Welcome to the Waikouaiti Old Post Office Blog

Please follow the links to Peter's Pottery and Laura's Paintings on the right hand side of this page to see recent work from our studios and pottery and painting in progress.


This 102 year old building has been home and studio to artists, Peter and Laura Gregory, for the last 20 years. Under this roof both pottery and paintings are made.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Oamaru Victorian Fete this Sunday. Do drop in on us on the way past!

I took the photos that are with this at the 2007 Oamaru Victorian Fete, which is held in the Historic area of Oamaru amongst its lovely restored Oamaru Limestone buildings.





It is the wonderful 2009 Oamaru Victorian Fete on this Sunday. Well worth the trip to take part in all the fun. And, yes.... the wee person with the big saw in the last photo is Laura about to do really well in the stone sawing competition in the 2007 Oamaru Victorian Fete!

So, if you are driving through Waikouaiti on your way to Oamaru for the Fete, do visit our studio at Waikouaiti's old post office building. We are open from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday, and also on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Waikouaiti Museum Tour

Sunday 15 November, 10am to 4pm
Waikouaiti Museum invites you to take a tour of Otago's earliest settlement...

Visit historic and heritage properties including a former post office and a dame school. See heritage gardens, historic trees, roses, irises, and herbs. Visit studios of local weavers and potters, buy preserves and plants.

$10 ticket includes entry to the Waikouaiti Museum (newly renovated Aitcheson Room), programme, garden visits and Devonshire tea. Tickets available from the Museum.

Yes folks, Sunday in Waikouaiti will be a busy day this weekend. Our home and studio will be one of the places to visit as part of the tour that the museum has organized. I hope to be demonstrating with my potter's wheel, and we will have a display of photos and memorabilia that will illustrate some of the history of the Waikouaiti Post Office. Also on display will be my pottery and our paintings.


Peter's Pottery

Most of Peter's pottery is fired in a wood fired kiln. Not many potters use wood fired kilns in New Zealand these days, and Peter is one of very few firing with a wood fired kiln in Otago. Wood fired pottery is quite different from pottery that is fired in an electric kiln, or even in a gas kiln. The fire, ash, and ever changing atmosphere inside a wood fired kiln adds its own patina to the pot, and makes each object unique. There is a wide variety of Peter's pottery on display at the Old Post Office, and prices range from $10 to around $400, with many items being $25 - $40, making them ideal as gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Peter makes functional and decorative pottery, including tea pots, jugs, mugs, bowls, vases, bottles, and planters, he also has been commissioned to make tiles.


Laura's Paintings

Laura paints people, angels, fish, and all sorts of things out of her imagination, her work is brightly coloured and very original. Her paintings are collected by people all over New Zealand and overseas, and each painting usually takes more than a week to produce.

Longer Hours

Beginning November 2009, we will be extending our opening hours. Our new hours will be, Wednesday to Friday 1 -5pm and Sunday afternoon 1-5pm. (We will no longer be open the first Saturday of the month). There will be a display of pottery and paintings at our studio, as well as work in progress.



Meet the Artists

My photo
Waikouaiti, Otago, New Zealand
I live with my wife Laura in an old Post Office building in the South Island of New Zealand. I make pottery, Laura paints, and we try to make a living from our work.