Ready for more drying… Ready for trimming… Ready for handles…
Then more drying… firing… glazing… firing… more… more.. more!

Tonight I worked on the mug cylinders I threw last night…
they were still a little sticky, so I threw some more pieces while they dried up a bit.
But then they were finally ready to be stamped… so I did!

Well, we’re two art fairs into the season… and it’s already time to start
replenishing inventory. So why not start with my favorite?… MUGS!!!
So last night I started by throwing the basic cylinders in assorted shapes.
Every time I try some new shapes, but frequently end up back to the tried & true!
I throw them all on small square bats, and then move them onto ware boards
after they’ve set-up a bit… need to make table space for more work, right?!

Tonight I will so some stamping if they’ve dried up enough to no longer be sticky.
I love the stamping part because that’s when they really come alive with personality!
Then the trimming… handles.. firing… glazing… firing again… and so on…

Well, today is officially the first day of summer!
It seems like it has really been a very long time coming! But it’s actually here!

And it’s also time to start thinking about your summer plans…
so why not sign-up today for a pottery class at Lillstreet Art Center?
Come play with me every Tuesday night this summer!

You’ll get to play in the mud, make cool pieces and take advantage of Lillstreet’s
very generous open studio time. In addition to your 3-hour weekly class, you’ll
also get access to the studio to practice seven days a week from 10:00am-10:00pm.
Which is great… especially in the summer as Lillstreet is air conditioned!!!

Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing
Tuesday nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm
8-week session beginning on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011.

My classes have a tendency to fill up quickly, so sign up soon.
You can stop by Lillstreet, call or click here to register online.

Apparently, yesterday’s “hurricane” has moved on.
Leaving this morning back to normal with a beautiful sunrise.
But in its wake, it left behind a ton of humidity!!!

A “murder” of crows has landed in my condo!
Yep, little known fact… a group of crows is called a “murder.” Who knew?

Special thanks to my talented friend Cory McCrory who created this masterpiece.
Such talented fingers and incredible creativity, all coming together in a murder!

In “It’s A Wonderful Life” every time a bell rings, and angel gets his wings.

Somehow, I feel the same about my vases.
Once they finally get some flowers in them… they finally become a… well…
err… ahh… they become a “real” vase!

Tonight I brought some more flowers into the studio that I found in the dumpster
at the “glitter gig.” The flowers still have some life in them, and a couple of my vases
needed to have their destinies fulfilled!!! Mission accomplished…

It was a very strange morning along the Chicago lakefront today!
Dark. Foggy. Misty. Hard to see just two feet in front of you!
If you look closely… you “might” be able to see the North Avenue Beach House
just past the row of street lights! I swear it was right there… I swear!!!

And then when I turned around to head home…
it looked as though there was a hurricane blowing in off the lake?!
Is that even possible in Chicago??? Seriously?… it was crazy!!!

Ahhh… those college days. It seems like just yesterday… almost.
And then you go to a concert at Ravinia and they “force” you to come to grips
with the fact that it may have been a few more years than you’d like to admit to.
The Eighties weren’t all THAT long ago, right???

The show opened with “The B-52’s”… and I flashed right back to the basement of the
fraternity dancing the night away to “Rock Lobster.” Sad that I still know all the words!
And even with me singing along, they still sounded incredible – like it was yesterday!

Need a quick B-52’s reminder… of a Friday Flashback of your own?…
Click here for the videos – “Love Shack” – “Roam” – “Rock Lobster.”

After grooving to The B-52’s… it was time for the main act “The Go-Go’s.”
Sadly, since I’m already dating myself… I must admit that I saw “The Go-Go’s” in concert
when they were hot the first time during college. But that time, the opening act was
“A Flock Of Seagulls” during that one week that they were popular!

And for another musical interlude…
Click here for the videos – “Vacation” – “We Got The Beat” – “Our Lips Are Sealed.”