THE POTTERY POST Volume 1, Issue 1 July 2014 Our Brand New Newsletter! WE’RE ALL FIRED UP with this, our first issue of The Pottery Press! Our aim is to bring you interesting articles on what’s hot and happening in the industry, keep you up to date on events and supply you with some useful pottery tips and tricks. We hope you enjoy our newsletter as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you! www.facebook.com/ ReindersPotterySuppliers Till next time, Keep Claying! The Reinders Team Inside this issue: Events and Happenings From The Kiln 2 Perfect Imperfections 2 Keep it Clean 2 From The Workshop 2 Kollig Op: Mervyn Gers 3 Backpage 4 Ukusela eKapa - have you had your squeezed yet?! Sessions at Rust en Vrede Art Gallery on the following dates:  8 July 2014, 19 August 2014, 16 September 2014 Art in the Forest ‘ Women in Clay’ exhibition; from 23 August until the end of September 2014 Page 2 From The Kiln We’ve had a good start to the year with potters keeping us on our toes. The rain surprised us by arriving early this year. We had to think outside the box to get the clay dry so that production did not come to a halt. To combat this potential problem, we designed a paraffin-fired rotating dryer which is used to dry our raw clay . The 2nd half of the year promises to be just as busy and creative as the first half! There seems to be a new interest in pottery and we are excited to be part of this reformation! Fernando Perfect Imperfections The Japanese have a long tradition of repairing pots with gold; it’s called “kintsugi” or “kintsukuroi”. The term “kintsugi” means ‘golden joinery’ in Japanese and refers to the art of fixing broken ceramics with a lacquer resin made to look like solid gold” (….and often actually using genuine gold powder in the resin). Chances are, a vessel fixed by kintsugi will look more gorgeous, and more precious, than before it was fractured. Real Japanese purist will only use kintsugi to repair a very old and very valuable ceramic work. However many potters from all around the world repair new works that come from the kiln with a flaw or crack. Keep It Clean Moulds don’t need to be “pretty” as long as they cast cleanly, and dirty moulds will cost more in terms of time and trouble. Do the mould right the first time and it will last through many casting cycles. After casting in plaster, round off the edges of moulds with a sure-form (to prevent small bits of plaster from breaking off and getting in your slip, recycle, etc.). Wipe down moulds with vinegar and water (use a 1:1 ratio) to clean off excess mould soap using a soft toothbrush or sponge. Wet and sand your moulds all over with at least a 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This will make the outside of your moulds slicker and simplify clean up of slip spills. Gladness From The Workshop Elements will last until they burn out, but their efficiency goes down with the number of firings (particularly high fires) they have done. To check elements, turn on the kiln to high for a couple minutes. Shut off the power, and drip a bit of water on each element. The hissing tells you which ones are working. If they are not heating inspect the element for an obvious gap or break. If this does not work, run a small screwdriver your fingernail along the whole route of the element, checking for gaps or burnout holes. If you still haven't found a problem, or if two elements on the same switch are not working, suspect the switch (it's sometimes easiest to replace the switch rather than test it.) A continuity tester can be used also to see if the element has continuity throughout its length. Anthony Page 3 Kollig Op: Mervyn Gers Mervyn Gers se keramiekware is nie volmaak nie. En dit skeel hom min. “Ons doen gelukkig niks perfek nie,” sê hy tevrede. In sy ateljee in Paardeneiland gaan hulle anders te werk. Die klei word in ’n drukgietvorm geplaas, rondgedruk en gevorm. Wanneer die klei droog word, het dit dus ’n unieke vorm. Elke bord lyk anders. “Organies.” Gers het in sy lewe al wye draaie geloop, maar aanhou hunker na sy eerste liefde: om skeppend met sy hande te werk. Die skooltjie in Daniëls-kuil in die Noord-Kaap, waar hy grootgeword het, het nie kuns as vak aangebied nie. Op universiteit in Bloemfontein het hy gereken dit is te laat om kuns te studeer en toe kommunikasiekunde en ’n jaar op die verhoog as dramastudent gekies. Ná universiteit het hy publisiteitswerk gedoen en toe in ’n grafiese-ontwerp-ateljee gaan werk. Daar het hy die aanbod gekry om hom by die SAUK aan te sluit en het hy as stasiebestuurder Kfm op die been gebring. Ons doen In daardie stadium het hy slegs een keer per week ’n pottebakkeryklas byge- gelukkig niks woon, wat meer ’n drie uur lange speelsessie as ’n volwaardige stokperdjie perfek nie,” sê was. In 2006 het hy hom voltyds in pottebakkery begewe en groot Japanse hy tevrede. potte gemaak. Elke bord lyk Sy werk het intussen ’n ander rigting ingeslaan. Hy put steeds inspirasie uit anders. Oosterse tegnieke, soos seladon: erdewerk-glasuur met die kenmerkende “Organies.” groen, grys en grysblou kleure. “ “Dis daardie dik glasuur en handgemaakte, organiese goed wat vir my baie mooi is.” Sy bekende koivis-en-blou-wilger-borde het ook ’n Oosterse gevoel. Dié reeks is 2½ jaar gelede bekend gestel en is steeds sy topverkoper. Sy nuutste reeks is borde met drukwerk van ontslape Suid Afrikaanse kunstenaar Walter Battiss se kunswerke. The Walter Battiss Company, die maatskappy wat die regte op Battiss se werk besit, het Gers se skeppings op die ekspo Design Indaba gesien en hom genader om ’n keramiekreeks van Battiss se werk te doen. Net 200 eksemplare van elke voorwerp word gemaak. Hy het onlangs ’n kursus in majolika (keramiek soortgelyk aan Delft-ware) voltooi – nóg ’n tegniek uit die Ooste. ’n Paar van die stukke is in sy winkel te koop, en hy wil teen die einde van die jaar ’n uitstalling daarvan hou. “Dan wil ek ook graag saam met lewende kunstenaars werk.” Om kuns bekostigbaar vir Jan Alleman te maak. (Oorspronklike berig: Die Burger 10/06) The Pottery Press Backpage 18 Kontiki Avenue Stellenberg, 7550 Phone: 021 839 3309 Email: [email protected] Do you have anything interesting you would like to share with us? Send us a mail at : [email protected] FIND US ON THE WEB: www.kilnsandclay.com