WORKSHOPS UPCOMING

It looks like this is the year for refreshing
your knowledge of clay bodies and glares,
Of the two following workshops, the one
in October will focus on clay bodies
particularly, and the second in January
will focus on glazes,

CLAY BODY WORKSHOP

Jim Robinson will present a one-day
workshop on October 16th at Emily Carr
College on Granville Island, from 9-40 am
to 4:30pm. A studio potter since 1971, he
lives and works in the Southem Oregon
Bear Creek Valley and is the author of
severml articles on clay and glaze formulation
written for Studio Potter Magazine. He will
be able to field questions and provide
information for potters working tn high thru
low temperatures, illustrated with slides,
test bars, glaze samples and fusion buttons.
The intricacies and applicability of several
methods of glaze calculation will he
addressed, along with the important areas of
materials selection (both native and
commercial) and clay body blending. (He
has recently been experimenting and testing
some new Plainsman bodies.)

In preparation, have a look if you can at the
Studio Potter magazine, Vol-9, No.2, 1981,
Yol.16, No.2, (988, and Vol.21,No.1, 1992,
Bring to the workshop your disasters,
triumphs and puzzles. During the day, Jim
will help to place them into a wide ceramic
context and toilustrate the interconnections
to be found among all clay work. Again pre-
registration is requested, by phone or
prcferably by using the enclosed form on

page 7.

GLAZE WORKSHOP
WITH DARCY MARGESSON

One ofthe most vaportand steps or pottery ex
the glazing! Well-known ceramic artist and
potter Darcy Margesson huss over 25 years
experience werking with and developing
clay bodies and glazes. The course will
cover the basic building blacks of both high
and fow-fire glazes, colour development
and responses to different fluxes. Students
will lear to use a triaxial to blene different
materials aid explore problems such as

crazing, shivering, ata dunting. Darcy will
give the twoeday workshop, running on two
consecutive Sundays, January 16 and 23,
1944, 10 um-tpm, at the Humaby Arts
Centre, 6450 Deer Lake Awe. Registration
beginning November 22nd, through the
Centre at 291-6264.

DON HUTCHINSON WRITES

Here are three short tales about teachers 1
have learned from.

[remember throwing 50 coffee mugs one
morning and being terribly proud of my
accomplishments. My teacher remurked
that | was so concerned with numbers that f
had forgotten to consider the user of these
vessels. “Production items are more
successful when the user is at beast 50% of
the equation”, said Heing Laffin. “It is not
your ego that needs consideration here”.
Heinz is a wonderful teacher.

I read of a Japanese lacquer box maker who
in his life-time had finished six boxes of
masterpiece quality, He had been working
for five years on his latest piece when he was
asked if he didn’t feel five years was a bat
long to devote to one piece, He replied
humbly that his contribution was small when
you consider the tree took SO) yeurs to
produce the wood!

Oecteber, 140s

As a young sculpture student required to
produce a life-sized bust in clay, I worked
hard on this three-week assignment. On
completion day, my instructor walked up
behind me, laughed, then quietly walked
away. | quickly tore apart my work and
began again. A week later when my work
was finished my instructor again reviewed
my work, said nothing, and walked away.
Furiously | tore my piece apart, and worked
hard, doing the best Doould over the mexttwo
weeks. When my instructor approached me
the third time. I said, “That's it. Pm finished
and Pim net doing it again!”. My teacher
quietly said, “T thought it was finished two
weeks apo, bur if you cant” see that you will
learn nothing by me telling you, A teacher
must not interfere with learning, bul rather
offer environments in which learning can
occur.” This valuable lesson come from
Leonard Epp.

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