Testing Testing Testing

I love coming up with new ideas and testing and developing them into my work. I have been carrying out a number of new tests recently using the soluble salts in new combinations and I find this particular one quite exciting and it opens many new opportunities for development.

Corbrik National Ceramics Exhibition: Last Days

2012 COROBRIK NATIONAL CERAMICS EXHIBITION

Pretoria Art Museum cor. Francis Baard (Schoeman) & Wessels Streets Arcadia

An image of my work on the exhibition by Pam Schroeder. 

The exhibition ends on Sunday, and on Saturday 20 October at 2:30pm I will be conducting a walkabout at the exhibition

The Pretoria Art Museum charges an entry fee but is waiving this for people coming for the walkabout on Saturday. Don’t miss out.

C S A National Exhibition

Undoubtedly one of the major events on the South African ceramics calendar is the National Exhibition hosted by Ceramics Southern Africa. This exhibition opens today at the Pretoria Art Museum cor. Francis Baard (Schoeman) & Wessels Streets  Arcadia at 11:30 am and runs until the 21st October.

At today's opening, awards totalling R30,000 will be presented by Daphne Corregan, an international ceramic artist from France, and new Fellows of Ceramics Southern Africa will be announced.
 

During the run of the exhibition on Saturday October 13 Three well known personalities will present a panel discussion on ceramics at the Pretoria Art Museum 
 At 10.30 a.m. Ronnie Watt, who has one of the finest collections of reduction fired ceramics in South Africa, will speak on Collecting Ceramics., and, withMichael Bernardi, Art Auctioneer from Pretoria, will discuss buying ceramics on auction.For the ceramists and artists who work in clay Michael will also give advice on selling their work on auction. At 11.30 a.m. Eugene Hön, from the University of Johannesburg will conduct a walkabout to discuss the work on the Exhibition. On Saturday October 20 at 2.30 p.m. I will lead a walkabout and discussion. Ceramic artists, potters and sculptors from all parts of South Africa have had their work selected for this exhibition and it is certainly not to be missed 

Walkabout at Southern Guild Exhibition

There will be 2 walkabouts at the Southern Guild exhibition at the Everard Read Gallery, Jellicoe Ave, Rosebank (TEL. +27 (0)11 788 4805) on Thursday 6th September at 3:00 pm and on Saturday 8th September at 11:00 am. Don't miss this really exciting show or this opportunity to hear the curator's observations and impressions. 

New Show at Kim Sacks Gallery

Kim Sacks Gallery requests the pleasure
of your companyat the opening of

TRAVERSING
An exhibition of ceramics by
three women who have a creative connection to Denmark.EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Clementina van der Walt – Priscilla Mouritzen - Kim Sacks

OPENING: Saturday 15th September 2012 - 10am to 5pm
PREVIEW: Friday 14th September 2012 - 10am to 5pm
The exhibition will close Monday 8th October 2012.

Clementina, Priscilla and Kim will conduct a walk-about
and a discussion at 2.30pm on the day of the opening.

Refreshments will be served.TEL: 011 447 5804 MOBILE: 083 377 9076
WEBSITE: www.kimsacks.com EMAIL: kim@kimsacksgallery.com
ADDRESS: 153 Jan Smuts Avenue - Parkwood - Johannesburg
GALLERY HOURS:
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - Saturday 10am to 5 pm - Sunday 10am to 2pm
And any other time by appointment – and with great pleasure!
Secure parking on the Property

A Feast of a Month

August has been an incredible month for the ceramic community of Gauteng. Feast or famine the saying goes and August has certainly been a feast of a month.
Firstly 2 shows at the Everard Read Gallery and Circa. Southern Guild at the former and Wilma Cruise's The Alice Diaries at Circa. How wonderful it is to see ceramics playing a major role in exhibitions at fine art galleries. Both these excellent shows deserve to be seen. I was fortunate enough to attend the walkabout at Wilma's exhibition which gave me further insight into her work. It is rare to see exhibitions of this calibre and I urge you to see both if you are in the area.
Also this month at the Kim Sacks Gallery we had the pleasure of Wendy Gers, renowned ceramic historian, hosting a session of Small Talk. These informal get-togethers are held regularly at the gallery and are an opportunity for conversation and debate.

Daphne Corregan: the workshop

Over and above this was the selections for the Ceramics Southern Africa National Biennale and I had the privilege of attending a workshop presented by the visiting award judge Daphne Corregan. What an incredible day. I loved seeing the intuitive way she works and her obvious love for the clay and the possibilities it offers. What a month this has been, and what a joy to be a part of it.

Image Transfer Workshop

There is an exciting trend to use transferred imagery in ceramics these days, either on its own or in combination with other methods of decoration. I have been exploring methods of image transfer on ceramics for some time and will present my New Image Transfer workshop this Friday, 29^th June from 9:30 -12:30 at The Pottery Studio, 24 Old Kilcullen Road, Bryanston.  I will cover ways of transferring images onto the ceramic surface and this could open avenues for you to explore in your own work.

Methods shown will include a lithographic printing method and a new process using negative imagery with slip and underglaze, which allows you to transfer images in any colour of your choosing, which I think is the most exciting of all!

I will also discuss the making of ceramic decals using laser printing.

The cost of this workshop is R350.00

If you have any queries or wish to attend please contact me at johnshir@gmail.com