Newspaper Article 1986 – Hastings potter wins an award

A Hastings potter, Mr Bruce Martin, has gained one of 12 merit awards in the prestige Brownbuilt Pottery Award.

The winner was an American-born potter living in Nelson, Steve Fullmer, whose entry was a novel sphere entitled ‘‘Sapodilla Canyon’’.

Mr Martin says his pot was an especially choice one in that the colour build-up was unique – a lovely soft mossy green.

No glaze was used as the pot was fired in Mr Martin’s special Japanese-style kiln for 10 days while the ashes, smoke and flames transformed the clay and built up the colour on the pot.

It is a hexagonal shape, made by hand, not on wheel. Each facet is a thin slice of clay fitted together on a base to make the form.

The award attracted nearly 300 entries, including 33 from overseas, and of these 107 were accepted to be exhibited at the Auckland War Memorial Museum for June 1 to 15.