For those of you who don't know, the Otaki Pottery Club has run this community event each year for many many years.  COVID stopped us from doing this for a couple of years and we are excited that we can now welcome back the public to this event and of course to our new venue.   

The event is where members of the public buy a piece of bisqueware, decorate it with Raku glazes and we fire it on the spot and they can walk away with a lovely piece of pottery.   

This is a particular favourite event of the local children.  Sue Wilson is organising this and would like to get together a team of volunteers to make this happen. Please contact Sue if you are interested in being involved.

We have created the new role of "Classroom Booking Manager" which Derryn Robson is taking on.  This role will begin at the beginning of next year.   If you are looking to use one of our classrooms for anything, please contact Derryn.

The club is looking for someone who will take on the role of Promotions/Publicity Manager for our events.  This will involve arranging newspaper ads, radio coverage, TV coverage (if you have connections although not necessary if you don't) and generally in getting the news out there to advertise our upcoming events etc.  Our Social Media coverage is already covered by Wendi Lindsay.

​Organizers of our OPC Art's Trail would appreciate it if those members who have signed up to participate, would please give some time, either in set up, pack down or sales over the two weekends - even making some snacks for the workers is a great help!   There is a roster on the sign in desk for you to check out.   The more people we have the less we all have to do and it's always a fun time.   People potting in the rooms is also a good way to show off our club to the public.

Timelines for the Arts Trail:

• 30 October  - it would be great if your priced goods and stock sheets are dropped off to the glaze room collection area by the 30th so we can start setting up.   If you can't make the 30th October then we will still be receiving goods up to and including the 3rd November.
• Members who have work in Gallery and have their own Arts Trail venue can leave their pots if they wish. 
• Thursday 3 November, 5.30pm - Gallery Opening
• 10 November bus of 40 arriving in the afternoon for a look around and afternoon tea.   It would be good to have people working in the rooms.
• 13 November after 4pm potters pick up work unless leaving in the Gallery area. 
• Gallery display to stay until 17 Dec if potters wish.

​Wendi Lindsay, our Social Media guru, will be spreading the news about the Art's Trail over the internet, Facebook, Instagram etc.   It would be great if you would all share these posts to your friends so we can promote this event to as many people as possible.

The next gas firing of the green downdraft kiln is scheduled as follows:

1.  All work to be in kiln room by 5pm, Wednesday 26th October
2. Loading from 9am Thursday 27th October
3. Firing Friday 28th October, commencing 8.30am
4. Unloading Sunday 30th October at 2pm

There are a limited number of pots currently waiting to be fired. Many more are needed to fill the kiln, typically we need about 140 pieces, the alternatives we may need to consider are rescheduling or possibly firing the smaller blue kiln. 

It would be helpful if members who have work ready for firing could deliver their pots by the end of Labour Day so that an assessment of how we should proceed can be made on Tuesday 25th.

This firing was scheduled so the work could be fired for the Art Trail. 
Good luck everyone with sales from the Arts Trail.
Any queries, please contact me at [email protected]

Pop in to the Tote Modern Gallery at the Otaki Pottery Club and check out the amazing range of works on display. These are works from our class members in our current exhibition.

We have it all, from practical and useful to quirky and ornamental.
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Open 10-3 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 47 Te Roto Rd, Otaki
See you there!

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We have had queries for an adults only Christmas Decoration workshop, so here you go! Get in quick, spaces are limited and these are the only 2 workshops we can fit into our super busy class schedule.

Apply here:http://www.otakipotteryclub.org/pottery-workshops-kapiti... Please note, form goes direct to the tutor, who will be in touch soon.

We fired the green updraft kiln last week with the unloading on Saturday.   Lyuba helped with the loading and firing and more than a dozen members came and assisted with the unloading.   Great results again with the firing with just 2 exceptions where a lower temperature glaze was used and resulted in a serious bonding to the shelf.  It is disappointing to see this result as the new shelves are damaged and the work has to be chipped from the shelf with a hammer and chisel.  Remember this kiln is fired to an even temperature throughout the kiln, to cone 10, which is 1300C to 1320C.   Please check the list in the glaze room and Rod’s notes below on the glazes that SHOULD NOT be used.

If you do use any of these glazes, please label your pieces clearly and place them on the separately labelled shelf.

With the imminent Kapiti Coast Art Trail fast approaching, just a month to go, we are offering last minute gas firings subject to there being sufficient work on the shelves.   Proposed dates are work in kiln room before loading starts at 9am, Thursday 27th October, firing Friday 28th starting 8.30am, unloading Sunday 30th at 2pm.  That leaves just the week days to prepare and label your work before the first Art’s Trail Day on Saturday 5th November.

Neil Hey, Kilnmaster

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NOTE FROM ROD

The following glazes are NOT suitable for the DOWNDRAUGHT kiln:
Van Guilders Ash, Purple Haze, Mamo and Silverton Blue

All the other gas fired glazes can be used in both kilns.  It is important to list the
glazes on your ticket for the UPDRAUGHT kiln as that will determine where they
are placed in the kiln.

The DOWNDRAUGHT kiln fires to 1300C.  Temperature is very consistent from top to bottom. There is a wider firing range in the UPDRAUGHT kiln, from 1280 at the
top to about 1315 at the bottom.

We hope to have firings in both kilns towards the end of October.