionate use of clay and colours. Her almost provokingly simple use of form and her strong, energetic brush decorations feed from direct emotion, from confidence in her own intuition and from a portion of childlike anarchy she preserved for herself.' This is as true today as it was then and her influence on European ceramics cannot be underestimated. Sandy is a very welcoming host and this visit is a great opportunity for CC&GG members who cannot fail to be impressed and informed by the freedom and breadth of Sandy’s work in ceramics, sculpture and painting.

Tea and coffee will be provided but please bring your own lunch or use the nearby pubs/cafes in the village.

Getting there… Own car or CC&GG CarShare. Shared Cars will be going from Truro, (Nina Ducker) St Austell (Barry M-J) and Wadebridge (Penny McBreen) areas and there will be a fuel contribution of £5 - £7.50 pp based on four in a car. Please contact these members for details.

Payment for Bookings
Cheques…Make payable to Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group and return with booking slip to Carol Scott, Viscar Pottery, Viscar Farm, Truro Lane, Helston, TR13 0EJ
Online via BACS…Payment to CC&GG Bank account and mail booking slip to Carol Scot or email booking confirmation to  CCGGwebmail@googlemail.com subject EVENTS
NatWest A/C - Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group   A/C No. - 54073219  Sort Code - 53 50 37

          Members - £15           Non-members - £20

Download booking form