The following article was printed in the Wellington Potters Association newsletter.

from Mal Sole

The soft-clay building competition winners: Aimée, Diane, Mal, and Julie - Photo: Jenny Browne

We came, we saw, we conquered……

The Wellington region won the John Calver Trophy at the Potters Olympics at the NZP Annual Convention in Gisborne over the Easter Weekend.

Four women and I travelled by car up to enjoy the Gisborne weather, and the NZ potters gathered there. Old friends were met and new ones created, Maori culture permeated the weekend, some of us even slept on the Marae.  I felt sorry for the others putting up with my snoring.  Apparently I wasn’t that bad, according to Potters from Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargil, Napier, Israel, Japan, U.S.A. and Otaki.

In regard to reporting back to you all, we decided to divide the weekend between us, and I agreed to write about Seymour May’s demonstration.  While Jenny Browne and Margery Smith would write about some of the other demonstrators and events.

Seymour, like most of us, came to potting via a circuitous route, dairy farming and then managing a vineyard prior to running “Mayfire Pottery” in Gisborne. Seymour is the current president of the Gisborne Potters and as such was responsible for organizing the weekend.

Seymour May demonstrates the jig and jolley method. - Photo: Margery Smith	Seymour May demonstrates the jig and jolley method. - Photo: Jenny Browne

Seymour produces mainly domestic ware using the Jigger and Jolley method, which he created himself from scratch, using his farming expertise( # 8 fencing wire and bits found in the Vineyard) to produce a consistent product at a rapid rate. He was very precise about everything he did and was very open about the short cuts that he had developed such as; salt water slips for glueing clay together, patterns on cloth to make sure that the clay he rolled out fitted his moulds and the use of an old microwave to speed drying and improve his production rate. 

This was all fascinating to observe, but his last demo, a large pot, up to my hip and half a metre across the top, within 1-½ hours, was a knock-out.  On an old Leach kick-wheel, he had built from scratch a device that allowed him to attach a former to the wheel head which changed shape under pressure from a screw thread.  Around the former he then wrapped a sisal rope, sprayed it with water to tighten it and proceeded to slap clay on to the rope, rotating the whole thing against the shaper.  Before your very eyes the pot just grew.

When Seymour stepped back and said “we will give it a couple of hours then remove the rope”, applause erupted.  He did remove the rope and decorated the pot as you can see in the photos below and on Seymour's pages on the New Zealand Potters website.

It was a great weekend and I am looking forward to attending Christchurch next year.

This is Mal the gentle snorer signing off.

Exhibition pieces by Baye Riddell. - Photo: Margery Smith

from Margery Smith

We enrolled at the Maori Polytechnic on Friday and were given a kete each which could be used to hold a bottle of wine and also a neck ornament which depicted Gisborne’s logo.
The opening ceremony was held in the Marae with a full Maori welcome.  Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment in the United States being unexpectedly brought forward, Manos Nathan was not able to demonstrate, which was a big disappointment to everyone.

On Saturday there were four demonstrators, Baye Riddell, Colleen Waata-Urlich, Wi Taepa and Seymour May.

My main interest was the standing figure made by Baye Riddell.  He had constructed a V shaped wooden cradle covered in a large sheet of plastic. On this he proceeded to lay small pieces of  red earthenware clay up to 20cm high each side and approximately 4cm thick. He then made a curved top joining the two sides. This was stood on end and a rough blank face was formed on the top.  The whole was left overnight to firm up a little.  The next day the face was formed in a mould without the features.   These were added later, starting with the lips and then working upwards.  The whole figure was completed very quickly unlike coil methods which need to be left to dry after a few coils.
Colleen Waata Urlich invited potters to decorate a bisque form she had made and also demonstrated designs using wax resist and earth coloured clays.

Wi Taepa working on his coiled forms. - Photo: Jenny Browne

Wi Taepa coiled a tall form and decorated it.

Seymour May showed his method of Jig and Jolleying and completed a very large pot using the rope method around a former.

The Dinner and Dance was a great success with members dressed in their own version of James Bond 007 movies.

On Saturday afternoon we were taken by coach to the Gisborne Museum where the exhibition was held.  We were conveyed there in a wonderful old coach complete with reclining seats and footrests rather like a lazyboy armchair. The beaded chandeliers rattled as the coach moved.  The coach also contained a television set. The upholstery was pink with roses.  What a wonderful way to be  conveyed to the opening!!

The exhibition was first class with several first time exhibitors and many names unknown to regular exhibition goers.  Barbara Skelton was the judge and awards were given to Michael Michaels, Graham Ambrose and Hugh Rickard whose Raku bowl was very beautiful.  There were also two awards given to promising newcomers.  The demonstrators were not featured in the catalogue, which was a pity as they displayed some very fine work.

On Sunday demonstrators completed the forms they had been working on during the previous days and two outdoor firings were started; one was a Teepee firing (see separate article), and the other was a raw firing of burnished pots (some decorated and some not) placed on the ground and covered with wood. The fire was lit at one end

Michael Michael's piece that won him the Supreme award in the national exhibition. - Photo: Margery Smith

and gently moved along until, eventually the whole lot was alight.  This way the pots were gently warmed to start with.  There were surprisingly few breakages considering that some of the pots had only been made that afternoon.  Some were plunged in sawdust afterwards and those decorated with wax and or oxides were left unblackened.  The whole process took roughly three hours in all.

Our Potters Games team consisted of three Woolshed Potters and Mal representing Wellington Potters.  As they won the cup, dirty tricks not withstanding, the cup was transported back south by the Woolshed Potters who will keep it for part of the year.
On the Monday there were various trips arranged to the local wineries but unfortunately we had to head for home after a very enjoyable weekend.

from Jenny Browne

Gisborne turned on a wonderful weekend. 

The weather was kind, which was a blessing as highlights of the convention included a teepee firing, a pit firing, and the outdoor Potter's Olympics.  The venue, Te Wananga o Aotearoa, was ideal providing all the amenities needed for a really successful convention.  The committee organized the timetable of events very successfully so that there was always plenty going on to engage the enthusiasts.  Demonstrations were varied and interesting.

Baye Riddell kept a constant audience fascinated with his skills at modeling, sculpting and mould work.  Wi Taepa amused and entertained his audience while coiling and carving large vessels.  Seymour May gave us an impressive display of his skills including jiggering and jolleying which he made to look so simple.  His innovative method of coiling a large pot fascinated his

Margery decorates one of Colleen Urlich's (sitting on the right) pots with wax resist (and possibly coffee?) - Photo: Margery Smith

audience and made it obviously that he has an inventive mind when it comes to working out how he can make his job easier.  He also had some clever throwing tricks to show us.  Colleen Urlich encouraged everyone to have a go at decorating her pots using wax resist and terra sigillata.  Even the most tentative person seemed to enjoy it.

It was good to see Helen Mason obviously loving being there and she gave a very touching speech at the last breakfast.
The dinner and dance on Saturday night went with a bang - the band played all the right music to get us on the floor.  The show of ballroom dancing put on to entertain us by a large group who had obviously been practicing for weeks was a rather charming surprise and Seymour May's wife was the shining star.

The journey was fun all the way with Mal to keep us entertained, and the drive quite amazingly beautiful.

Teepee Firing at the Gisborne Convention

Teepee firing in preparation. - Photo: Margery Smith

Two recycled metal shower trays (in our case probably to be found at Trash Palace or Happy Valley dump), were filled with sawdust and sprinkled with coarse salt and oxides of copper and iron. Any excess on the pots was carefully brushed off.  Kindling was placed on the burnished pots and then long pieces of wood were placed wigwam like above them.

Old cloth, in this case a recycled bed sheet, was dipped in slip and placed around the upright wood.  Three layers of slip soaked newspaper were plastered over all of this.  As many as six layers is recommended. The stack was lit and left to burn down to ashes.
The results were very similar to a normal pit firing but quicker.  Those pots that had only been bisqued to 850°C took colouring better, while clay which was a mixture of earthenware and white gave very good results. 

The pots, though hot, were able to be removed approximately 5-6 hours later with some very good effects and finishes. 

Margery Smith