April - Oregon Potters Association

Anthony Gordon - July Membership Mtg Program
Anthony won the Best of Show Award at this year’s Showcase for
her sculptural piece "Breaking Free." She will discuss building her
Fast Fire Wood Kiln and share techniques for making horse
figures. In her own words, Anthony says "In a way, I think they were
in-part voting for the symbol - horse - which has a magic impact on
so many people."
UPCOMING
JULY 12, 2013 - 6-9 PM
OPA GENERAL MTG
Multnomah Arts Center, 7688
SW Capitol Hwy, Portland
6:30 - Gen Mtg: Contact OPA
President Linda Bourne with
agenda items in advance:
[email protected].
7:30 - Program: Anthony
Gordon -- Ceramic Showcase
Best in Show Winner
2013, 5 PM
SHOWCASE
The first meeting of the 2014 CS
Year
AUG 6, 2013, 6 PM
OPA BOARD MTG
Debi Nelson’s
JULY 24, 2013, 6 PM
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
MTG
July Asbury’s -
WEB MEMBER USERS
Login: opamember
Pass: potters
4614 SE SALMON,
PORTLAND, OR 97205
Anthony's
background: "My art
training started with
casual drawing as a
child. I studied animal
behavior in graduate
school and thought I
would be a biologist,
but turned out to be a
naturalist, which is a
biologist without the job or the statistics! I lived in Southern Africa for
eleven years, studying ticks, bees, and evolution. My first ceramic
class was there. When I moved to Corvallis, I found some wonderful
ceramics teachers, and have enjoyed working in clay ever since
1991. My sculptures are often chimeras of human and animal forms.
Prehistoric art, e.g. cave paintings, is one influence. My ceramic
pieces vary in mood from spiritual to baudy. I love wood firing and
soda firing best and combing them works particularly well. In
2006/07 I built a fast fire wood kiln, which we have fired 16 times so
far. I am still delighted to get in on an Anagama firing now and then."
To see more of Anthony’s work see her website.
It’s a Party: OPA NEW MEMBERS' RAKU SOCIAL
Saturday, July 13 we celebrate new members but ALL OPA members
are welcome! We especially encourage newer members just getting
involved and meeting people. Join us for an afternoon of Raku firing,
food and friendship. Bring a piece of bisque ware for mid- or hightemperature, a side dish and your “significant other” if you'd like.
Entrée, salad, beverages and glazes will be provided. If you don’t
have an extra piece of bisque ware there will be a few extra pieces
available. Party crashers accepted but RSVP's are much
appreciated. Saturday July 13th - 12 noon to 6ish at 7355 SW 188th
Pl, Beaverton, OR. Questions? Contact Holly Dubrasich and/or Dee
Montague OPA New Member Outreach Co-Chairs
[email protected]
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 1
OREGON POTTERS ASSN NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2013
OPA NEWS
President’s Message - Linda Bourne
It’s half way through the year and I have not as yet reported on what your elected officers are doing. In
January the membership accepted the Board’s recommendation to reorganize officers into two groups for
more efficient meetings and so that strategic planning didn’t get lost with the many operational decisions that
need to be made. At the June Board meeting, we discussed many topics. Our foremost concern is how the
restructuring is working. We are defining new and old jobs and figuring our who needs to be working with
whom to make our organization run smoothly. We are currently starting work on updating the website and on
developing a plan for fundraising.
Karen Peters, OPA vice-president, oversees Program Directors. They get together two weeks before the
Board meetings so they can report to the Board on any issue the Board should know about. Their meetings
revolve around operations and events: Empty Bowls, the late summer gallery show, presentations at the
general meetings, social media and the picnic were all discussed. The Directors did some brainstorming on a
fun activity to create the opportunity for members to get together and came up with the idea to organize studio
tours on the month that OPA doesn’t have a general meeting.
Many thanks to Kris Paul for the amazing and tireless job she did as Ceramic Showcase Chair. We had the
best newspaper article ever written about OPA in the Oregonian. We are lucky to have her head up
Showcase for 2014.
In March, we decided to use the space at the back of the hall for an OPA booth to help explain what makes us
a non-profit organization and what we do the rest of the year. Members staffed the booth and I thank those
who gave up an extra hour to be available to answer questions about OPA or the show. We planned this booth
in about a six week period and it came together well for such short notice. We have many ideas to improve
this space for next year. I hope you all got to see the large drawing of a cup and a request from our attendees
to write in comments of their favorite thing at Showcase. Below are comments that customers shared with us.
Have a great summer!
What is your favorite thing about Ceramic
Showcase:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Children’s clay center
Adult Clay
The Wheel
Throwing my first bowl
Wall Art (2 people)
The Gallery is a great feature.
Wonderful diversity
Variety-and elbow room
Talking to the artists
Inspiring to see so much creativity
I’m inspired to start doing pottery again! Fantastic
The Love of Life that Potters Have
• Demonstrations, the adult and children’s clay
areas, the galleries and how James DeRosso
added a spooky illumination to his gallery. I also
loved the high school gallery.
• I love all the creativity and inspiration. Thank you
for this show.
• From a potter to other potters -- so good to see
how gracefully we age – year after year!
• Look forward to this every year. Never
disappointed.
• We love this show! We visit our favorite potters
every year.
• Thanks for filling my cupboards and life with
wonderful pottery and memories…back to when
you were at Montgomery Park. 31 years!
SMILE You’re on the OPA’s Flicker Site:
Our OPA photographer took a lot of member photos at Showcase this year, as well as photos of the
public. You can see them on our OregonPotters.org website. At the top right hand corner of the page,
click on OPA Flickr site link.
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 2
OREGON POTTERS ASSN NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2013
Group Buy/ one of our oldest organizational benefits!
Potters/ Request what chemicals or equipment you might like to get in Bulk. Send all requests
to: [email protected] with the subject heading: Group Buy Also, we still have Tin oxide @ $17.25 #,
Copper Carb. @ $7.00# and
Cobalt Carb. @ $17.00#.
First come, first served! E-mail me if you want any of these chemicals. We are reaching the bottom of the barrel.
Thanks, Victoria Shaw, Group Buy Director
Stark Street Studio, Portland, Or. cell: 503-502-2993
SEASONS:
The deadline for the Fall Juried OPA show “Seasons” is ____.
HW Scholarship winners:
I am proud to announce the 2013 recipient of the OPA scholarship award is senior high school
student Carrie Kitzke from Wilson High School, with her piece titled "Flowerless Ocean". Tied for
second place are Cody Galvin, senior from St Helens High School, "Golden Opportunity" and
Myckelle Mathis, junior from Kelso High School, "Freak Show". Thanks to the eleven students that submitted applications for the scholarship. They did a great job.
Karen French
OPA HS Scholarship Chair
OPAs AIE at AIP
The OPA will again be hosting an education booth at Art in the Pearl. I am looking for volunteers to
help staff the booth and work with kids for two hour shifts or more on Monday September 2nd. We
have funds to pay $10 an hour for volunteers. Let me know if you are interested and what time you
can commit to. As one of the volunteers from last year, I can assure you that you will have a great
time!
Please contact Debi Nelson at [email protected] or 503-628-1562.
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 3
INVESTOR
OREGONNEWSLETTER
POTTERS ASSN
ISSUE
NEWSLETTER
N°3!
APRIL
FALL 2009
2013
CERAMIC SHOWCASE
From Kris Paul our
Ceramic Showcase Chair
from 2013 but the sales were spread
throughout more of our members.
First and foremost, to everyone who
participated, volunteered or showed up, thank
you. It was an amazing show! I am still
receiving emails from our customers amazed
at the quality and quantity of ceramic work
available. Many responses were about the
interaction of our members with customers, the
love of the hands-on areas, rave reviews on
our Chef’s Demos and Acoustic Stage. So
again, thank you.
As you can imagine, we are already at work for
Ceramic Showcase 2014.
Mark your calendars, the dates are set:
May 2 – 3 – 4, 2014.
We received great PR coverage, which
translated into approximately 2000 more
people walking through our doors.
Unfortunately, our sales numbers were down
Our first meeting will take place in July. (See
Meeting Reminders on front page.) This first
planning meeting is a good one share to voice
an opinion, share an idea or get involved.
Please plan on attending. Ceramic Showcase
needs each and every member to participate.
We have many Chair or trainee positions
available and they need to be filled! Especially,
Ceramic Showcase Vice-Chair and Secretary.
Happy summer.
GENERAL POTTERY NEWS
The Potters Council is always seeking
members and usually there is a Free Gift
involved with joining. Through this April 30, it is
a copy of “Glazes & Glazing” with articles that
will inspire you to try something new. Heres
the sign-up link: https://www.pubservice.com/
subnew1page.aspx?PC=PQ&PK=R33PDF1
Georgie’s Most of us already shop at
Georgie’s but are you also signed up to
receive their newsletters? There are class
announcements, news on new products, ads
for equipment new and used, and more. Sign
up on their website: http://www.georgies.com/
New Way to Fund Your Project?
From the ACGA Newsletter: Congratulations
to Forrest Lesch-Middleton for reaching his
goal for "Origins Tile" on Kickstarter, the on-
line fundraising tool. "On January 30th, 2013
Clé Tile introduced my Origins series of tile to
the world, and in February I introduced it
through my Kickstarter campaign. By the end
of March Origins Tile met its funding goal!
What an amazing experience it has been to
wake up every morning and see that,
overnight, someone else has been pulling for
the success of my new endeavor in clay. With
the big news about the tile comes big news
about my studio. I am happy to say that that I
will no longer be cramped in my little home
studio/garage. I am fortunate to have finally
moved into a perfect 1400 square foot studio
that will allow me to handle every aspect of my
studio career. In my new space I will be able to
handle it all; from pots to tile, a workshop
space, and a small showroom. My new studio
is located at 1320 Commerce Street in
Petaluma, CA."
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 4
INVESTOR
OREGONNEWSLETTER
POTTERS ASSN
ISSUE
NEWSLETTER
N°3!
APRIL
FALL 2009
2013
WORKSHOPS and OPPORTUNITIES
Workshop w/
AYUMI
HORIE:
The Museum of
Contemporary
Crafts hosts a
workshop with
Ayumi Horie,
May 19. $75 or
$60 for MOCC members. The link to sign up for
the workshop is http://www.eventbrite.com/
event/5688153420#. Her visit is in conjunction
with their current show, Object Focus: The Bowl,
which is up through September 21. Part 1:
Reflect + Respond, is on now (and was recently
written up in the New York Times), and Part 2:
Engage + Use opens May 16. Ayumi Horie will
curate a lending library of bowls for this part.
FMI on this show see their website: http://
mocc.pnca.edu/exhibitions/5412/. (Photo from
MOCC flyer showing her award from Ceramics
Monthly)
only $25 for each. For information or to
register, contact Joe Davis, 503-491-7149 or
email: joe.davis @mhcc.edu
Javier Cervantes - Moving the Graphic
Image onto Clay Surfaces: He will demonstrate
various ideas on this process with image and
tiles and forms with volume. He will use silk
screen, paper stencil and dry oxides and glazes.
This demo will be filled with ideas about how to
create a rich surface with overlapping imagery!
May 19, 10 am - 4 pm.
CLAY FEST applications available now;
Deadline May 3. A potter-run, all-clay show,
Clay Fest will be held October 11-13, at the
Lane Events Center in Eugene. Applications
and Local Clay Membership forms can be found
at www.clayfest.org
Call to Artists for 4th Annual
Washington County Open Studio Tour,
October 19 & 20, 2013. Meet potential patrons,
show and promote your work in a full-color
catalog and website. Accepting artists in all
media living or working in Washington County,
Oregon willing to open their studios to the public
from 11am-5pm both days. Participation fee
$100. Deadlines June 1 and July 15. For
application and information www.washcoart.org
Two Workshops at Mt Hood CC:
The MHCC Clay Club hosts Javier Cervantes
and Barb Campbell workshops with a limited
number of slots open for OPA members. Fee is
Barb Campbell - Spontaneous
Construction, Building Forms with Soft Slabs:
she will demonstrate her construction
techniques for building functional forms. Her
work has an emphasis on texture derived from
found objects. June 2, 10 am - 4 pm
Vista Bonita
Vista Bonita Glass Art Studio and Gallery
opened its doors in March. They extend an
invitation to consign work to OPA members.
They are a working glass art studio with approx.
800 sq ft of adjacent gallery space. Their vision
is to populate the gallery with art pieces that
stand out from the rest of the crowd. Gallery is
located next to Donterra Artworks and across
the street from the Sisters Coffee Company.
There is high density parking in the area and the
gallery is located in a high pedestrian traffic
corridor. Contact them during gallery hours:
10-5 daily, 541-549-4527.
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 5
INVESTOR
OREGONNEWSLETTER
POTTERS ASSN
ISSUE
NEWSLETTER
N°3!
APRIL
FALL 2009
2013
Seeking Potters to Make Planters:
Call to Artists: The Left Edge.
A new small business, Potted In Portland, would
like to partner with a local potter to create small
to medium sized planters to be used in creating
potted plant gifts or custom potted plant designs
for homes. We are looking for square pots, but
are interested in speaking to any artists
specializing in planters. Colorful, bold, glazes
seems to be the direction we are going - but we
are wanting your input. Please contact Sara at
[email protected] or 503-313-4384.
June 26 through July 21. The Left Edge is a
juried ceramic exhibition at the Morris Graves
Museum of Art in Humbolt, CA, that will
encompass the vast array of contemporary
ceramics in sculptural, installation and vesselmaking genres. Jurors: Darrin Ekern & Sue
Whitmore. *$35 for up to 3 entries. Deadline
May 17. FMI: www.humboldtarts.org. The
Prospectus is in 2 parts. Part 1:
http://www.humboldtarts.org/Exhibitions/2013/
documents/LeftEdge1_000.pdf Part 2:
http://www.humboldtarts.org/Exhibitions/2013/
documents/LeftEdge2_000.pdf
Mendocino Art Center
If you will be looking for a summer workshop
idea and think a little coast trip would
compliment the time away from the studio, don’t
forget the workshops at the lovely Mendocino
Art Center. They have a number of workshops
scheduled: http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org
Sculpture Symposium
The International Sculpture Center’s Sculpture
Symposium is a multi-day affair in Miami,
Florida, December 1- 4, 2013! Please join the
Miami event mailing list to receive updates as
they become available. Sign up early and save!
Early Bird Registration starts June 1.
SHAMELESS ADVERTISING
Mark Heimann’s FOR SALE CORNER
SOLDNER MIXER -- Definitely used, definitely fully
functional. Mixer, not a de-airer. Rotating drum style,
not a dangerous auger-type. List price currently is
$4485. I’m offering for $1900. Bring a couple of
mongo friends to help move it.
24 CU Ft GAS FIBER KILN KIT
Car-kiln -- welded angle-iron and expanded-metal
frame. Includes fiber, chimney brick, high-temp wire
and buttons for attaching fiber to frame. Also 4 neverused eclipse burners, regulators, and hoses (they list
for $245 each). Super heavy-duty rolling door and
floor. Frame disassembles for transport.
Price reduced to $2300.
SELLING ENTIRE ART COLLECTION Clay: Frank
Boyden, Tom Coleman, Malcolm Davis, Jack Troy,
Gail Nicholls, Brad Schweiger; many premier OPA
folks.
Wildlife art prints: Kromschroeder,, Doolittle,
Isaacs, Bama. Images on request.
GILL HARRISON’S Studio
Gil requested in his will that I sell and distribute his
remaining tools, equipment, pots and materials to
benefit OPA’s Clay in Education Programs. I will have
an inventory in my Showcase Booth (G-13). Or call
or write me.
Note: We will honor Gil in Booth G-6 this year -photos, legacy pots (for sale), and other Harrison
memorabilia.
To inquire on any of the above: CONTACT: Mark
Heimann [email protected]
or, 503-631-8686
SHELVES FOR SALE:
New shelves for the Holding area at Showcase have
been bought and the 3 older shelves are for sale to
the highest bidders. Each of the 3 shelves measures
7 ft. high X 8 ft. wide X 2ft. deep, and are still in very
usable condition. Bid sheets will be on the table in
the artist lounge at Showcase, and the winners must
pick up the shelves from the artist storage area
before the end of Showcase. For more info contact
Patrick Noe 503-722-9930.
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 6
INVESTOR
OREGONNEWSLETTER
POTTERS ASSN
ISSUE
NEWSLETTER
N°3!
Looking for rental studio workspace in Portland
OR with storage space, wheel & firing availability.
Contact Bill at [email protected].
APRIL
FALL 2009
2013
FOR SALE: Lockerbie kick/ electric potters wheel.
Older but in good condition. Wilsonville. $500 obo.
Bill Brun 503-682-1690
Looking for used kick-wheel. Can pay up to
$300. Please contact Devon at
[email protected] Thanks!
Glaze, The Amazing Glass
by Chic Lotz
When silica melts
it makes a glass.
“So what makes a glaze?”
you might ask.
So if you want
that silica to stick,
alumina is the one
that you should pick.
To find the right ratio
for the glaze you desire,
mix a small test batch
and test in the fire.
Silica melts near
3000 degrees,
firing a kiln that hot
won’t be a breeze.
Alumina bonds
silica to clay.
“Very Important!”
most potters will say.
Silica makes glass,
alumina helps bond,
flux is a melter,
of these we are fond.
So add a little flux
and you will see –
the silica melts sooner
and happy you’ll be!
Silica plus alumina
add in some flux –
getting the right ratio
is really the crux.
These three things
make up a glaze
vary their ratios
and you’ll be amazed!
But molten silica
when it is hot
runs down the sides
and off of your pot!
Alter their ratios
and you will get
changes in glaze surface,
stability and fit.
APRIL SPECIAL SECTION
This month’s Special Section will cover some great info on Airspraying. This includes types of
spray guns to use, compressors, application techniques, AND three different spray booth
designs. For June’s newsletter, we’re going to change-up the section a bit. We want to open this
section to a few artist profiles. In other words, WE WANT YOUR STORIES and PHOTOS! We
know that all of us have a story to tell about how we discovered pottery and became the
creative, inspiring artists that we are. You can submit a story for someone else too. Please
email submissions* to: [email protected]. *Minor editing of submissions may occur.
Working With an Airbrush
Submitted by Natalie Warrens:
If you’re interested in spraying, I recommend
trying to first spray at a studio set-up in a college
or private studio, or attend a workshop where
spraying methods are used. Some people are
not suited for the patience required to work with
an airbrush, but might be more tolerant of using
a larger spray gun that's less likely to clog.
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 7
OREGON POTTERS ASSN NEWSLETTER
Safety is my first concern. So using a good
mask, like the brand North, with removable
cartridges that can be replaced periodically, is
important. Also, stay away from spraying glazes
or underglazes that contain lead or other toxic
materials. Commercial glazes will be labeled
well and will read "non-toxic." Know your
materials when mixing up base glazes. Barium
is beautiful but spraying it is not.
I started out with a Paasche brand airbrush VL
series. This is a good, basic airbrush for the
cost, about $75. It is a dual-action spray gun
which allows for flow control as opposed to a
single-action gun which only has one setting.
The parts, mostly the needle and tips, are made
of brass and need to be replaced over time
since the materials sprayed are abrasive.
Commercial underglazes and glazes will pass
through a 200 mesh screen. Make sure your
own stains or glazes will too, because the
airbrush will clog easily.
For the past 15 years I've been using an Iwata
Eclipse H-P-BCS series. The parts are made of
stainless steel and don't wear out as often, but
the cost is quite a bit more, about $125 to $140.
The siphon bottles for the Paasche VL and H
series fit the Iwata brush and allows for quick
color changes when using underglazes.
I use an Olympos Aries SGA 6208 sprayer for
glazes and to cover larger surface areas, but
found out that the parts will be discontinued
soon.
A small compressor works fine and costs about
$100. There are many brands and sizes on the
market including the larger tank sizes, just make
sure you can regulate the pressure to about 32
psi.
My spray booth started out 25 years ago as a
20x20 inch furnace filter taped to a box fan and
aimed out a window. But for the past 20 years, I
have on permanent loan (from Victoria Shaw)
an Amaco spray booth. Most spray booths are
overpriced for what they are and can be built for
a fraction of the price.
APRIL 2013
To learn more, go to the Paasche or Iwata
websites. Iwata does not sell online. I mostly
frequent Columbia Art and Drafting on East
Burnside in Portland. They have a large
airbrush section and an airbrush expert, Rita. I
like to buy my parts from local retail stores since
you can talk to someone there. Other retail
stores include Georgies Ceramics, which carries
the Paasche products. Also, Blicks carries both
Paasche and Iwata.
Spray Gun for Thick Glazes
Submitted by Mark Heimann:
My favorite spray gun is a low-pressure, highvolume unit that costs less than twenty bucks at
Harbor Freight.
It’s a 20 Fl Oz,
gravity-fed unit,
with a big
reservoir. It can
handle thick,
grainy glazes. It
has a pretty big
fan pattern of
glaze, so it is not
as “sophisticated”
or target-oriented
as smaller units
like the Paasche, but it rarely clogs.
I have an ”octopus” hub, with quick-release
couplings, that enables me to use up to six
colors at the same time (if I had six spray guns.)
I don’t use that many, but if you want to layer or
blend colors without a lot of reservoir changing
and gun-cleaning, it’s a great way to go.
I attach the main pressure hose to a 2 HP, 4
gallon air compressor.
When I first started spraying glazes, I tended to
apply them way too thin. I was used to dipping
or pouring. So consider that. Yah, that means
testing. One of our favorite tasks!
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 8
Waterfall Style Spray Booth Submitted by
Avi Harriman:
I have wanted to build a waterfall style spray
booth for a long time. I saw my first one at the
Red Star Studios in Kansas City that Jesse Hull
had built. Recently, someone posted a link to
Tom Turner’s design (shown below) on his web
site.
This is a photo of the final design from the back:
The unique feature of Tom’s design is the use of
a three piece shower stall as the framework for
the booth. I went to my local building supply
store to start Tom’s version of the project and
discovered two things: The first was the cost of a
shower stall, about $350. I’m cheap and that
seemed like a lot of money just to start the
project. The second was the size. It was much
larger than I expected and bigger than I needed.
I asked the salesperson if they had any
seconds. He said they didn’t, but if I wanted to
make a less expensive, smaller version I should
just get a 50 gallon plastic drum from the
wholesale food supplier down the street. So, for
$15 I got started.
The first photo is a shot from the front:
For step-by-step construction details with
photos, please visit Avi Harriman’s photo site:
Avi Harriman Waterfall Spray Booth
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 9
Dishwasher Spray Booth
Submitted by David Dahlquist:
A decent shell for a homemade spray booth is
an old dishwasher. It requires that you
completely remove everything from the
dishwasher which leaves you with a plastic box
shell. Mine had a large hole on the bottom,
approx. 8" diameter. I situated mine so the hole
became the top of the spray booth, then put
clear acrylic over it to allow light through. Any
other left-over holes I filled with epoxy and
sanded smooth.
I then cut 4 or 5 slots into the back of the
dishwasher shell, approx. 2" wide and 16" high,
and built a fan box that connects to it. I used
home weather seal stickers to join between the
spray booth and fan box. The seal wasn’t ideal,
so I wrapped plastic around the fan box and
spray booth junction. When the fan’s on, it pulls
in the plastic sheets slightly and completes the
seal. I also duct tape furnace filters when I
spray.
This can also double as a photo booth. Shine
lighting down that big hole I mentioned and use
clamp-on lighting on the front of the box pointed
inward.
Another tip, on the fan motor, for extra protection
from overspray, I put a sandwich bag loosely
over the motor body. I also found it works better
if I place a back-drop between the filters and the
pots I am spraying to catch most of the
overspray, then the filters catch the rest.
Otherwise, I get too much in the filters and they
clog quickly. It all breaks down and is easy to
store in a crammed studio.
One last tip, and this might be widely known as I
think it is a Stephen Hill tip: I mark the pots with
pencil in vertical lines throughout so I can gauge
the thickness of the glaze application.
Spray Application Tips
Submitted by Cynthia Spencer:
Alberta Slip based glazes on my pottery to try
and get a similar look with a little color. "Fakeash" glazes tend to be runny, so I spray them on
my pots using a hobby 1/10th HP compressor
and a Paasche spray gun with the "pistol" grip.
The small little glass jars that come with a spray
gun hold less glaze than it would take to spray
one vase, so I use empty plastic honey bears
instead because the thread size fits. Plus, the
shape of the little bear head provides a nice
place for my hand to hold on, and it’s just fun to
use for the 3-4 hours it takes to glaze and load
my 16 cu ft kiln. (Beauty supply stores sell
cheap bottles for mixing hair coloring chemicals
that also work.) I've got enough bears that I
have one for each of the different glaze colors I
use. In my older age I've written the colors on
them to ensure fewer surprises when I open the
kiln after a firing.
Cone 9 Alberta Slip-based Glaze
Alberta/Albany Slip
50%
Whiting
30%
Ball Clay
25%
Oxide colorants can be added to the recipe to
get blues, green, golds, chocolate browns and
blue/blacks. The entire pot gets one all-over
sprayed coat, with only the top 1-2" inches of the
piece getting 3 sprayed coats to get the drips. If
fired to Cone 10, this glaze will make you get out
the hammer and chisel for your shelves.
When I first started spraying glaze, the biggest
trick was getting a thick enough coat. Try
marking your pot with a magic marker X, and
when you've successfully covered it up by
spraying, you’ve probably applied enough glaze.
Another check is to scratch through the dried
glaze on your pot with a fingernail and if it is
about the thickness of a playing card, it's a good
coating.
I fell in love with salt firing 20+ years ago, but
realized the impracticality of such a beast in my
residential neighborhood. Now I use mostly
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 10
Call for Entries POSTMARK Deadline: July 15th 2013
ELIGIBILITY:
• Open to anyone who is a current member of the
OPA
• Submitted work produced within the last two
years.
• Must be made primarily of clay.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Seasons
September 6 - 30, 2013
The OPA, in conjunction with the
North Bank Artist Community
Gallery is seeking your artwork that
celebrates the four seasons.
CALENDAR:
July 15th: Application POSTMARK
deadline
August 5th: Notification begins via
email
Sept 3rd - 4th: Deliver work to gallery
Sept 6th: Show opens 6-8 PM: First
Friday Opening Reception
Sept 28: Exhibition closes
SEASONS
16123 Lake Forest Blvd
Lake Oswego, OR
97035
With a special invitational exhibit of OPA’s
Hokkaido Tile award winners.
Application:
Mail the enclosed form and images
POSTMARK by July 15:
All applications must be
Seasons, OPA Show
16123 Lake Forest Blvd
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
POSTMARKED July 15th 2013.
Artist Name
Entry A
File name!
!
RULES:
• Applicants may enter up to 3 entries
• All exhibited work MUST BE FOR SALE.
• Specific piece(s) accepted MUST be available for
entire exhibition.
• Images submitted for the show may be used as a
representation of what will be entered into the
show.
•Work represented in the show must be of similar
style and quality of the images the artist used.
• Work will be disqualified if it displays poor
craftsmanship.
• Work must arrive in time for the opening.
ENTRY FEE:
• $25 for three entries, non-refundable check or
money order made payable to OPA.
COMMISSION:
North Bank Gallery collects 50%
DIGITAL IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:
• Submit only one image per work entered unless
you divide that image to show two views.
• Save images as a high quality JPG, with a
resolution of 300 dpi, 800x800 pixels.
• Please no text on images, a text box with image
information should be underneath your image
• Label CD with your name & show title, CD not
returned. • Label images with first four letters of
your last name, your first initial, and entry number
(A, B, C). (i.e. John Doe would be - doej_A.jpg,
doej_B.jpeg, doej_C.jpeg)
PHOTOGRAPHY:
• The OPA has the right to use submitted photo
materials of accepted pieces for the purposes of
documentation, publicity, and promotion of the
show
!
Price
or Email images to:
[email protected]
Address
For additional information or questions,
contact:
Title
City
Size (HxWxD, round to nearest inch)
State Zip
Type of Clay/Method of Firing
Phone Number
Becky Clark
[email protected]
970.314.0409
Entry B
Email
CALENDAR:
Are you available to help set up the exhibit in Sept.?
July 15th: Application POSTMARK deadline
August 1st: Notification begins via email
Sept 3-4th: Work arrives at gallery
Sept 6th: Show opens, First Friday Opening
Reception
! !
!
!
Sept 27 - 28 Pick Up Artwork
File name!
!
!
Title!
!
!
!
Price
______Yes
Size (HxWxD, round to nearest inch)
Type of Clay/Method of Firing
!
______No
Please check all the places you saw this show advertised
or announced.
__OPA Website __ OPA Newsletter __ Facebook
__Talked to friends __ Email notification __ Other:
PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK:
Entry C
File name!
Did you complete and sign your application?
!
!
Price
Title
Deliver Artwork to:
North Bank Artist Gallery
1005 Main Street Vancouver, WA 98660
360.693.1840
Acceptance letters will be delivered via email. Is
your email legible?
Did you enclose your CD with your name on it?
Size (HxWxD, round to nearest inch)
Did you enclose a check or money order for $25
made out to OPA for three entries (additional for
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
extra entries)?
Type of Clay/Method of Firing
**
PAGE 11
4614 SE Salmon St
Portland, OR 97215
Return Service Requested
-------------------------------Dates to remember:
Ceramic Showcase: April 26-28
OPA General Meeting May 10
Showcase Steering: May 15
Next Newsletter Deadline: June 10
Upcoming Board Meetings:
June 4 (Linda Bourne’s)
August 6 (Deb Nelson’s)
October 1 (Julie Asbury’s)
December 3 (TBA)
OREGON POTTERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: Established in 1980, this newsletter is sent to OPA members,
educational institutions and ceramic related businesses. It is published in February, April, June, August, October and
December. Submissions should be sent, in writing, to [email protected] Both editorial and advertising
submissions are free of charge and will be published at the discretion of the editors. Submissions are due on the 10th of
the month during which the Newsletter will be published.
Membership in the OPA, a 501(c)(3) organization, is open to any serious studio potter, or two potters working as a 100%
collaborative team, living in Oregon or southwest Washington. There is no jurying for membership, which costs $50 per
calendar year. Membership is not pro-rated, it is Jan- Dec, though you may join at any time. Membership includes 6
newsletters per year, 6 meetings per year, and the opportunity to apply for Ceramic Showcase. If you live over 100 miles
from Portland and do not plan to use other membership benefits, you may subscribe to the newsletter only for $12/ year.
Please send a check, name, address, email and phone number(s) to OPA Treasurer, Julie Asbury, PO Box 351,
Woodburn OR 97071. Changes of address or email address should be sent to Steve Kelly, Membership Director
[email protected] 2575 NW Northrup, Portland, OR 97210
OPA President, 2013: Linda Bourne, [email protected]
Past OPA President, 2012: Sarah Chenoweth
OPA Vice-President, Karen Peters, 503-657-3328, [email protected]
OPA Member Outreach: Holly Dubrasich, 541-259-3787, [email protected]
OPA Secretary, 2013: OPEN
OPA Newsletter Editors: Aimee Herring and Cynthia Spencer, [email protected]
Ceramic Showcase Chair: Kris Paul, 503-344-6213, [email protected]
Ceramic Showcase Secretary: Jamie Anderson, 503-747-6180, [email protected]
OPA & Showcase Treasurer: Julie Asbury, 503-982-6946, [email protected]
WWW.OREGONPOTTERS.ORG * WWW.CERAMICSHOWCASE.COM
**
PAGE 12