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Times-Advocate, 1981-11-25, Page 17Businesses teach art and technique Functional "Warning," reads the sign in the shop, "ceramic fever is very contagious, there is no known cure." This is the hobby of ceramics and it seems to have taken hold in this area. Usually in conjunction with a retail store, owners will offer classes on the art and techniques of ceramics. Students purchase items the instructors have moulded in clay, trim them smooth and glaze (paint) them. They are then kiln fired to make the piece hard and permanent. Shirley Wilkinson of Jimley's Ceramics in Elimville (RR 3, Exeter) demonstrated the processes of a ceramic piece. Unlike pottery which Is shaped by hand free -form, or spun on a wheel (thrown), to create a bowl or dish, a ceramic piece originates in a plaster mould. Liquid clay, with chemicals added to make it flow better, called slip, is poured into the mould. After a few moments, the excess is poured out leaving a thick layer on the inside of the mould. Wilkinson said she usually pours the moulds in the morning and removes the pieces in the afternoon. The pieces are removed from the moulds while still rubbery and are very fragile. They then sit on drying shelves for about a day and a half before they can be further worked. Wilkinson's shop boasts over 900 moulds for seasonal items ranging from large moulded Christmas trees to small decorations, and more functional items like pit- chers, bowls, and plates. In their classes, students clean and trim the work piece of all excess clay and mould lines. Under guidance of the instructor, the students apply a finish. It is at this stage that the experience of the instructor is most im- portant. Chemicals used in the glazes undergo changes Ames - Serving South Huron, North Middlesex ;l<v3187RYmJ1M111111, November 25, 1981 Christmas when fired. One of Wilkin - son's students brought in a large serving bowl coated with a thick, lumpy red glaze. After firing, the bowl should smooth - and green. Wilkinson advised another student not to use a certain type of glaze as the article would not be safe to use for serving food, because of harmful chemicals in the glaze. Slime studios use what are called studio paints, where students are charged only for the paints they use. Wilkinson said she felt this keeps the students more interested as they then have a larger variety of colors and types to choose from. Others sell glazes in small quantities to students. Most insist their students have their own cleaning tools, sponges and brushes. This encourages the students to take better care of the equipment they need, Wilkinson said. Pat Rose of Ropa Ceramics in Lucan, said most people aren't in - INA vocate & North Lambton Since 1873 ,,,� s Pawl IA CERAMICS FOR CHRISTMAS — Shirley Wilkinsen of Jimley's Ceramics in Elimville looks on while students Sharon Haynes, Kirkton, and Barb Weeks of St. Marys apply o 'snow' glaze to ceramic Christmas trees. Jimley's is one of the many outlets offering instruction on the art and techniques of ceramics. County may set ceilings on welfare fuel costs By Stephanie Levesque Fuel cost ceilings for those on general welfare have been implemented in Perth and await county council approval in Huron. Minister of Community and Social Services Frank Drea, recently announced increases and improvements to Ontario's social assistance programs. Part of this is to assist those on general welfare cope with the problem of increasing fuel costs. Ontario will subsidize minicipalities approxima- tely 80 percent of the in- creased costs. In Perth County, a limit of up to 81,000 per year has been set. Perth Social Ser- vices administrator Debbie 13allak said this will increase costs approximately 10 percent. Huron County social services committee will recommend a 875 a month limit at the November 26 meeting of county council. Huron's social services administrator Jok. MacKinnon said increaes would not be considerable. This is so, said MacKinnon because Huron has been meeting increased fuel costs to general welfare cases on an individual basis. MacKinnon said no major increased costs would be realized if the caseload remains at its present number. MORE FUN IN A GROUP — Taking part in moms and tots skating at the South Huron Rec Centre are (from left) Bronwyn, Stephanie and mom Teri Pearson, and Trevor Truemner. items popular at ceramics lasses terested in advanced techniques. For $20 Rope Ceramics will give you 10 lessons on the basic techniques of ceramics. Rose teaches topics such as glazes, un- derglazes, decals, gold and mother-of-pearl finishes. She said after learning the basics, students continue their interest In ceramics by working on their own. Village Ceramics in Crediton takes a different approach. Owner Doreen Browning acts as a resource person and those attending classes decide the work they want to do. Instead of a set course, Browning's students pay 81.50 for a 21 hour session of work under the instructor's guidance. Browning said she found this more flexible for her students as they could skip a week and not find themselves behind in a class situation. She teaches about 45 students. Shirley Wilkinson seems to split the difference. Her students too, pay for the sessions they attend and most are working on in- dividual work for Christmas gifts. However, she said she likes to try and teach a technique a month over the course of the year. Students pay a flat rate for the pieces they work on and pay a portion of the cost each time it is fired. A 13 bowl would cost 81.50 each time it Is fired. Stained or glazed pieces are usually fired twice, while decal and gold finished require a third firing. The pieces are fired in electric kilns for, depending on the size and type of finish, three to seven hours at temperatures of 1,100 to 2,000 degrees F. Fired in a day, a kiln load must cool for yet another day before the finished pieces are removed. Techniques such as stains and antiques, hummels, jade, faggots, fingerpaints, marbalizing, wood grain, and additional items like can make ceramic items look like jewelry store goods. Figures on the shelves in Jimley's Ceramics looked like Hummel, Lladro, or Royal Doulton pieces. Wilkinson said one of the more popular items her students are making is a Charles and Diana com- memorative plate. People would pay about 150 for a plate in a store, while a decal showing the prince and princess can be bought for about 12 and a similar plate finished for about 87. The instructors agreed however that most people were interested in the more functional items. A frog and mushroom holder for cleanser and a brush is a popular item at Village Ceramics. Pitcher and bowl sets and banks are also popular, Browning said. She added that even items for gift giving were more functional than decorative. Wilkinson agreed, saying she had expected business to slow down with the current state of the economy. But it hasn't slowed down yet, as "people nowadays are giving more handmade gifts," she said. Students like to give things they have made and are proud of. They get a lot more compliments on the pieces they have done Wilkinson added. Instructors pour their own moulds and suppliment their selection of pieces with greenware from London or Toronto. Wilkinson said she travels to an annual ceramics show in Toronto in May to pick up as much as she can. She said a number of big studios had closed in London, probably because of the stiff competition, and higher rent in the city. House of Ceramics south of Dashwood and Studio S ceramics in Hensall also offer ceramics to the Exeter area. Most people taking the courses are women, though each instructor reported they had at least one male interested in the hobby. Wilkinson said her husband was interested in finishing pieces and both he and her father help in pouring slip into the larger moulds. Most instructors too, get interested in ceramics by taking courses similar to those they now offer. An American association offers seminars and ac- creditation for instructors and there is also a London based instructor's group. Jimley's Ceramics has been open in Elimville for about three years. Wilkinson said she ran a shop in Wheatley for five years before that. Some shops are only open for their lessons or by ap- pointment. Wilkinson keeps the shop open five days a week and teaches three nights a week. Since the shop is attached to the house, she is still near to her four children, and her husband babysits on the evenings she teaches the ceramics courses. As her own hobby became a business, Wilkinson said she hasn't lost interest in ceramics. She finds she doesn't have enough time to do all the things she would like to have done for Christmas gifts. Doreen Browning of Village Ceramics is currently taking courses in porcelain, which is more fragile and requires dif- ferent glazes and a firings. She hopes to expand her own teaching to include clay flowers and clay lifting, a technique done on wet greenware to add more detail to moulded relief patterns. There are a lot of people in the area interested in ceramics Browning said. Even with good competition, business is growing she added. "It's really come to this area," Browning said. THURS., FRI., SAT. Greeting Card World 401 Main St. Exeter 235-1019 Your attAuctitk, Store iNA se\e 0�< a xed of bo 40 ‘Vwh L /16SLa- 006 4°a9 ° /(41 - PLUS Many In -Store Greeting Card World is a full line stationery store with a wide selection for the student, home, office and commercial uses. 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