Ruthanne Tudball Workshops

Ruthanne Tudball

Internationally renowned ceramicist

Soda-glazed ceramics

Workshops in McGregor, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth & Gauteng, April/May 2014

Millstone Pottery has invited Ruthanne Tudball to present a 3-day workshop at our studio in McGregor in April. The workshop will include slide presentations, throwing demonstrations, kiln packing and soda glaze firing.   Whilst in the country, Ruthanne will also give day-long workshops in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Gauteng.**

 Ruthanne is an expert in the art of soda glazing, and has published a highly acclaimed book on the subject “Soda Glazing” published by A&C Black. Ruthanne’s ceramics are distinct in several respects. Foremost is the method she uses to create her work. “All of my work is thrown and manipulated while wet on the wheel. In an attempt to capture the softness in the finished piece, I do very little turning, and when the turning is done, it mainly happens at the soft stage. After firing and transforming the clay to stone, that softness can still be seen.” Her work is very organic and imprecise. She draws her inspiration from the natural world around her and the energy in the evolving landscape. Ruthanne’s second unique approach is in her firing technique. She uses a combination of wood and gas – uses no glazes but instead slips and the heated ash to transform her work. The careful stacking of the kiln encourages the flow of the flame and vapour through the chamber and around the pots.“Sodium vapour glazing emphasises the marks and rhythms of making, picks out every line. Spouts and lips for pouring, handles to invite lifting and balance, feet for stability and elegance – these are some aspects of looking at function and sharing with others which hold my attention when making pots. My inspiration comes mainly from the natural world around me and the energy in the evolving landscape, celebrating the rhythms and creative forces of the earth and the human body.”

 Come and learn her techniques... see Ruthanne demonstrate throwing, manipulating and assembling pieces while fresh on the wheel. She will also share a slide presentation of her techniques for creating slip-decorated stoneware vapour fired in a wood/gas kiln. To find out more about Ruthanne, visit her website: www.ruthannetudball.com.
 Take Hennie Meyer’s advice: “Everyone working with clay should attend this workshop, whether they throw or not. Ruthanne works with clay in a magical way, really understanding and working with the properties of soft clay. I think this is the workshop that people will refer to as the one they wish they had attended." The 3-day workshop will be held at Millstone Pottery in McGregor, from 26 to 28 April 2013 and will cost R3 000, including meals. You will have an opportunity to put pots into a wood-fired soda kiln during the workshop. 

The 1-day workshops, at a cost of R450 per person, will be held at:**

• Art in the Forest, Cape Town on 23 April
• NMMU, Port Elizabeth on 3 May
• The Pottery Studio, Bryanston, Gauteng on 6th May

	To book, or for more information, please contact: McGregor: Nina Shand or Paul de Jongh, 023 625 1599, 072 544 2145, info@millstonepottery.co.za Cape Town: Bianca, Almarie or Christine, 021 794 0291, info@artintheforest.com Port Elizabeth: Lisa Walker, 082 516 9220, ceramics.easterncape@gmail.com Gauteng:  Colleen Lemkuhl, 073 481 0889, colleen@potterystudio.co.za

Indoor Gardens - Ceramic Installations

Eastern Cape Regional Exhibition

Click on image to enlarge

Platter by Lynnley Watson
Award of Excellence 

Eastern Cape Calendar

August
“Wildly Colour” exhibition @ the Cube – Cape Town
10th August – 30th September – Delivery of works by 7th August
Late entries, contact susan.graham@ibust.co.za

September
Ceramics Southern Africa National Exhibition – selection
Saturday 25th September – Exhibition: 10—24 October
Workshop by John Shirley
Saturday 25th September

October
Workshop by Jeff Oestreich
Monday 4th October

November
Ceramics Southern Africa – Regional Exhibition @ the Ron Belling Gallery
2nd November > end of November
Delivery of works between 15th September and 1st October
Annual Potter’s Fair
Over a week-end of November. Date to be specified later.

Wet Firing & Obvaru Firing Workshop

Sat 29 May - 9am
@ Mogg's Pottery
39 Smartt Road, Nahoon

These are 2 firing tecniques introduced to me by Irish ceramic artist Jane Jermyn at her workshop in Port Elizabeth.
With her blessing in the spirit that potters share, we are holding a ceramic workshop for these firings.
Jane Jermyn, www.janejermynceramics.com makes beautifully judged organic sculptural forms using her wet firing technique. The creations are put together using oxides, slip, basketry, thin pre-fired porcelain forms, organic matter and various clays, fired in a gas kiln sopping wet. Its a fast firing from the beginning to over 1 100 deg C, rendering beautiful colour, tone and texture in these sculptural forms.
Jane says that the elemental nature of clay excite her as do geological formations, strata and textures. She sees her work as a celebration of nature, through the transformation of clay by fire.
Participants will make their own sculptures as described above and they will be fired at the workshop. A demo will be done to give participants an idea of what its all about.
Jane has traveled extensively over the world demonstrating this technique and in so doing learnt other techniques including Obvaru firing, which involves dipping pre heated bisque ware into a batter recipe rendering beautifully mottled and organic results.

Participants need:
2 bisque pots (max 15cm)
Should you wish to make your own pre-fired thin irregular strip forms, make 3 from a white bodied clay (of about 5mm thick and between 10 & 20cm long).
Cost per;
Students R 10.00
Ceramic SA members R 90.00
(Please provide proof of membership)
Others R130.00
Includes costs of the gas and materials used

RSVP by Wednesday 26 May
Eloise ~ 082 756 5734

Ceramics Southern Africa - Eastern Cape - Calendar

Introductory exhibition
It will happen during the two last weeks of May and will be for members only. There will be throwing demonstrations during the middle week-end of the exhibition. Venue to be determined.

Colour exhibition
At the cube (Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town). 90 pieces on this theme will be displayed during August.

Ron Belling exhibition
This event will be our Regional competition: CSA-Eastern Cape Regional. Various sponsors will commit and there will be different prizes categories.
Submit 7 pieces maximum.
To be dropped off at the gallery between 15 august and 1st September.
People from far away (country members) can send pictures via email.
Opening on Tuesday 2nd of November (will run until end of November but pieces will be kept over December).
The gallery takes 25% commission.
People selected will be asked for an entry fee for costs of opening.
The pieces rewarded by prizes will still be up for sale.

Nationals
This will happen in October and the selection for Eastern Cape pieces will be made in PE on +/- the 20th of September by John Shirley, the traveling selector.

Workshops
• John Shirley is coming from Johannesburg on +/- the 20th of September and will give a workshop. Fees: R100 for members and R150 for non-members.

• Jeff Oestrich (the award judge for the Nationals) will be coming and give a workshop on the 3rd or 4th of October. He will either give two half days or one full day workshop. Fees: R100 for members and R150 for non-members.

Potter’s fair
The third edition of our Potter’s fair will happen on the 27th and 28th of November 2010. The venue is not determined at this stage.

Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition - Eastern Cape

Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition

The Ceramics Southern Africa - Eastern Cape Branch is having its launch exhibition "Beyond Objects", opening on the 17th May 2010 @ 6pm at the Red Earth Gallery (NMMU, 2nd Ave Campus). It will showcase more than 15 ceramic artists from the Eastern Cape.

For details, see attached invitation.

Wine and snacks will be served and a Prize of Excellence will award the best piece on show.

We are looking forward to presenting to you beautiful contemporary ceramic creations.

Please if you know people who would be interested, please foward this email to them.

Ceramic Southern Africa - Eastern Cape