While porcelain is inherently white… and so many people love it because it’s SO white... I need to add a little color. So I paint on some colored slip accents on each mug. The top section above the stamped line gets a smooth coating of a colored flashing slip. Then each stamp also gets a small dab of the same colored slip to help draw the eye and the color down into the pot.

Once they’ve been accented with color, I can now leave them open to dry in my studio. All of these pastel slip colors will change dramatically in the soda firing atmosphere. The colors should get more vibrant, and have random effects caused by the flames touching the pot and deposited soda mixture.

Luckily, Cory has been busy working on “our” collaboration too.
So far it looks like a lot of squares that are now popping in fun colors!!!

I love when a plan comes together! We’ve got just a week to pull it all together before the Big Reveal at ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend in Glenview!

Another explosion of color on my back porch this morning.
Gotta love a good gerbera daisy!

September is here and another plant has decided to start blooming in my backyard.
I love how geometric & precise this plant is. Working its way up from the bottom…
blooming in perfect proportions.

With today being the official opening of the new & improved Northerly Island Park, I thought it only fitting that I kick it off with some sunrise photos. There’s a new lagoon in the middle that adds new dimension to some skyline photos & sunrise reflections. Oh yeah, so there “may have been” a bit of a fence still there to keep people out. Maybe… Allegedly…

And then, just in time for the sunrise, I pedaled over to the Adler Planetarium.
Beautiful sunrise views behind the museum.

And then it was back to Northerly Island for some shimmering sunrise colors over the new Northerly Island lagoon.

Layers of clay… and layers of fun are coming out of Cory McCrory’s studio…
More teaser photos of the collaboration we’re working on for ART IN THE GARDEN.

A veritable “tunnel” of porcelain handles.

Tonight I had some porcelain cylinders that were stamped, trimmed and ready for handles. So I start by making carrot-shaped wedges of clay.

Then I pull the handles the traditional way and set them up with the curve already established.

The hardest part for me is waiting for them to set-up a bit before trying to attach them. The first couple handles are always the hardest to get right as I’m usually too impatient… and then trying to put them on while they’re too limp & squishy.

Score. Slip. Repeat.
Score. Slip. Repeat.
Score. Slip. Repeat.    again…     and again…   and again…

So now they’re wrapped up for the night under plastic. My thought is that the moisture levels will balance out a bit and the handles will be less likely to crack off later as they dry. No guarantee… but my success rate is pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

We’re just a week away from ART IN THE GARDEN… and it looks like
“My Talented Friends” metalsmith Amy Taylor & ceramic artist Cory McCrory
are working together on something special. Can’t wait to see the Big Reveal next weekend!

ART IN THE GARDEN : Saturday, September 12th & Sunday, September 13th.

Cory’s got a “garden” blooming in her studio.
Looks like she’s going to be ready for ART IN THE GARDEN.
I still need to put these together with my part of the collaboration.

Okay, who am I kidding… I still need to finish MAKING my part of the collaboration!