WINGS organised an event to the Nook Pottery Studio on 23rd February 2017.

A big group of us from Wings met in a town center car park and divided ourselves into a car pool arrangement. The group of cars then traveled out of town to a rural house where a woman has set up her own Pottery Studio and called it the Nook.

Sheila Blackburn, a professional potter, gave an informative talk about the various aspects of working with clay followed by a tour of her studio, gallery and garden.

Later the women in the group were given the opportunity to make something out of clay. We were each given a lump of clay stored in a plastic bag to keep it moist. There were wooden tables outside where we made our pieces of pottery on. We were given a demonstration on how to make a clay circular pot rest and a small pinch pot. Most of the women chose to make a circular pot rest. Rosalind made a pinch pot into pen/pencil holder type pot.

We all enjoyed making something out of clay. All the finished pieces were placed in the sun to dry, and later were placed in a kiln to be fired, to harden them.

It was a very interesting day. We were also shown inside her work studio, and saw some of her lovely clay works of art she had made.

If you would like to take this experience further or perhaps try ‘pottery’ for the first time, contact Sheila Blackburn at nookpottery.co.nz, for details of her individual and group classes.