July 2026 Newsletter
Club Notes and Updates
Anneke Borren unwraps her work for anagama 2025. Photo by melwaitephotography.co.nz
Get Making for Anagama!
Receiving Day is coming up fast — now is the time to get your anagama pots planned, made, and bisqued.
The First Deadline: Receiving Day
Bisqued pots are to be submitted on Sunday 30 August, 10AM–2PM (note the earlier finish time). Please sign up to attend Receiving Day — this is how we know to expect you, and it's your gateway to the Loading and Firing roster.
You must use special Cone 10 clay for your anagama work. Read the full guidelines in the Anagama FAQ before you start making. In the week before loading begins, we'll email registered Receiving Day attendees a questionnaire to help us build the volunteer roster.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Anagama-capable clays are available in the WPA Clay Shop (use the “Clays by firing type” filter). Forms that suit the firing tend to be simple and generous — the flame, ash, and heat do the decorating for you.
Not sure where to start? The Anagama FAQ is your best friend.
Julie Har. and Mal S. chat while the anagama kiln gets warmed up. Photo by melwaitephotography.co.nz
Additional Important Dates
When planning for your anagama experience, keep these dates in mind:
Cone 10 glazes removed from glaze room: Thursday, 27 August, evening
Receiving day: Sunday, 30 August, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (NOTE FINISH TIME for 2026)
Loading week: Monday, 31 August – Saturday, 5 September
Firing week: Wednesday, 9 September – Sunday, 13 September (four 6-hour shifts per day)
Unloading day: Sunday, 20 September, 11:00 – 4:00 pm. Please RSVP for catering numbers. No pots to be removed until 2:30pm as the team needs to review the firing
Show & Tell: Sunday 27 September, 6:30pm (after the AGM and Pot Swap)
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Building Security — A Reminder
Recent incidents have made it necessary to revisit our building security procedures. Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with the following.
The snib in its locked position.
The signage on the Kiln Room door.
The signage on the main studio door.
The Side Door
The side door (opening onto the driveway between the upper and lower car parks) must be properly locked every time you pass through it, both when leaving and when re-entering. Pull the door firmly and test the handle by turning it both ways and pulling. The snib above the handle should be in the horizontal position when locked. (See above.)
Last Out of the Glaze/Kiln Room
Even if the main studio is still in use, if you are the last person leaving the glaze or kiln room (especially after dark) please ensure:
The glaze room window is closed
Lights, drying cabinet, and heater are off
The kiln room door is locked firmly behind you
Last Out of the Main Studio
If you are the last to leave the main studio, please check:
The side door is locked (see above)
All lights are off: mezzanine, library, kitchen, and both toilets
The drying cabinet is off
Ngā mihi nui!
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Weekender Clay — Old vs New
New vs. old Weekender Clay: new on left, old on right for each pair.
Ingrid and Julie Har. have been testing the old and new Weekender clay side by side. The good news: no noticeable differences in throwing or trimming. It's still a nice, plastic, smooth clay well suited to the wheel. There are some subtle colour variations in the fired results, with the old Weekender appearing slightly darker and richer in some tests, though this wasn't consistent across all pieces.
Ingrid's bowls and Julie’s mugs will be on the sign-in desk for the next couple of weeks. Come have a look before they're reclaimed!
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*NEW* July and August Events
Glazing Basics | Wednesday 22 July, 6:00 – 8:30PM
Join our Studio Technician, Bella Florence, for one evening to learn the basics of glazing at WPA.
WPA subsidises this course to give members a solid grounding in glaze fundamentals. It’s designed to help you avoid common glaze mistakes that can damage your work—or worse, the kiln and shelves.
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Throwing Lidded Vessels | Tuesday 4 & 11 August 6:00 – 9:00PM
In this 2-part course, Tanaya Shirsikar will guide participants through the process of making a lidded vessel.
This course is suitable for intermediate throwers who are able to centre at least 300g and be capable of throwing a few different shapes.
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Kurinuki Basics | Saturday 8 August, 10:00AM – 3:30PM
Fancy some meditative carving to create beautiful kurinuki objects?
Kurinuki is a Japanese term referring to the handbuilding technique of starting with a solid block of clay and hollowing it out to create an interior. Join tutor Ingrid Peek for this one-day workshop that will provide students with the basics of the technique to create an open teabowl and a lidded vessel.
Welcome New Members!
Heather M. | Jesi N. | Julia R. | Madeleine P. | Maria M. | Sarah M. | Sarah T. | Viv C. |
Heather M. | Jesi N. | Julia R. | Madeleine P. | Maria M. | Sarah M. | Sarah T. | Viv C. |
And with this last set of inductions, we’re at our maximum numbers (550)! We’ll start taking new members in October when the membership year rolls over.
DID YOU KNOW…?
You can use the kick wheel!
That blue-ish wooden thing at table #6 is a genuine Leach kick wheel.
WPA has a kick wheel available for members to use — and it's not just any kick wheel! It's a Leach-style wheel, designed in the tradition of Bernard Leach, the British potter widely regarded as the father of the studio pottery movement. Leach wheels were famously built at the Leach Pottery in St Ives, Cornwall, and became iconic in the world of hand pottery for their simplicity, durability, and the meditative rhythm they encourage. Working without a motor, the kick wheel puts the potter fully in control of pace and momentum. Many potters swear by them for the connection they offer to the throwing process.
Give it a go next time you're in!
Member’s Gallery: WPA’s Video Collection
This month we’re highlighting our Video Library. The library holds more than books and magazines, it's also home to a catalogue of over 45 videos (through Vimeo) covering historical WPA workshops, educational trips to Japan and Australia, and documentaries on wood firings, New Zealand potters, and traditional ceramic techniques from around the world.
The video library will also be the home of our upcoming tutorial series, including the new throwing without bat pins videos and any "how to use the equipment" videos that we have planned.
A few highlights are featured below. Click the image to be brought to the full video.
Wood Kiln Loading Techniques (for optimal surface effects)
In this video from Ceramics Art Networks, Simon Levin shares the loading techniques he has developed over years of wood firing, covering everything from setting the shelf stack and bag wall to playful loading approaches for extending what the kiln can do. Particularly relevant for anyone preparing work for our anagama firing!
Cutting Your Work Off the Wheel
Julie Harrington demonstrates how to remove a smaller piece directly from the wheelhead after throwing.
While bat pins are a great shortcut, the wear they cause on our current wheelhead material means the long-term damage outweighs the convenience — so we're making the switch.
As we phase out the old wheelheads, we're building a catalogue of videos on working without bat pins — whether that means adapting how you mount a bat on the wheel or skipping them altogether.
Len Castle, Potter
A 1985 New Zealand documentary filmed for the Department of Education, offering an intimate portrait of Len Castle — one of New Zealand's most influential studio potters.
Is there something you’ve made that you are particularly proud of? If so, please email your photos (and descriptions, if you’d like) to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com.
Suggestion Box
Thanks for your suggestions in the suggestion box! Believe it or not, the suggestion box is NOT a black void of notes from you all. Suggestions get read, discussed, and logged at the Committee Meetings. Below are the suggestions and outcomes from September’s meeting (click the “+” to expand).
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❤️
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We’ll get Peter to talk to Brent (our electrician) to come up with a better solution.
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Oh, this is a fair point! Peter will organise at the next Working Bee.
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Unfortunately, this isn’t something we can do in our urban setting on our WCC land. If someone has any alternative venues, you are welcome to suggest and organise!
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Unfortunately we can't run courses on Thursday evenings because of CEC classes. We can look into Friday nights, if we can squeeze it in between the very popular 'bring a friend' night.
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We are hosting Gregory Miller in October who will do a workshop on Japanese wheel throwing and surface decoration.
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Thank you, Tony. We’ll tell Bella!
PSAs from the Club Admin
Reach out if you have any questions about these items.
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Drying shelves clear-out this week!
Bella will be going through the drying shelves this week and any un-named or pieces over three weeks old will be reclaimed. Pulled pieces will be on the back table(s) over the weekend for you to collect/re-label. What remains will go into reclaim on Monday.
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Cone 5 firing booked
Bella has booked a Cone 5 firing for July. If you want any cone 5 pieces fired, please get them on the blue shelf by the kiln room entrance by Monday 27th July.
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No stashing tools! (Pretty please?)
ALL tools must be returned to their proper place before you leave the studios for the day. ‘Stashing’ them because ‘you need them for the next day’ is not acceptable. Please check your cubbies and work spaces to ensure you are not storing club equipment.
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Plaster moulds 48-hour max limit
Plaster moulds have a 48-hour turnaround. Do NOT use moulds from the cabinet for recycling clay.
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Commission opportunity
Kylie Boyd is looking for someone local to make a clay bowl out of a pregnancy belly. Contact her directly if you are interested in the commission: 02108529506 or kboydk@gmail.com.
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Ngā mihi nui!
Treats for July
Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com. Photo thisweekfordinner.com
Admin was shocked to learn that New Zealand’s “Rice Bubble Slices” weren’t made with marshmallows (as the marshmallow is the defining feature of the American version)! She presents to you this fancied-up “American” “Rice Krispie treats” recipe that browns the butter and adds a touch of salt to cut the sweetness. These (without bourbon) were devoured at a Cake Club recently.
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INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup butter
• 400g giant marshmallows (no pink marshmellows)
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional) and/or ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sea salt*
• 8 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 pinch flaked sea salt**if you use table salt, be sure to use less/use to taste
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Cut giant marshmallows into quarters and add to browned butter, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir bourbon and/or vanilla and 1 teaspoon sea salt into marshmallow mixture and remove saucepan from heat. Add rice cereal to marshmallow mixture and mix until cereal is evenly coated with marshmallow mixture; transfer to a buttered or lined 23 x 33cm baking dish.
Place a sheet of parchment paper over rice cereal mixture and press into dish. Remove parchment paper and sprinkle flaked sea salt over the top. Cool treats to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
YUM!
July WPA Classes & Events
Tagines (and Casseroles) with Vivian Rodriguez: 3-Part Workshop
Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 July | 9:30AM - 4:30PM (includes additional glazing session Thursday 30 July, 6:00 - 8:00PM)
Ever wanted to make your own crockery? In this hands-on three-part workshop, tutor Vivian Rodriguez will guide participants through the process of throwing, trimming, decorating (using the sgraffito technique), and glazing a tagine or casserole. By the end of the series, you'll have a unique vessel ready for warming your winter meals.
Students must be able to centre clay and work unassisted with at least 1.5 kg.
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Bring Your Child/ren
Friday 17 July | 9:30AM - 12:30PM
Want to share your passion for clay with the child/ren in your life? The club rooms will be open for 3 hours during the school holidays for you to bring your child/ren along to play with clay. No tutors are provided by WPA though so you are to be responsible for your child's behaviour and safety while in the rooms.
You must provide all materials and fully supervise their activities, cleaning up thoroughly at the end of the session. Finished art may be fired at WPA - for this event only.
Please SIGN UP for this one-off event. Max of 10 WPA members, all ages of children (under 16) are welcome.
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Friends and Family Night
Friday 17 July | 5 - 9PM
Friends & Family is currently full, but we encourage you to sign up as “interested.” Spots open up at the last minute, and the “interested” list becomes our notification list when spaces become available. Stay flexible, check often the few days before the event, and you’ll likely get lucky!
If you’re already booked and your plans change, please cancel as soon as possible so another member can take your spot.
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Glazing Basics
Wednesday 22 July | 6:00 – 8:30PM
The perfect 1-night course for club members who aren't yet confident with glazing. Join our Studio Technician, Bella Florence, for one evening to learn the basics of glazing at WPA.
WPA subsidises this course to give members a solid grounding in glaze fundamentals. It’s designed to help you avoid common glaze mistakes that can damage your work—or worse, the kiln and shelves.
The course covers glaze room protocol, stirring, dipping, and pouring techniques, with some layering decoration if time allows. It does not include spray booth glazing. Class size is limited to six participants.
Community News & Events
Teapot Group Exhibition
Karley Skinner is putting on a group exhibition at Thistle Hall from 7–13 December, celebrating tea and teapots. The show is open to functional, non-functional (sculptural, miniature, or interpretive), and tea-related pieces — teacups, mugs, teaspoons, whole tea sets, and more. With six months' lead time, there's plenty of time to make something wonderful, and December is the perfect time to sell work for Christmas.
Thistle Hall costs $200 to hire, so the more participants the better — Karley is hoping to keep the cost to around $20 per person.
If you're interested, email karleyskinner@gmail.com with photos of relevant work or ideas for what you'd like to make. Please include "teapot exhibition" in the subject line and Karley will be in touch.
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Have some content for the newsletter? Email it to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com.
The deadline for the next newsletter is 22 July.
