Top L-R: JR, GB, Kristen Almond.
Bottom L-R: Unknown, R, Alison.
Kia ora friends!
It's been a busy little week here in the studio, with the last of our School Holiday workshops wrapping up today, the Matariki Pit Firing last weekend, plus a couple of mid-term short classes - phew!
Our beloved Margaret is also out of action this week while she gets an injury treated. She does so much behind the scenes with loading and unloading kilns, so please bear with us while we manage without her dedicated, volunteer help – and give her a wave of support if you see her.
Thanks go to the coming week's PWC and MOS volunteers: Margaret Raine, Yasmin Davis, Kristen Almond and Teresa Gibbison - mwahhhh! 😘
On the studio calendar front, the school holidays are wrapping up, which means our regular Term 3 classes and Kids' Play With Clay sessions are both gearing back up from next week.
We're also closed all day this Saturday for the second half of the Whenua and Harakeke workshop, which means we can't accept pick ups or drop offs, or process clay sales either, sorry.
Keep an eye on our studio calendar for up-to-date hours and availability.
Matariki Pit Firing done and (magic) dusted
What a way to spend Matariki weekend! The photos above say it all – hot embers, clear weather, happy faces, and a whole lot of good kai and company at Saturday's Pit Firing and social. If you were there, thank you for bringing the energy - it's exactly the kind of get-together that makes WSP the best pottery club in the world.™️
We had a huge number of pots in the pit this time around, and we mostly got very good results, but a few were a mixed bag. Overall, it was pretty successful though.
A special thank you to Caroline for hosting us all – opening up your property for the pit firing is a huge ask, and we're so grateful. Thanks also to Mike Almond for manning the BBQ and cooking the kai people brought along. And to everyone who mucked in and loaded and unloaded pots and wood, and all the many things that made the day work so well.
Get your head in the game
We're on a mission to fill the WSP walls with creativity, and we'd love your help!
The brief is simple: make any sort of ceramic head you like, and hang it somewhere in the studio. No limits on style, size or subject – the only rule is that it has to be hangable. A few of the heads already made and hung are pictured above for inspiration – come and add yours to the wall! 😍
WSP will shout glazing and firing costs if you'd like to participate and add to the fun!
Lustre firing opportunity in two weeks
We've got a few people who are interested in putting some pieces through a lustre firing, so we're opening this opportunity to anyone else who might like to include their pots.
We plan to run kiln 5 with a lustre programme in around two-weeks time, so if you'd like to take part, please get in touch with Libby and deliver your pots, with your own lustre applied, to WSP before 4pm, Wednesday 29 July.
Term 3 classes start next week
Our Term 3 line-up is ready to roll from Monday. A couple of classes are already full, so if one of those is calling your name, get on the waitlist so you're first in line if a spot frees up.
Monday Morning Wheel Throwing
Starts Monday 20 July, 9.30am–12.30pm, 8 weeks.
Build confidence on the wheel while learning and refining core throwing skills.
Enrol here.
Monday Night Handbuilding
Starts Monday 20 July, 6pm–9pm, 8 weeks.
Explore handbuilding techniques including pinch, coil and slab construction.
Enrol here.
Tuesday Morning Wheel Throwing
Starts Tuesday 21 July, 9.30am–12.30pm, 8 weeks.
A relaxed, supportive class for beginners and developing potters.
Enrol here.
Wednesday Evening Wheel Throwing – sold out.
Starts Wednesday 22 July, 6pm–9pm, 8 weeks.
Join the waitlist in case a spot opens up.
Thursday Morning Sculpture Skills – only two places left!
Starts Thursday 23 July, 9.30am–12.30pm, 8 weeks.
Explore sculptural forms while developing hand building and clay modelling techniques.
Enrol here.
Thursday Evening Half & Half – sold out.
Starts Thursday 30 July, 6pm–9pm, 8 weeks.
Join the waitlist in case a spot opens up.
Friday Introduction to Pottery
Starts Friday 24 July, 6pm–9pm, 4 weeks.
A fantastic beginner-friendly introduction to handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing.
Enrol here.
Sunday Wheel Throwing Taster
Starts Sunday 26 July, 10am–1pm, 4 weeks.
Perfect for complete beginners wanting to try wheel throwing before committing to a longer course.
Enrol here.
Kids' Play With Clay starts up again next week
Our young potters are back next Wednesday! Kids' PWC runs 4pm–5.30pm, $15 per participant, and covers clay, glazes and firing. No need to commit to a full term – come to one session or as many as you like.
Sessions are aimed at ages 7–14, though younger kids are welcome with a parent or caregiver, and older kids (or parents keen to join in) are always welcome too. Places are limited to 24, so booking online ahead of time is recommended – online bookings close at 12noon on the day.
Term 3 dates: 22 July, 29 July, 5 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug, 2 Sep, 9 Sep.
Book your spot here.
Shared Earth 2026 – 29 days left to enter
The countdown is on – entries for Shared Earth, our 2026 Annual Members' Exhibition, close in just 29 days, at 11.59pm on 14 August. If you've been putting off sending in your entry form, now's the time!
Shared Earth is open to all financial members, whatever stage you're at. There's no "right" level of experience to enter – whether it's a piece you've been refining for months, a first finished work, or an experiment that paid off, we want to see it. The name Shared Earth reflects what brings us together as a clay community: we all start with the same material, and every maker shapes it into something uniquely their own.
We're thrilled to have Aaron Scythe judging this year's exhibition. Aaron spent 16 years living and working in Japan, held more than 60 solo exhibitions there, and his work sits in private collections across New Zealand, Japan, Europe and the US – we're lucky to have his eye on this year's entries.
There's also a great range of awards up for grabs, from the $1,000 WSP Premier Award through to category awards for functional and non-functional work, underglaze, mugs, wall-hanging pieces, and special awards including Ngā Ringa Uku (Māori Clay Practitioner), Emerging Artist, and Young Artist.
Members can enter up to four works (two open-category, one mug, one wall-hanging). Download the entry form and full details here. Entry forms go to Libby at manager@waikatopotters.co.nz.
