So what would happen if two of my favorite things came together???
Pottery AND Reality TV.

Well, it looks like it’s about to happen over “on the other side of the pond.”
Seems like there’s a new Reality TV show brewing with potters as contestants.
Not sure of the details, or if we can see i there in the States, but… I’m in !!!

Click here for the preview commercial on YouTube!

Not quite a morning sunrise, yet surprisingly similar color-wise?!
My day has begun and the kiln is warming up slowly.
It’s gong to be a long day of firing before we get to Cone 10.

A FULL day of glazing & wadding. Followed by more than a couple hours of loading. Luckily everything pretty much fit. Okay sure, some sections might be a little tighter than I would normally like in a soda kiln. But oh well, it is what it is. So now it’s all packed, loaded and bricked up for the night. Time for a “couple” hours of sleep and then right back to start the firing in the morning!

Here’s the back stack… one shelf deep.

And the front stack… two shelves deep… and DONE.

An soda empty kiln… such potential. So many possibilities.
Love the colored “patina” of soda build-up from all of the previous firings.

A large stamped & glazed platter being loaded into the soda kiln.
Lots of fresh wadding underneath… pressed flat & securely to the kiln shelves.
Hoping that the Kiln Gods protect it from the evil forces of warpage!!!

Look who stopped by my studio today for a class field trip…
The kids from the AP Art Class at Vernon Hills High School.

Their teacher Allison has been one of my friends & customers for a long time now. And she thought it would be great for them to stop by for a quick tour and some Q&A. So much fun… especially when the first question was “If there was a Taco Bell nearby?”

My studio cart full of glazed pieces ready to be loaded into the soda kiln.
Complete with my masking tape “seat belts” to keep the pots from jumping off
the cart during their ride downstairs on the rickety freight elevator!

Got an early start in the studio this morning… as it’s going to be a LONG day of glazing!!!

So it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. Too much going on in my little world.
Last weekend’s art fair, late nights in the studio, kiln loading, glazing, etc…
and some family health issues going on again. So I’ve been a little remiss in posting…
but definitely needing these morning rides for a little relaxation & sanity.

And just when I thought that the clouds had “sucked in” the sun
and that the sunrise show was over… SUNBEAMS!!!

As my latest bisque kiln continues to cool…
I thought I would get a start on all of the glazing that I need to get done!
And why not start with my favorite?… MUGS!!! Okay, so there’s a few.