Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

Just when you thought that the early morning glow was spectacular enough,
then the entire sky lights up in the most vibrant shades of oranges & purples!
One of the most stunning sunrises yet. And trust me, I’ve seen a lot of them this year…

And the view looking back at the city wasn’t too shabby either with a hazy glow!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

Yep… another spectacular morning sunrise. Can they get any better?!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

Tonight in class we tackled another demo… The Menorah Challenge! So let me
just say, I’ve never made a Menorah before. I’ve never even USED a Menorah before!
But I’m always up for a challenge! And tonight was the night.

Each session, I “encourage” my students to choose what object they want to learn
how to make – in addition to all of the usual basics. Two sessions ago it was sake sets.
Last session was goblets. This session it turned out to be Menorahs! Uh oh… what?
A Menorah?… in a wheelthrowing class? Well, like I said, I’m always up for a challenge
and want to keep my students happy!

So, I decided to show my class how o make a hollow tube on the wheel. Which is always
a fun “trick” form to make. I then showed them how to turn it into a Menorah, and we
discussed some of the other options of what they could make out of it.

And just to show my “Gentileness”… I realized the next day that there was one too few
candle spaces on the second one! Oops… luckily, it was still leather-hard so I had a chance
to correct my mistake.

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

My friend & fellow Lillstreet Summer Camp teacher Karen Mansfield is currently hiking
the entire Appalachian Trail all by herself.  It’s the adventure of a lifetime and I’m sure
she must be having a blast! And I’m quite envious of her adventure… some day…

Today I received a postcard from Karen and thought I’d share. She started hiking the AT
way back in June when she set off from Maine headed south. At the time of this postcard
she was close to the border of Connecticut & New York. Karen is a big naturalist, bird watcher
and artist – all of which are coming together in this journey. I can’t wait for her to get back
and hear her stories, see her journal and share her experiences when she gets back.
Especially if this postcard is a hint of what she’s been up to…

Karen is still hiking and moving her way further south. She is occasionally posting to a blog
with the help of her daughter Madeline. If you want to read any of her stories, check out:
http://birdyat.livejournal.com/

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

I love Fall. I especially love the spectacular sunrises we get in Fall.
For some reason, the sunrises seem to be just a bit more spectacular during Fall?!
Maybe because you need to suffer through the freezing cold mornings to enjoy it?

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

After an INCREDIBLE morning bike ride, it was back to the studio to continue
production for the holidays. After a few days of drying (or a few hours if you’re
a mask) it was into the electric kiln for another bisque firing. Luckily, I had some
extra time which allowed for a few hours of preheating before the kiln kicks into
full firing mode. So it will give the “ever-so-slightly-so-damp” masks a chance to dry!

Layer One: Two new masks, ornaments and a lot of tiles “protecting” the masks
from drying too quickly by the electric elements.

Layer Two: Two more masks, more ornaments and more “protective” tiles!

Layer Three: Bowls, mugs, votives, and a few more ornaments here  & there…

Layer Four: Bowls, tumblers, wall pocket vases and some tripods!

Tripods you say?!… what are they going to be for you may ask?
Well, my plan is to bisque them, dip the tips in kiln wash and then “perch” my ornaments
onto them in the soda kiln. Hopefully, they will give me some good exposure in the kiln
on all sides of the ornaments without needing to wad each of them individually. At least
that’s my plan… we’ll see…

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

And now for the sunrise purists in the crowd…
For those who love incredible cool, vibrant & almost fluorescent sunrises!
There was this one perfect cloud in just the right place at turned this crazy
shade of neon red for a few minutes this morning. It was breathtaking!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

The sun continued to rise… and the sunrise continued to get better & better!
Turning all different shades of vibrant colors. And this time, with my bike!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

As the sun continued to rise, I was at North Avenue Beach turning around
when the morning glow began to create beautiful colors on the horizon.
Now you know how I like some geometric structure in front of the sunrise
for contrast… it’s not my bike, but it does the same effect!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

Off for another sunrise bike ride… and it was VERY dark this morning!