clay club news

December 2011

It was deja vu for Clay Club on December 5th, starting with a locked front door. After we finally broke in, four of us met for an engaging meeting. We all reported on how we've been doing at our various holiday shows. There was a discussion about swapping glaze recipes. We then went on to talk about how personal styles develop and how we find our own voice. We ended the meeting pondering Harriet's provocative question: "If you had a magic wand what would you do to change your work?" Hmmm.

The Cahoon Museum will be closed in January, so we'll be meeting a week later than usual on Monday, January 9, 10-noon, at Lois Hirschberg's lovely home, 239 Whistleberry Drive, Marstons Mills. For directions, please e-mail at rakulo@comcast.net, or call her at 508 428 3402. Let's hope her door is unlocked and the heat is on.

Wishing you all whatever works for you in the Holiday Season. May you make beautiful pots that fly off your shelves in the New Year. Peace.

November 2011
 
Clay Club met on November 7. There was an update about plans for the show at the Falmouth Art Guild next fall. Sue Wadoski brought pots that she and Hollis fired at the soda workshop at Radcliffe last summer. Gail Turner also brought pieces from the Castle Hill wood firing. We were able to discuss and compare results from each method. We also talked about checking specific gravity of glazes with a hydrometer. I'm sorry to report that no one brought left over Halloween candy. If you didn't come to the meeting, you didn't miss out on any treats, but you missed some clay tricks. There is still an opportunity to join us for another informative and supportive get together on December 5, ten to noon at the Cahoon Museum, 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit.

October 2011

Clay Club met on October 3rd. An update about recent and future local shows led to a general discussion about what qualities make for a good show. Four of us reported back on our visit to the Falmouth Artists' Center, where we met with the director about doing a show. The Center offered us a deal we couldn't refuse, and we voted to do a sale and exhibit for next October, 2012. We also discussed bisque temperature ranges. At our next meeting, on November 7, from ten to noon, at the Cahoon Museum, Hollis Engley and Sue Wadoski will do a show-and-tell about the soda firing they participated in at the Radcliffe Studio this past summer. All are invited. Feel free to bring left-over Halloween candy.
 

September 2011

Clay Club officially started up again on September 12th at the Cahoon Museum, which provided a visually stimulating and climate-controlled space for us. We compared notes on how we spent our summer "vacations", i.e. our success or lack thereof at various shows. This segued into our ongoing dilemma of how to market our work if we're not in a "vehicular-friendly" location. We also talked about the up-coming Cape Cod Potters' Second Sale and potential alternatives for fund-raising.

Thanks go to Harriet for hosting the July meeting at her lovely home and studio. And big thanks to Denny for generously hosting a paddle-making workshop at his studio. We learned about texturing, had fun, and no one lost a digit while using sharp tools.

Our next meeting will be on October 3rd in the lap of luxury at the Cahoon Museum, 4676 Falmouth Road (Rte 28) Cotuit, 10-noon. All are welcome.

August 2011 - Summer hiatus

July 2011 - Summer hiatus
 

June 2011

It was a beautiful morning for the last outdoor meeting of the Clay Club at the Cotuit Center. Kim brought her wonderful pots that she fired at the Raku workshop at Castle Hill. This inspired discussion of upcoming workshops, particularly the soda workshop scheduled at Harvard in July. This led into a talk about soda vs salt firing and the design and building of a soda kiln on the Cape. We also discussed where to buy cardboard boxes, upcoming shows, alternative meeting places, and some exciting ideas for field trips and outings in the fall. Although there will be no formal Monday morning meetings over the summer, Harriet Zabusky-Zand has invited us to meet at her studio on Monday, July 11, 10-noon, and Denny Howard will be hosting a paddle-making session at his studio on Monday August 1, ten-noon.
Call Harriet (508-428-9025) and Denny (508-566-3854) for directions to their studios.

We'll begin our regular monthly meetings on Monday, September 12, ten to noon, at the Cahoon Museum, 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit, which will be our new home base. We're very grateful to the Cotuit Center for the Arts for providing us with an always surprising space for the past two years, and look forward to some lively discussions, support and encouragement in our new meeting place. It's never to late for new folks to join us. We'll send out a reminder in the fall. Have a good summer!
 

May 2011

It was such a beautiful morning on May 2 that we sat around the picnic table outside during Clay Club. We were so busy talking about where to get business cards, brochures, and post cards printed that we didn't even realize we were locked out of the Botelho House until someone had to use the bathroom. After various updates on shows, workshops, Soup Bowls, free kilns, and alternative firings, we continued our ongoing discussion of how to increase marketing and sales through studio tours and group shows. Our last meeting of the season will be held on Monday, June 6 from 10-noon at Cotuit Center for the Arts. Bring sunscreen and a hat.
 

April 2011

It was an intimate gathering of the Clay Club on April 4, so the news is also small. We talked about using brochures and having pottery studio tours as marketing devices. We discussed the clay show at the Cahoon Museum, which is featuring five of our members. An upcoming show at the Stove Factory Gallery in Charlestown will be featuring Hollis Engley's work. We ended the morning with a chat about how it feels to find our pots at thrift shops. The next meeting will be on May 2 at the Cotuit Center for the Arts at 10. Feel free to bring Easter bunny leftovers.
 

March 2011

Despite being plunged back into a dark deep freeze at clay club on March 7, we generated our own steam heat.
We covered many topics, ranging from shows at the MFA, Cahoon Museum, Pucker and Lacoste Galleries, to options
in health insurance. We also discussed the causes of bloating and vertical splits (eating too much broccoli while wearing
tight pants?), along with other fascinating themes. Delicious home made muffins were a nice treat to accompany an
enjoyable gathering. Perhaps there will be other nice surprises at our next meeting, which will be held on Monday,
April 4 at Cotuit Center for the Arts at 10 AM. Do come!
 

February 2011

Still frozen, thawing...?

January 2011

The clay group met on February 3rd in a warmer but blacker environment. (The walls, ceilings and windows were all painted black. We were afraid to ask why.) We lightened up the place with a lively discussion. Kim Medeiros brought pots she had decorated at the Irma Starr Slip-trailing and Mocha Ware Workshop at Plimouth Plantation. We talked about the Clay Show for Teachers at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, and an upcoming two day clay event in March collaborated by the Japan Society, MFA, and Harvard. Lois will keep us informed. We again touched upon the familiar topics of selling on Etsy, in galleries, and juried shows. We concluded with how to make Ikebana containers.

The next meeting will take place on Monday, February 7, at 10 AM at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Your scribe will be basking in sunshine in Florida, so you may not learn about what transpires at that meeting unless you're there.
 

December 2010

Despite the frigid temperature inside the Botelho-ho-ho House, the Clay Club meeting on December 6 was very heated and informative. In keeping with the season, the first topic of discussion was how to deal with those painful finger cracks many of us experience this time of year. If you missed the meeting, you'll just have to suffer until next year's update.

Denny announced he would be placing an order to Portland Pottery. If you missed that chance to save some bucks, too bad, you're on your own.

We continued our on-going discussion about selling online and maintaining web sites. We then had an educational and lively "show and tell" of some of our favorite tools.

As we succumbed to hypothermia, we concluded our meeting with a discussion about alternative, warmer meeting places. Unless otherwise noted, the next meeting will be January 3, at Cotuit Center for the Artic Arts. All are welcome. Please be sure to dress warmly.  See you then.
 

November 2010

A record number of attendees met at the Cotuit Center for the Arts on November 1 for monthly Clay Club.
The following topics were discussed amidst bowls of Halloween Candy:
 

• The Tony Clennell workshop and the alternative firing workshop at Watershed in Maine.
• Pricing
  Wholesale versus consignment
• Kiln shelf treatment

It was a good discussion and we look forward to our next meeting, on December 6 at 10:00. Bring a favorite tool to discuss.
 

October 2010

We had the largest attendance at clay club on October 4th. We talked about the up-coming Tony Clennell workshop and other events related for 2010. We discussed glazes, including types, measuring out and methods of incorporation ocean sediment in glazes. We continued an on-going update of shows and issues related to selling work.

Our next meeting is November 1st, at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit, 10AM to Noon. All are welcome.
 

September 2010

Clay club started up again on September 13th, after a two month break for the summer. We talked about how some of us spent clay-related travel time. There were trips to South Africa, Portugal and France, and a stay in one of Provincetown's Dune shacks.
 
We discussed the merits of different electric kilns and how to go about buying one. We also talked about where you draw the line between sharing your ideas, techniques and supplies and when that line is crossed. We touched upon the notion of copying as an educational devise.

A research assistant from WHOI donated a generous amount of sediment collected from the ocean. If anyone is interested in experimenting with it, there will be some available at our next meeting on October 4, 10:00 to noon, at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Rte. 28, Cotuit. Come join us and feel free to bring a topic you'd like to discuss.
 

August 2010 - Summer hiatus

July 2010 - Summer hiatus

June 2010

Clay Club had its last meeting of the season on June 6. We talked about using Castle Hill's new wood and soda kilns to fire work. This led to a discussion of how to convert old electric kilns to do vapor firing. After talking about buying vs making our own bats, we discussed carbon-trapped Shino glazes. We concluded the morning by deciding to take a break for the summer and meeting again from ten to noon on September 13 (since the first Monday of the month will be Labor Day) at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Rte 28, Cotuit.
 

May 2010

Clay Club met on May 3rd. We finally put to rest the subject of credit cards. After updates on future shows and events, we continued our talk about worthwhile web sites and blogs. We then engaged in a lengthy and lively discussion about the use of extruders. We also addressed how to construct personal signs for shows, and how to deal with tents. We concluded the morning discussing ways to attract customers to shops that are off the beaten path. All are welcome to join us at the next meeting on Monday, June 7th at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Rte 28, Cotuit.
 

April 2010

Clay Club met on April 5. We passed around brochures from Snow Farm and Castle Hill and talked about their upcoming classes and instructors. Our monthly topic addressed air filtration systems for the studio, and other less expensive ways to keep the dust down. We talked about glaze suspension and safe disposal of leftover glazes. There was also discussion about sagger and vapor firing.

We will be meeting on Monday, May 3, ten to noon, at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit. We plan to finally wrap up our discussion of credit cards. It's never too late to join us.
 

March 2010

Despite the snow, seven of us met for clay club on March 1. We began with talk about the movies shown at the annual meeting, particularly the work of Karen Karnes, and the technique of using a heat source while throwing, as shown in the "Hot Damn" movie. We continued our discussion about up-coming museum shows at the Fuller Craft, Duxbury Art Complex and deCordova. We talked about various ways of selling work, e.g. on consignment, wholesale, and specific craft shows. In our discussion about working with clay while trying to pay the bills, we realized that health insurance is the most difficult bill to pay. This lead to addressing health concerns which we will continue to discuss on April 5th, along with how to make our studios safer. Join us from ten to noon at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Rte 28, Cotuit.
 

February 2010

New people have continued to come to the Clay Club, which met on February 1.  We postponed further talk about credit cards until the next meeting, which is scheduled for March 1, ten to noon, at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Rte 28, Cotuit.  Discussion this month revolved around a number of different topics, ranging from the programs at Snow Farm in Western Mass and Center for the Arts at Castle Hill in Truro, to shows at Fuller Craft Museum.  Some folks brought pots to discuss, which led to further talk about how we sign our work, and glaze stability, safety and color.  Next time we'll address how we balance a life in clay while trying to pay the bills.  As always, all are welcome to join us.
 

January 2010

Clay Club met on January 4. After a brief discussion about where folks find glazing containers, we talked about using the Internet for marketing, sales, education, and accessing others' work. We talked about helpful sites for rating and applying to shows, and for buying supplies. We touched upon how to mail work to buyers and whether to accept credit cards. The next meeting will be on February 1, from ten to noon, at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit. We will continue our discussion about credit cards. Bring a pot to discuss--your own or someone else's (and of course, goodies are always appreciated!). Please consider joining us.
 

November 2009 - First meeting

The Cape Cod Clay Club had its first meeting on Monday, November 2 at Cotuit Center for the Arts. Seven of us got together and discussed our expectations for the group. Most of us feel isolated working alone and look forward to the group providing feedback and support. We hope to plan visits to museums, galleries and other studios. We talked of meeting occasionally in the evening at other venues to accommodate folks who work on Monday mornings. Denny has set up a Google Group to help with communication. The Clay Club will be open to all interested potters at any time. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 7, 10-noon at Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit. We plan to discuss where potters get their supplies, materials, tools, etc. A voluntary $2 donation will be collected to go towards the rental of our space. Bring your own coffee, tea, and ideas, and please join us.