February 2026
FEBRUARY 2026 | ISSUE #065
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Hello Potters
From the President
Memberships are now open as of February 1st! Visit our website to find the sign-up link. After you join, head over to helloClub to see available times for your induction session and book your spot. Please note that everyone is required to wear enclosed shoes in the studio. We look forward to welcoming you all soon.
While helloClub accounts may carry credits, these currently do not integrate seamlessly with our accounting procedures. If you have an account credit, Sandy will contact you to discuss. In order to prevent unintended credit purchases, we have set a high minimum amount for topping up.
Happy potting
Suzanne
FEBRUARY
1st – New Memberships open
7th – 6 week Hand Building workshop starts
14th – Introduction to Clay and Basic hand building workshop
27th - Hand Building workshop with coils (2 week course)
28th - Introduction to Slab Rolling and textures workshop
MARCH
1st – Sunday Social – Altered slab mugs
14th – Introduction to Glazing and finishing projects workshop
28th+29th – Creating Your Goddess
APRIL
3rd – Bluewater Festival (sales and volunteering opportunities)
12th – Introduction to Clay and basic hand building workshop
18th +19th – Wheel Workshop for beginners workshop
22nd – 5 week Hand Building workshop
2026 Membership Open
Your annual membership was due at the end of January. If you don’t want to continue please let the Membership officer know on the following email. If you haven’t paid by 1 February 2026 your membership is now cancelled and the membership is open for new members.
Here’s the link to helloClub for new members to join.
2026 Membership Amendments
New Memberships open 1st February 2026. 2025 Memberships that have expired will become eligible for new members from this date. The selection process for new members is by a ‘first come first served’ basis.
Volunteering is a mandatory requirement for all members, with a minimum commitment of three hours per year. Volunteer contributions are essential to the operation of our club, as all positions and initiatives depend exclusively on member support. Members who are unable to volunteer may opt to pay a levy of $60. Please note that failure to fulfill the required volunteer hours or pay the levy will result in ineligibility for membership renewal in the subsequent year.
Since we do not operate as a commercial firing service, each member is subject to the standard firing rate for up to 250 kg; any amount over this limit will incur charges at twice the standard rate.
6 Week Hand-Building Workshop
Head over to HelloClub for more info and to Book.
7 February 2026
Shorncliffe Pottery Shed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Intro to Hand-Building
and Basic Clay
4 hour workshop - Saturday 14th Feb
Head over to HelloClub for more info and to Book.
14 February 2026
1:00 to 5:00
Shorncliffe Pottery Shed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hand-Building Workshop With Coils
2 week workshop
Head over to HelloClub for more info and to Book.
27 February 2026
Shorncliffe Pottery Shed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Introduction to Slab Rolling and Textures Workshop
Head over to HelloClub for more info and to Book.
28 February 2026
Shorncliffe Pottery Shed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Creating Your Goddess
Workshop to create a Goddess. March 28th & 29th (half day each),
please head to Hello club for more information and to book.
28 March 13:00 – 21:00
It’s On Again!
Bigger and Better. The SPC Inc annual Showcase of work produced by the SPC Inc potters is on again in September [that is only 8 months away].
Start planning now so that you will be ready in time.
2028 Australian Ceramics Triennale
It’s a little way off but at least it gives you more time and less excuses to attend. this amazing event.
The Australian Ceramics Association is pleased to announce that Newcastle NSW, situated on the lands of the Worimi and Awabakal people, has been chosen as the location for the 2028 Australian Ceramics Triennale!
The Pacific Ocean, the mouth of the Hunter River and Newcastle Harbour form the heart of the city. Known in the past as the Steel City, it has transformed into a thriving, creative hub. The submission included strong support from the local arts community, the educational sector, commercial and public galleries, and different levels of government. We loved their desire for visitors to experience a rich sense of connection with community and place, and know it will be incredible!
Editor: Here’s an idea, what about we hire a mini bus and go down to Newcastle for a few days for the Triennale? What do you think?
The Venus of Dolní Věstonice [front + back view] estimated 30,000 years old
Did You Know?
The oldest known fired ceramic piece in the world [so far!] is a tantalisingly small statuette of a nude female figure. It is just 11 centimetres high and filled with mystery as scholars are still debating its meaning. The Venus of Dolní Věstonice was discovered in 1925 in what we now know as the Czech Republic. Estimated to be about 30,000 years old, this ceramic sits alongside the oldest cave paintings of early modern humans.
Fast forward to the present and ponder the importance of ceramic material to our contemporary culture. What stories will our ceramics tell future generations? What will archaeologists of the future read into ceramics such as heat-resistant combustion engine parts? Or artificial bones and teeth? Or the tiles that clad our space shuttles? In the art history of the future, will Grayson Perry's ceramic vessels tell a proud story of changing cultural acceptance? Will Juz Kitson's sculptures claim a place using the historically understood purity of porcelain in new ways? Perhaps ceramics as a fashion accessory will tell stories of our obsession with the domestic home. While we can't know which stories will survive, in all likelihood our history will be evident for future generations in the ceramics of today.
Or will it? The partnership between clay and humans is an enormous privilege that comes with responsibility. The seemingly benign activity of making objects with clay and turning them into ceramics has important environmental consequences. From mining clay and associated ceramics materials, the embedded energy in transporting those materials, excessive use of water and fossil fuels and the polluting fumes emitted by kilns, to the waste created in the making process and the number of seconds (defective ceramics) discarded, our activities as ceramicists contribute to environmental degradation. The current explosion in popularity of making ceramics as a pastime raises serious questions about sustainability. There's no denying that in the Anthropocene epoch, we must make some changes.
Thankfully, we can do better. For example, it is now possible to ditch fossil fuels and fire kilns with 100 per cent renewable energy. And industry is already creating a circular economy for ceramic products and the waste that is created in the making process. Students can be encouraged to practice for a long time, repeatedly recycling their clay until they have found a strong direction for their work. As for end users, they can apply pressure by asking if materials are sourced locally and have a circular life. There are rich discussions to be had between suppliers, makers and consumers. Together we can learn and evolve new ways to reduce the impact of our activities while retaining and contributing to the cultural capital we leave behind for thousands of years to come.
JANE SAWYER
Jane Sawyer (janesawyer.com.au) is a ceramic artist and founder of Slow Clay Centre (slowclay.com), a ceramic education centre in Melbourne, Victoria. She is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and has held board positions with Craft Victoria and World Crafts Council - Australia.
Current Clay in Stock
We have a large range of clay in stock, all at great prices. Just ask your supervisor next time you are down at the pottery shed.
Blackwattle Earthenware Paper White
Clayworks Yellow Stoneware YG
Clayworks Brown Stoneware BG
Clayworks Granite
Feeny’s Buff Raku Sandy BRS
Feeny’s Buff Raku Trachyte BRT
Feeny’s Chocolate Brown FCB
Feeny’s Raku Gold FRG
Keane’s Stoneware 33 KC575
Keane’s Stoneware 7 Speckled
Keane’s Midfire 6 Speckled
Keane’s Toast KC582
Keane’s Ironstone KC535
Northcote Clay Works RGH Stoneware
Northcote Sculptural Fine
Walker’s Fine White Stoneware PB10
Walker’s Fine White Stoneware PB103
And don’t forget, we now stock
a large range of Amaco and Mayco glazes to buy.
We have popped all of the published tips, hacks and techniques onto the ‘Tips’ page on our club website so that you can search for them easily.
Wipe Your Bottoms!
Correct glazing of your work is the responsiblity of the potter. Full stop. There are many different ways to glaze but it must be done correctly on all glazed works. As a general rule leave at least 5mm from the base of the work before the glaze starts. If you are brushing the glaze on, be careful that you don’t go into this exclusion zone. If you are dipping or spraying glaze use either wax or silicon to mask the bottom of the work. Simply dip the base of your work into hot wax up to 5mm deep. That way the firing will burn off the wax and the work will be glazed with sufficient space, so that should the glaze run, it hopefully will stop before coming into contact with the kiln shelf. Use a clean, damp sponge to gently wipe away any residual glaze from the bottom. If you have any questions talk to your session supervisor for further information.
If you do have a glazing disaster the kiln team will notify you of what you need to do or what you have to pay for repairs to the kiln shelf.
Best practice: Fire your piece sitting on a bisque fired ‘sacrificial’ plate [cookie] - this will catch excess glaze run-off before it gets to the kiln shelf.
Our Committee
President: Suzanne Bell
Vice President: Melina Wales
Treasurer: Sandra Roveda
Secretary: Laura Ogden
Committee Members:
Rebecca Mason, Steve McConnell, Jen and Taylor
Newsletter Editor: Ed Trost
edtrost1961@gmail.com
email: shorncliffepotteryclubinc@gmail.com
follow us on
website + instagram + facebook
…Until next month…
HAPPY POTTING!
© Shorncliffe Pottery Club Inc
