Annual visit to "Studio Potters", February 2009

On Tuesday February 10th  a group of 10 friends and members of EVACF took a trip to visit the Studio Pottery at Antipolo village. This village, on the outskirts of Manila, employs up to 18 local people in the production of ceramic wares, under the vision and supervision of Lanelle A Fernando.
Lanelle studied Pottery originally in California, followed by 2 years in Japan. Her knowledge and creativity were put to good use back in 1991, when, following the eruption of Mt Pinatubo, she recognized the potential of the volcanic ash to be used as a glaze for pottery - and with that, the chance to provide employment and a livelihood for villagers affected by the eruption.
     
 
pottery visit 2009 with evacf friends mixing evacf pottery mixture pouring evacf stoneware pottery

Our tour began with an introduction by Jenny and Lanelle. Lanelle then took us through the workshop explaining the procedure of pottery production - how the raw clay is transformed into the final product.
All the pieces are produced entirely by hand -  the only machinery in the studio being the clay mixer. This mixer churns the clay and water together to make a thick liquid consistency called ‘slurry’ or ‘slip‘. The slurry is poured into moulds made from plaster of Paris, and after approximately 3 minutes in the mould, the excess slurry is poured out, leaving a clay ‘skin’ around the inside. The mould is then removed and the pot revealed.

taking pottery out of the mould finishing pottery before firing kiln waiting for trays of pottery
Once dry (which can take anything from 2 days to 2 weeks, depending upon the weather), the pots are stacked in the gas-fired kiln. The firing can’t be rushed, and to reach the required temperature of 900-1,000 degrees centigrade can take up to 13 hours. It then takes another 13 hours for the cooling process. Finally, the kiln can be opened and the pots revealed in all their final glory. An exciting moment!
The whole process, from raw clay to finished product, can take several days and even weeks, after which the pots can be packed and taken to various shops and galleries in Manila for sale.
kiln for pottery firing lunch at moon cafe more visitors to moon cafe

After our tour we all adjourned to the on-site shop, and then to the café, where we enjoyed a delicious leisurely 3-course lunch, made all the more  special for being served on Antipolo plates!
       
Thank you to Patricia Walker for this first hand account of her trip to Studio Potters and Crescent Moon Cafe in Antipolo on February 10th 2009. This Pottery is the home of Mount Pinatubo Ashgalze Stoneware which employs 20 people and helps to raise much of the funds for EVACF work.