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This photo shows our premises prior to renovation in 1996.
Compare this with the post-renovation image on the Home page. |
The Early Days
When Kirkcaldy Art Club were lucky enough to acquire their own premises at Hot Pot Wynd Dysart there was a huge amount of work needed to make the building habitable. It had been the washhouse for the Carmelite Monastery next door and lent itself to providing a painting studio upstairs and a pottery downstairs. The original flagstone floor and damp conditions were conducive to storing pots and clay.
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June Remembers
June West, a member and tutor of the club since the early years says:
"The pottery workshop is the heart of the club. For 45 years it has been a working pottery, always a hive of industry. |
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“Over the next number of years different tutors and committee members made improvements and a good working pottery began to emerge. Students are encouraged to try every kind of clay work – wheel, hand building, sculpture and Raku – using earthenware, stoneware, crank and sometimes porcelain clay – and experimenting with different glazes. The range of glazes is extensive and the equipment of a very high standard. The work of our tutors, for a long time Louise and Alison, now joined by Sharon has made our pottery the envy of all other art clubs.”
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Modernisation
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Sandra with press moulded dish
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Ian Cameron, husband of Sandra who is still a member of the pottery, carried out many of the improvements in the pottery.
Sandra says:
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“My husband Ian joined the pottery class in September 1979. After accompanying him to the Christmas party I joined the art class. I started painting in oils and later did watercolour. At first I sat quietly in a corner doing nothing much until the teacher showed me what to do. I soon gained confidence, enjoyed the class, and made many friends. Ian and I were on the committee – he as property manager for many years and I was treasurer for two years and then three years. Ian was always 'just nipping down to the club' and made many improvements using family and friend’s old kitchen fitments as cupboards, partitioning off one end of the studio for storage, electrical work and constructing a beam to strengthen the pottery roof and studio floor. He was adept at using the wheel and also modelled “Easter Island” type heads. When Ian died in 1995 I joined the pottery class in 1996 and, for a while, did painting as well. I now concentrate on coil and slab work. I was president from 2004 –2006 and am now a committee member enjoying demonstrations, workshops, fund raising events, exhibitions and club outings.”
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Louise & others at work in the pottery.
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Tutors
June was the pottery tutor for many years but a shortage of painting tutors meant that she took on tutoring a painting class as well. Eventually her commitments as a painting tutor meant that she no longer had time to run the pottery as well.
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At this point Louise Logan took over but after a couple of years she found that running the pottery on her own was very demanding and felt she could not continue at this time.
We then had Moira Muchner and Donald McIntyre as tutors for a couple of years. Donald now teaches pottery at Buckhaven and still keeps in touch with the club by doing the occasional demonstration for us.
Eventually Louise was persuaded to return and was joined by Alison Rowan who took the Tuesday evening class.
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Raku firing with Louise
Louise says:
“About 12 years ago we attempted our first raku firing after attending a summer class at Lochgelly and being thrilled with the unexpected glaze results on the pots. We ‘borrowed’ the Lochgelly teacher for our first attempt and she was a great source of information. Duncan Gilfillan made our first kiln from an oil drum with a hole cut in the side for the burner, sturdy handles on the lid and the whole drum lined with ceramic fibre held in place with hand made ceramic buttons.
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 Some finished raku pieces after being scrubbed clean. |
Notes about the Raku process |
Martine making a clay elephant. |
“The pots are made in one day at our premises and are usually to a given theme. Some of the themes we have had over the years have been Egyptian, Greek, Tropical Island, Fish, The East Neuk etc. The pots are biscuit fired and then transported to a suitable site for the next stage – for many years my garden at Kinghorn and now Alison’s at Burntisland. The key requirement is having neighbours who won’t object!
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“The pots are glazed and then fired to 980 –1000 degrees centigrade using propane gas and a powerful burner. They are then lifted out using long handled tongs and immediately put into a bin of sawdust. There is lots of smoke and flames – quite spectacular! After about 20 minutes the pots are put into cold water and given a good scrub before setting them out for all to admire, the usual question is “What glaze did you put on that?”
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Raku making day
 
Esther (left) and Claire (right) making animals for a themed raku day.
The club making day starts with coffee and pancakes. Then follow demonstrations and work until the call comes “The soup is here!” For many years Ann Smith made a huge pot of soup and brought it piping hot from Burntisland in her car and never spilled a drop. The work carries on in the afternoon till we manage to coax people away with tea and more eats.
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Raku firing day |
Alison plunges a hot pot into a bin of sawdust.
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The next stage is the glaze firing, which is about a month later – usually on a Sunday in May and in all the years we have only had one day when there was a slight drizzle. The practice day on the Saturday was sometimes a different matter. One year Alison and I were preparing in ghastly weather and were enveloped in raincoats, hats, goggles and gas masks. We were producing lots of billowing flames and smoke when a train went past just 20 yards away. I don’t know what the passengers must have thought. Luckily the next day dawned bright and sunny as usual.
The Sunday is the Highlight and is technically from 10 am – 4 pm but some of us are still there at 10 pm to get everything fired. We have a barbecue with Alison’s special barbecue sauce, lots of wine, hot cloutie dumpling and other contributions. It is just a great day enjoyed by potters and painters alike. Thanks to Alison’s skill at the firing we have all had some wonderful results, which are greatly admired when displayed at our exhibitions.
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Teamwork
Alison says:
“Louise and I made a great team. We worked together on classes, demonstrations, firing kilns. mixing glazes, activities for open weekends, raku firings and annual trips to Potfest.
“In 2005 Louise made the decision to retire and I thought that it would be impossible to get someone to fill Louise’s shoes. However I got in touch with Sharon Bell whom I had met at Lochgelly and she was keen to come along and take the Monday class. Sharon was trained at Duncan of Jordanston College of Art and has brought a lot of expertise and enthusiasm to the job.” |
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