The Tote Modern Gallery closes on 18 December for the year and Club members are asked to have their work removed by 8 Jan 2023. 

If you haven't yet managed to sign up for a cleaning bee please check the roster in the rooms and register to help. 

​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 artandceramics@xtra.co.nz

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

​
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.

Alice from Tironui Sourdough has offered to make her lovely bread available to us on Fridays. Look out for the black-board advertising loaves for sale direct from the kitchen in the main building opposite our club rooms.

A recommendation has been made from the health and safety team to wear your mask for your own protection while in the rooms. A lesson was learnt when some of our members contracted the virus after a working bee. 

​The next cleaning bee is 10am Saturday 24th September. If you have not put your name down for a cleaning bee so far this year, please do so. If for some reason you are unable to complete one of the four cleaning bees set down for the year, there will be a $40 fee, alternatively contact Jojo Hare 021 0274 4181 and she may have another job that you can do in lieu. 

The next updraft gas firing, subject to there being enough work to fill the kiln, will be Thursday 24th, March. All work to be on shelves/table on Monday 21st, 5pm for loading Tuesday, unloading Saturday 26th, 2pm.

A few things to note:

• We need an identification mark or number on the base of every pot, a spot of wax on the mark will keep the glaze away and the work will be identifiable and allow the kiln fairies to charge your account;
• Please make your pots with an adequate footring and waxed bottom to protect our new silicone carbide shelves;
• We are firing to cone 10 so check the firing range of the clay you are using. For example, BRT fires up to 1280 degrees so is not suitable as it  leaves deposits of trachite on the shelves

​$200.00 if paid by 30 April 2022 
$220.00 if paid after 30 April 2022 
$110.00 for 6 months to 30 September and $110.00 for 6 months to 31 March 2023 
Please pay your subs to the OPC bank account 
(38-9003-0784227-011) and ensure you have included your name and club number in the particulars/code/ reference.