Barbara McGrath
I was born in Otahuhu in 1938.
I was a foundation member of the Heritage Arts Village and this has been a real lesson of discovery for me it has grown so since its first beginning.
I’ve perservered with Terracotta clay when a lot of my colleagues moved on to work with stoneware. I first learned to hand build, and I consider myself a hobby potter. By living on Great Barrier Island I get my inspiration from Mother Nature.
I learnt and taught at Pakuranga Community Centre. I also taught night school at Onehunga High School and worked at the Health Camp in Pakuranga.
About half way through my clay journey I was about to give the clay away, then I discovered Raku and the glazes are wonderful to work with.
Raku is a process perfected by the Japanese whereby you have special glazes. You get them to 1000 degrees in the kiln then open the door and take each piece out with tongs, then put in wet sawdust or grass - this oxidises the glaze. Then you have to wait till it cool to see the magic that occurs.
I was a foundation member of the Heritage Arts Village and this has been a real lesson of discovery for me it has grown so since its first beginning.
I’ve perservered with Terracotta clay when a lot of my colleagues moved on to work with stoneware. I first learned to hand build, and I consider myself a hobby potter. By living on Great Barrier Island I get my inspiration from Mother Nature.
I learnt and taught at Pakuranga Community Centre. I also taught night school at Onehunga High School and worked at the Health Camp in Pakuranga.
About half way through my clay journey I was about to give the clay away, then I discovered Raku and the glazes are wonderful to work with.
Raku is a process perfected by the Japanese whereby you have special glazes. You get them to 1000 degrees in the kiln then open the door and take each piece out with tongs, then put in wet sawdust or grass - this oxidises the glaze. Then you have to wait till it cool to see the magic that occurs.
