Wauchope Bonsai Workshop Group.

[mudlarkpottery]

WAUCHOPE BONSAI WORKSHOP GROUP

Recently, I was invited by the Wauchope Bonsai Workshop Group to give a demonstration and workshop on making a bonsai pot. The demonstration was on making a crescent pot and the workshop was to make a slab tray.

President Steve and hie wife Leonie were kind enough to put me up on Friday night (or was that put up with me?). Whilst there, I had the opportunity to see some of Leonie’s wonderful hand-made quilts. They were just exquisite! Steve showed me his trees and they were magnificent. I particularly liked the contorted and twisted cedars.

Back to the meeting. I had the opportunity to say hello again, to members I’d met previously and to be introduced to others. They all made me feel very welcome. Everyone was patient while I set up all my equipment. As the demonstration was about making a crescent pot, it required the use of a mould so I first explained how to make that and some free-form moulds in general. The clay used was a mixture of stoneware and earthenware to make a good strong body. I had previously prepared some clay with the “cracked-earth” pattern as it needed to be a little stiff to be placed in the mould. It was then lined with fresh clay to make a strong bond. Sometimes the cracks can open up during the firing and the lining prevents the cracks from coming through to the inside and ruining the pot. During the demonstration many questions were asked and hopefully I was able to answer them to the satisfaction of the members. While the pot was drying in the mould, I quickly made a little pinch-pot with impressed weeds on the surface. These little pots are very easy to make and result in lovely soe pots that match the bonsai pot in character.

There were eleven participants for the workshop and all seemed eager to start. The first step was to press the clay into a rough oval shape. Dry clay was then sprinkled on top and the slab was “thrown” to stretch it out making the cracked effect. This step was the most difficult of the whole exercise and was executed with great aplomb and amusement by all participants. The clay was then turned over and put on a board and a newspaper coil place under the edge of each pot. The board and pot were then dropped from knee-height to the horror of a few members. All the pots survived the fall intact. This “surprise” step causes the edges of the tray to curve up naturally as opposed to the fingermarks made when doing it by hand.
Two of the participants who had had some previous experience with clay, took the initiative and made something different. One ended up as a slab pot but with a curve at the rear like a breaking wave. The other was completely different – a bowl with impressed gum leaves on the inside and the edges cut to fit the edges of the leaves. There was enough clay left over to make a little pinch-pot.

Clearly everyone had been listening during the previous demonstration as they utilized what I’d said when they made their own pots. Even though ten of the pots were landscape trays, they are all quite different from each other and I look forward to seeing all of them with trees planted in them.

I was delightfully surprised to be given a lovely handtowel with the club’s logo embroidered on it and would like to thank the club. I’ve been showing it off to the Newcastle club members.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I hope everyone else did too. Thank you for the lovely time I had with you all.

Penny.

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