The Potters Guild of B.C.

NEWSLETTER

is published 10 times a year. Submissions are
welcome, and should be in the Guild office by the
last Friday of the month. Material may be edited
for publication.

| Managing Editor: Jan Kidnie.

Editorial Committee: Bob Kingsmill, Laurel
McGregor, Hiro Urakami, Nathan Rafla, Anne
Flecthar.

Mailing: Jobst Frohberg, Rosemary Amon.

Advertising rates: $75.00 full page: $40,00 half
page: $25.00 quarter page; business card $15.00;
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The Potters Guild of B.C. membership is $20.00-
individuals, $30.00-groups, January to January.
See application form elsewhere in this issue.

Board of Directors: Sam Kwan, Pres., Tam Irving.
Vice-Pres.: Nathan Rafla, Secretary, Kathryn
Youngs, Treas.; Theota Dancer, Bob Kingsmill,
June MacDonald, D'Arcy Margesson, Cherie
Markiewicz, Elsa Schamis, Terry Ryals & Ron
Tribe,

The finished pot on the tile can then be removed all
together, without doing any wire cutting of the base al
this point, so that pouring slip ts facilitated. without
damaging the pot. The wooden bat also does not have
to be replaced for every piece, but serves as on ongoing
working surface. Sounds wonderful.

Don also had some suggestions regarding record
keeping. He photographs his work before it goes out
of the studio, in slide and print format, both. The
Photos are kept in an alburn with (eventual) owner
identified, and so. as the year passes by, he has an
annual record of his work. To take photos, he sug-
fests acquiring old window blinds of various colours
at garage sales, and using them as instant backdrops.
They can also be painted and mounted over a photo
table for easy reference and use.

To transport his ware, he buys boxes in 3 sizes from
the PBM Pizza Box Maker Ltd. of south Vancouver. If
things gct slow, you can always go into the home
delivery business!

Following Don's presentation, an interesting discus-
sion followed of the changes in ceramics over the last
20 years: from purpose, to accessibility, to the real
value of one's work, The evening was a good reminder
to us all that we need these sessions to talk and laugh
with our fellow potters and to maintain contacts in the
ceramic community. We thank Don for his participa-
tion,

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GUILD MEETING REPORT

A good-sized gathering of 35 people met at the Guild
on Thursday evening, the 26th, to hear Don Hutchin-
son, potter and instructor In the WWC Langara Ce-
ramic Department. Don shared his wry and interest-
ing observations on his development as a cerarnic
artist, doling out equal portions of hints, humour and
inspiration along the way.

He notes that a trip to Europe several years ago and
his resulting exposure to all kinds of ancient and
contemporary ceramics has had a profound effect on
him. Since his move from stoneware to lower tem-
perature ware, he has learned to relax and have fun in
his work, Possibly the potential and limitations of the
earthenware clay and the decoration by slip pouring
and trailing, and carving and writing on the surface
have a “built-in” freeing effect. In any case, it is
wonderful to see,

Don offered a few hints, along with showing slides of |
his work, that those of you working in earthenware
may find useful.

The necessity of handling the ware while still damp for
slip work forced Don to develop a bat system for the
wheel that might be useful in many areas. He keeps
a stack of 6" by 6" unglazed commercial ceramic tiles
by the wheel, and as he throws, he does so on one of
these tiles held in place by pieces of wood of equal
height nailed onto the bat.

MOTHERHOOD
Don Hutechinsan