Once the demo bowls were detailed, I continued stamping!
And tackled the latest batch of cylinders destined to become mugs!
Now that they’re stamped, next up is trimming, then handles, then slip, then drying.

So last night was my “basic bowl” demonstration for my wheel throwing class!
We were working on making each bowl different and unique. After class, I brought them
all upstairs to my studio so that I could do a little more work on them. So today after camp,
I spent some time refining & stamping the bowl samples. It will be fun to show my students
how they’ve all been transformed seemingly “overnight.”

This first bowl has a flared out rim… plain & flat until you add some stamped fun!

This second one has the same flared rim, but with the addition of fluted curves. A simple
ring of stamps keeps the gently undulation of the rim intact without overpowering it.

This third bowl had a simple, solid layer of white slip inside. Kinda plain & boring.
But a quick textured rim makes all the difference. One stamp… again, and again, and again!

One of my students asked about a “squared-off” bowl form, so I took the split rim and
literally pulled out the corners to create a square-ish bowl. But it seemed a little predictable.
So I decided to highlight two opposing sides as a “canvas” for some fun stamping,
and changed the split rim on those same sides!

With a wider flanged rim, I originally though I was going to stamp the whole thing.
But then I thought “hey, I do that all the time.” So I forced myself to try something a
little different. Nice… but I’m not quite sure if I like it or not?

So there it is, the demo behind the demo. The “magic” that occurs in my studio after class
ends. The bowls are still wrapped overnight and waiting to be trimmed and finished. I may
actually add some more “fun” to the bowls before they done and ready for the bisque kiln.

Sometimes it’s just amazing to see what my campers can come up with some simple
art supplies. Today my “Wild Things” campers continued their animal projects by
making sculptures of their favorite animals. We started with sketches of their animals
& habitats. We then created an armature out of wire hangers, newspaper & masking tape.
Once they had “filled out” the wire frame and added some characteristic details, they
began to cover the armature with plaster gauze. Kinda like paper mache, but a lot easier,
quicker & stronger! By the end of the day their animals were coming along quite nicely.
Tomorrow we continue to add details, as well as paint them in full color to bring them to life!

I’m ready to set out for another wonderful weekend art fair in the park.
The Evanston show is always one of the most beautiful shows with a wonderful
view of the Chicago lakeshore. My booth literally backs up to the beach!
Celebrate the summer with a fun day in the park.

Lots to choose from – bowls, mugs, vases, salt & pepper shakers, and much more!
Functional stoneware can be used every day, as it’s food-safe, dishwasher-safe
and microwave-safe. You can even bake in it. Everything is handmade & one-of-a-kind.

Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival : Booth #42
Located in Dawes Park on Sheridan Road between Church & Davis.
I’ll be in the same booth space as usual at the southeast end of the pond.
Enjoy the view, enjoy the breeze, enjoy the shade!

Saturday, August 4th : 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 5th : 11:00-6:00pm
Plenty of time to enjoy the Chicago lakefront and see a lot of beautiful art
in the park. I will be bringing a full assortment of work, both functional & decorative!
Hope to see you there!

Part One of tonight’s class demo was about making bowls on purpose…
not a cylinder gone bad. Part Two was how to quickly turn 10 “matching” bowls
into 10 “unique” bowls with just a few quick tricks!

So I did the basic bowl demo to show my students how to make a bowl “the right way.”
Then, as they went back to their wheels to make their own bowls, I quickly threw nine more
basic bowls. We regrouped for Part Two where I showed them fluting, flaring, slipping,
swirling, chattering and other fun tricks! My main goal for the night is to get them over the
fear of playing with their clay. To show them that you can push it further, twist it, bend it,
shape it. That each piece doesn’t have to be so precious. That if you let yourself try a few
new things you might just make something special along the way. So go ahead…
play with your clay!!!

After the two-part bowl demo, we also did some slip painting, throwing off the hump,
throwing spouts and stamp making. It was a very busy class tonight. I kinda felt like
I had some making-up to do after missing the last two classes due to my extended
FIREFLY trip to Dover?!

Today was an adventure at Lincoln Park Zoo!
Yep, me and my fourteen “Wild Things” summer camp kids traipsing around
Lincoln Park Zoo! Visiting the animals, getting inspiration for the rest of the week’s
animal themed projects. Along the way, we stopped at the patio for lunch and some
watercolor painting. Loving seeing how focused the kids get once they start painting!

But after a long day at the Zoo, with a lot of walking around, the kids favorite spot
is always the Children’s Zoo. Not for the little animals, but for the cool fountain that
shoots streams of water out of the sidewalk. Needless to say, the kids had a splashing
good time… and went back to Lillstreet a little wetter than before!

After camp, I was back in the studio trying to get myself back into full production mode.
Gotta start somewhere… so why not start with my favorite form?! MUGS!!!

One bag of B-Clay… a stack of square bats… and a pile if wedged balls of clay. Ready to go!
About an hour of throwing with an hour of Olympic coverage, and I had two dozen cylinders
off the bats, wrapped up and put away for the night. Hoping to stamp them all tomorrow
in between camp & teaching my adult class!

Rochelle, one of my former pottery students, stopped by summer camp this morning
to say goodbye as she’s moving to Boston to go for grad school. HARVARD to be exact!!!
She’s been so much fun to have around the studio, always smiling, always witty, always
sarcastic. Three of my favorite things. She did give me a going-away gift too…
ahh, she knows me so well. My fourth favorite thing!!!

Today it was back to Summer Camp… “Wild Things.”
So it’s a week all about animal-themed projects. And let me just say, my group
of campers this week is very “energetic.” Oh wait, it’s animal-themed…
maybe “squirrelly” is a better choice of words?!

Lots of clouds. Lots of potential. And another beautiful morning along the lake.

And sometimes you just need to turn around… for another “sunrise” reflecting off a building.
A very special “reverse sunrise” this morning!