Whanganui Potters are holding their annual exhibition in the Community Arts Centre. On the right is Jill Ipsen with some of her work. Photo / Paul Brooks
It's the Whanganui Potters' Studio annual exhibition from this Thursday night, with guest potter Janeen Page.
Janeen is a Taranaki-based potter and graduate of Elam School of Fine Arts. Her work is hand thrown domestic stoneware made of New Zealand clay and locally sourced rock glaze. Janeen speaks about rock collecting
expeditions searching for New Zealand's own palette of rock glazes.
Her work results from a 15-year study of the geology of her landscape.
Janeen will speak at the exhibition opening on Thursday night.
Most of the Whanganui Potters' Studio members have produced work for the show, making a wide variety of art forms and domestic ware.
Pat Townsend, former president and now life member says she's making Gnomes, and the 'g' is pronounced.
Exhibiting in her first Whanganui show is Jill Ipsen, who started with the group at the end of July, last year. She discovered the place when attending the markets.
"I love it," she says. "It's addictive. I like quirky things. I make useful things but I like things that are a bit wonky."
It's not Jill's first attempt at working with clay. "I started more than 40 years ago in Auckland: after my two boys went to school I joined a pottery group."
She did that for a few years until her daughter came along and life got busier again. "Then I came back last July and just fell into it. It's very calming and soothing, playing with clay."
The Whanganui Potters' Studio boasts 125 members.
Elaine Clark is the studio's treasurer and she started potting when she arrived in Whanganui from Auckland five years ago.
"A lot of people work from home and bring their stuff in to be fired," she says. That has become more popular since Covid arrived — creating work at home but bringing it in for firing and glazing.
"I prefer coming here," says Jill, "Meeting people and getting ideas."
"There's a great variety of styles and ideas," says Pat, who is still impressed with the type of work she sees in the kiln room. "Such creative people."
The studio still provides beginners' courses but they haven't had workshops with guest potters for some time, for an obvious viral reason.
