January 2023
GCA Newsletter

General Membership Meeting

The next General Membership Meeting of Grand Clay Arts will be held on January 19, 2023, at 9:00 AM in the Pima Room of Chaparral Center.  This is the first meeting of the new year and we would love to see all your happy faces again!
 

Message from the President

Bruce Lucas

Happy New Year!

Welcome to another great Grand Clay Arts year!

 

One of GCA’s greatest club assets is the Instructor Group. Besides leading courses, they offer daily guidance and tips to help advance individual works of art. One of our members, David Dick came up with the grand idea to offer a forum for members to ask instructors clay arts questions in a group setting. On January 27th from 3pm-6pm a “question and answer” Clay Forum will be held, at no cost to membership. Please check the website to reserve space to attend the event.

The new year brings improvements to the GCA Gallery lobby operation. Member Terry Cullen has invested her time and expertise to upgrade our Square operating system. This includes the Gallery (picture) presentation. Terry’s input simplifies Gallery purchases, plus eliminates the inventory removal step from the system. Thank you Terry!

I urge everyone to register for Monitor Training and Refresher (MT&R) sessions. The refresher helps members become aware of the latest updates. Sessions are led by the dynamic presenter Cindy Wright. That’s a plus given Cindy's focused delivery style, sure to hold your interest and maximize your time together. Next MT&R sessions will be held on 2-10-23 and 2-13-23. Please check your email for the announcement and easy session registration.

Last year Grand residents purchased quite a few Gallery hanging totems. Member Jean “Butter” Gruber, a master at hanging totems, created a work of art that a resident simply had to own. However, installing the totem became a hurdle. Well, as pictured below Jean covered that base by delivering and hanging the totem…(hence the term “hanging totem” has a new meaning). Way to go Jean!
 

This year, Grand Clay Arts will be participating in the Arts and Crafts Faire with inclusion of Artisan Fusion. The date is Saturday 3-25-23 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Plan to attend the upcoming General Membership Meeting on 1-19-23 for details.

  • Also, during the upcoming General Membership Meeting, the Bob Mohr Award will be presented.

  • Grand Clay Arts sales results from the January Market at Grand (MAG): 121 pieces sold

See you at the meeting!

Safety

Jacqueline Wodach, Safety Director

There will be a review of AED/CPR procedures at the January General Meeting. I am hoping that a good portion of our membership will be present. An interest sheet will be placed at each table to fill out so I can set up “hands-on” training classes. If you cannot attend the meeting and are interested in “hands-on” training, please email at Jacqueline.wodach@comcast.net with the following information.

Name

Address

Best Times:

Please choose one or both:

Weekdays at 4pm ____ Saturday morning ____

Hoping to get a good turnout!

IT Corner

Karen LeMar


Membership Renewals were due by 1/15/2023.
We will soon begin the process of dropping those members who have not paid. 
If you have any questions about this policy, contact
membership@grandclayarts.com

The TV in the Studio
Check out the slide presentation on the TV in the studio!  GCA classes are highlighted -- find something you like and register.  And if you run into Bob Singer, thank him for getting the slideshow up and running!

New Website Interface
Our website provider will be rolling out a new interface around the first of February.  When you log in, the screen will look quite different.  All the existing functions that you are used to seeing will now be available on a series of dropdown menus, as shown below.

What it looks like when you log in:

 
With one of the dropdowns:
Once this change is in effect, here are some things to note:
  • Our homepage will not change.
  • Your login/password will not change.
We are available to help with any issues that may crop up:  webmaster@grandclayarts.com.

Supplies

Theresa Fritz, Supply Director

First of all "Welcome Back" to all the Snowbirds who have returned this month.  Great to see you again at Clay Arts!
 
Our supplies are stocked quite well now for the most part. We have lots of clay and clay bodies for everyone to work with. Redstone has finally arrived and for those of you looking for a change, give it a try. It really does look nice with most of the glazes we have in the glaze room.
 
As of January 1st, we have had to increase the price of our regular stocked clay from $14.00 a bag to $16.00 a bag, still a bargain as many of you know. Our sticker pricing has also increased from $14.00 to $16.00 per sheet.
 
Special order demands are increasing. Last week 3 pages of requests went to Marjon and they are doing their best to fill as quickly as they have product.  If you have a special item that you are interested in, please let me know by placing that item on the "Special Order" sheet that is hanging on the peg board (located on the right side of the wall near the glaze room). For those of you waiting on orders , please continue to be patient as supply is still challenging.
 
Thanks everyone.

Bendy Plastic Tools

Diane Niehof

Remember when?

We all loved these bendy plastic tools that are so indispensable for hand building.  They smooth seam lines, make subtle combed texture and get into all those small places.  They're back!  Our own Patti Jones discovered them hiding on the internet.  They are available for you to order:  Duron Plastic Modeling Tools (www.sculpturehouse.com).
 

Monitors' Corner

Cindy Wright, Monitor Director

Meet other Clay Club members in 2023.
Make the Clay Club a great place to be.
Monitor to earn your hours, it's fun you will see!
Monitors are critical to the club's operations, especially during peak season.  Making sales of supplies and artwork has all been simplified.  So being a monitor is easy and fun.  You get to greet members, make friends and welcome the general population as they peruse our beautiful gallery.  For each monitor session , you earn 3 volunteer hours.  Please consider signing up.  We NEED you!

Shout Out

Barbara Rosen

Shout out to Cyndi Swintek who returned after Christmas on New Year's Day, couldn't figure out what she wanted to create, so is busy creating cleaned out spaces!!
 

Gallery

The Gallery has been expanded and now covers all shelves in the lobby and the windows facing the cafe patio.  Its a beautiful display to encourage sales!  Once you submit an art piece for sale by completing the entry on the Clay Club website, place the piece in the staging area (now the studio window facing the parking lot).  The Gallery Display Team will take it from there.  They have specific protocols for loading the piece into the sales tool, the website Gallery, and displaying it in the club Gallery.  Please do not move, rearrange or place your own art on the Gallery shelves.  If you have questions about the process or placement, please contact Sherry Singer, gallerymanager@grandclayarts.com.

Last Summer Activity

Jean

This past summer I had my deck replaced with Trex.  Wood in the Northwest is high maintenance, even outdoor treated wood!  I was tired of coming back to Washington and having to clean and weatherproof the deck.  It was a big job since it went around three sides of my house.

One day, I decided to see if I could sell my 25 year-old deck boards on Craigslist.  I advertised the deck by saying "Deck boards for sale, must remove and haul all boards. Owner keeping one section."  I shared photos of the deck and received many responses.

To make a long story short, I had the deck removed, a new Trex deck installed and I took the one section of boards that I wanted and made an outdoor work bench, planter box and lattice out of hog wire.  Here are photos of what I made.  I had help installing the 20 foot x 8 foot hog wire but did the rest by myself.  It turned out great.  The open area was for my wheel barrow but my dog, Preacher, prefers to lie there!

           
 

Plates of Plenty

Laura Abraham

Woo hoo!  The second annual Plates of Plenty event raised over $815.00 for the West Valley Community Food Bank.  THANK YOU to everyone who participated including:
  • Diane Palley and Trish McGinniss deserve a huge thank you as our Plate Pizza Party Princesses.  Over the summer, their parties helped to fill shelves with dozens of amazing plates.
  • Georgene Davis, Kelly Ehrick, Leigh and Jim Donaldson, Ann Funk and Trish McGinniss wee part of our fun and dedicated sales team on the day of the event.
  • All of you who made plates over the past 8 months - THANK YOU!  Obviously, this event could never have happened without your involvement.

 
Also, since we have a lot more plates to sell and we are a few hundred dollars short of last year's total, we are talking about holding a second sale this spring.  Stay tuned for details.
 
Editor's Note:  This article was inadvertently omitted from the December newsletter.

Blackware Firing

Diane Niehof

Oh my word!  You won't believe the pics that Jim Donaldson took of Richard Dye holding toilet paper on a stick while blackware people rolled up their pieces of clay work prior to putting in a popcorn tin and firing.  All were laughing like lunatics!  Results varied widely from mottled gray to blackety black with gray stripes. 
                            
         

Housekeeping

Cindy Wright

Clean up, clean up:  This is your studio and it's in really good shape!  Treat it like your home.  For many, it is like a home away from home!  Be sure to wash all forms, workspaces, sink areas, table tops, etc.  Be clean.

Leave it in the studio:   Please do not remove any tools, accessories, forms, banding wheels, etc., from the studio.  Taking them home just means the next person cannot use them, and they are the property of the Clay Club.  Also, a reminder, glazes are not for sale and should not be removed from the studio.

Holding areas:  Holding shelves are meant to hold items for up to two weeks.  If you will not be able to return to your items within two weeks, please make arrangements for someone to take them home.  There is a team assigned to manage the holding shelves and items left behind may be removed.  Also, please be attentive to signage.  Some shelves are for TALL items and should not be used for smaller items.  These will also be moved when necessary.

Mission Clay Sewer Pipe Factory Art Tiles Area

Diane Niehof

This is a view of some of the amazing columns made during the apprentice program at Mission Clay Sewer Pipe Factory. 

 
                                      

Upcoming Classes and Events

Lynne Shanrock

Class/Event

Date

Time

Instructor

The Doctor Is In!

1/19

3-6

Diane Niehof

Raku

1/22

8-11

Diane Niehof

Textural Wall Hanging

1/23-1/30

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Thrown/Alteried/Carved

1/23-2/1

6-9

Brian Marx

Hanging Totem – Jan.

1/24, 31,2/14,28

6-9

Lynne Shanrock

The Doctor Is In! 0125

1/25

3-6

Diane Niehof

Clay Forum

1/27

3-6

Various

Naked Raku

1/27, 28, 29

Various

Diane Niehof

Basic Glazing 0131

1/31

3-6

Connie Johnson

Columns & Bottles

2/2, 3

3-6

Diane Niehof

Outdoor Flowers

2/6

3-6

Anita Britton

Betwix & Between

2/6,8,13,15

6-9

Brian Marx

Basic Clay

2/7, 14, 21

3-6

Connie Johnson

The Doctor Is In! 0208

2/8

3-6

Diane Niehof

Stamp It!

2/9, 10

3-6

Connie Johnson

Underglaze This!

2/13

3-6

Mary King

Beginning Wheel

2/15,16,22,23

3-6

Pat O’Brien

The Doctor Is In! 0217

2/17

3-6

Diane Niehof

Bucket Purse

2/20, 3/1

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Hand Building/Carving

2/20,23,27,3/2

6-9

Brian Marx

Mudhead Luminaria

2/22

6-9

Lynne Shanrock

The Doctor Is In! 0224

2/24

3-6

Diane Niehof

Desert Landscape

2/27,3/6

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Basic Glazing 0228

2/28

3-6

Connie Johnson

The Doctor Is In!

3/3

3-6

Diane Niehof

Puzzle Pots

3/5

3-6

Patti Jones

Betwix & Between

3/6, 8, 13, 15

6-9

Brian Marx

Basic Clay

3/7, 14, 21

3-6

Connie Johnson

Leapin Lizards

3/8, 3/10

3-6

Diane Niehof

Beginning Wheel

3/9, 13, 15, 17

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Ombre

3/16

3-6

Diane Niehof

Slip Trailing Coming Soon

3/16

6-9

Lynne Shanrock

Napkin Rings Coming Soon

3/19

3-6

Theresa Fritz

Outdoor Flowers

3/21

6-9

Anita Britton

The Doctor Is In!

3/22

3-6

Diane Niehof

Puzzle Pots

3/24

6-9

Patti Jones

Bucket Purse

3/27,4/3

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Basic Glazing

3/28

3-6

Connie Johnson

Desert Landscape

3-30, 4/6

3-6

Pat O’Brien

The Doctor Is In!

3/31

3-6

Diane Niehof


Please check Event Registration on our website for the most up-to-date information.

NOTE:  Two new class offerings have been added on two Sundays in March.
GCA Newsletter - January 2023