It’s my final outdoor show of the season! ART IN THE BARN in Barrington. And it’s a big one… with a DOUBLE BOOTH full of pottery! Lots of bowls, mugs, vases, plates and all of the usuals… as well as ClayQuilts, masks and some other novelty pieces. Including the “big debut” of this year’s addition to The Ghouls Collection!

So I’m not a huge fan of when pieces get BLASTED in the soda kiln.
I prefer the lighter color, the more subtle flashing, and the smoother finish & sheen.
But sometimes a piece just gets BLASTED… and it’s not so bad!?
I’m kinda digging this one. It’s growing on me!

Another beautiful day here in Chicago. A little warmer than expected.
Hotter than mid-September usually is… but I’m LOVING IT!!!
And the flowers are still looking good on my back porch.
Not sure what these orange cuties are?… but they’re pretty cool.
They bloom for a surprisingly long time – with blossoms working their way up the stem in a weird kind of “pod” that looks like hops?!

And what better way to show some small flowers than in a mini vase???

Save

Save

Textured slab-topped oval vases that now have holes in them for the flower stems. Flower bricks that are drying on elevated plastic grids for more even drying with airflow on all sides. Colored flashing slips on the tops to help accentuate the textures I made on most of them with my new Stodola Carved Rolling Pins.

Scratch, attach, repeat… repeat… repeat.
So I’ve been adding the textured tops to some ovals that I made a day or so ago.
They’re all closed up… and waiting for flower holes!

Save

So I’ve textured the slab with my STODOLA rolling pins, and now I’m attaching them to the tops of some ovals. I’m closing it up for now, but will be cutting some holes through the textured top to make these into flower bricks!

Making some textured slabs for a new project…
and these STODOLA carved rolling pins will be PERFECT!!!

I’ve kinda been “saving them” for something special…
and I’m hoping that my new project will show them off. Made my slabs and I’m ready to ROLL!!! For more about these textured rolling pins, check out the STODOLA website!

Making frames for my next collaboration project… and you know I love collaborations!
My friend Cheryl Holz makes these really great “mini” paintings… so I’m making some ceramic frames for them! Our plan is that these soda-fired frames will each host a Cheryl original painting… and be available only at ART IN THE BARN in Barrington next weekend 9/22 & 9/23. Mark your calendars!

Save

So when I learned that my friend & co-worker Sandy had NEVER had a milkshake before, I knew we had to take care of that!!! Apparently she didn’t like milk as a kid, so she never drank it. And as she got older, the “no-milk” concept including MILKshakes! But c’mon.... it’s a MILKSHAKE!!! So much better than milk… and I think she loved it! She finished it with an amazing smile and a thumbs up!