Varied Designs In Pottery Display

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 2

Varied Designs In Pottery Display

Pottery in a great variety of colours and designs is shown in the annual exhibition of the Mount Pleasant community centre class. Yesterday members of the class prepared the display, which will be opened this afternoon.

The classes, which were held under the auspices of the Adult Education Department, University of Canterbury. bad been going for three years. This year three groups were taken, two for beginners, and one advanced group, said the tutor, Mrs Marion Mauger. Many methods of making pottery are shown in the exhibition. Beginners start with a pinch-moulded trough, and then a leaf-shaped platter. Coiled pots are the next step, and several handsome examples of these are seen in the display. Later, pupils progress to moulded shapes, and slabbuilt utensils, where the clay is rolled out (“lake pastry.” sa>d Mrs Mauger) and built up into straight-sided dishes.

blues. A double glaze, giving a rich blue-green effect, was seen in a shallow bowl and a round vase about eight inches tall. Another tall. narrownecked vase had a lustre finish in a soft mauve, a finish which is put on top of the glaze. The advanced class, particularly. had experimented in glazing and decorating techniques. Particularly attractive were the thrown bow! decorated with a slip trailing method, giving a swirhng striped pattern. Others were finished with a sgraffito, or scratched design, and several painted dishes were on display. Some of toe pupils had made miniature vases, dishes and ash-trays. Others made wide platters, or deep bowls. There were plant pots, lidded jars, lamp bases, candlesticks, and platters and bowls of all shapes and sizes. The pupils come to the classes from all over toe city, and as far away as Kaiapoi and Lyttelton. All are enthusiastic about their craft, some are even building their own kilns, and most of them make their own glazes. Local clays are usually used, although a little is imported.

’’All these methods are to enable pupils to get the feel of the clay before they progress on to toe wheel,” said Mrs Mauger. Gluing Experiments All the time experiments are made with clays and glazes of various metallic oxides. Colours in the display range from a delicate white matt glaze through soft greens, blues and pinks, to toe dark browns, greens and