11.04.2016
Moving right along. Still glazing & wadding for tonight’s soda kiln loading.
It’s gonna be a LONG night!
11.04.2016
Lots of mugs still waiting for their liner glaze!!!
11.04.2016
Categories: Chicago, special events
It’s just one HUGE party all over the city today as everyone celebrates the
World Champion Chicago Cubs!!!
They’ve had a hundred and eight years to plan this party…
and millions of fans are celebrating. Anywhere and everywhere!!!
11.03.2016
Categories: special events
Well it’s about time!!!
Congrats to the Chicago Cubs for finally breaking the curse and winning the World Series!!!
11.02.2016
Big night in the studio. Let the glazing begin! Let the game begin!!
GO CUBBIES!!!
11.01.2016
So there was a gaping hole in the top layer of my bisque kiln…
I knew that I had to make something quick!
I “threw together” a couple tall slab vases… measured just to fit when the kiln lid closes. I finished assembling them JUST in time to teach my Tuesday night class. I put them on plastic grid and a banding wheel so I could rotate them in front of a fan to dry them quickly. During class, I skipped out (unnoticed) and ran upstairs to add some colored slip details and keep them spinning.
When class was finally over… they had to go into the kiln regardless of where they were at. I had to fill the space, but couldn’t wait any longer to get the kiln started. So they went in a little damp… with a bit of a pre-heat on the kiln… and fingers crossed.
11.01.2016
Here’s a wonderful set of bowls that one of my students made. Vanessa was in my class a couple sessions ago and never had a chance to glaze her bowls. Well, she’s back in class this session… and finally glazed her bowls. And for those who might not get it… like me… they imagery inside each bowl is cranial sutures. Kind of scientific. Kind of anatomical. Kind of BRILLIANT!!! Well done Vanessa!!!
11.01.2016
So my pottery students are doing great this session. They’re all returning “beginners” so we’ve been doing a little bit more than a true “beginner’s” class. And I love when we get to this stage of the class. We’re entering Week Eight of their ten week session. So at this point, they’re making a LOTS of pots. And I love seeing them all bring their finished pot to share in class. So great to see them admiring, critiquing, sharing information and being so supportive & encouraging of each other. Such a great group of students this Fall session… all making great pots and having a great time!!!
Since my pottery students are all doing so great this session. I decided it was time for a “POP QUIZ.” I handed out folded sheets of paper. Told them each to choose a number between one and ten… and write it on the outside of their folded paper. After they had all chosen their numbers, I had them open the sheets to find out what their number “decided” their challenge was to be!!! They all tackled the challenge… and they seemed to appreciate being “pushed” out of their comfort zone and being “forced” to try something new that they might not do on their own. I love Pop Quizzes!!!
11.01.2016
Categories: food
So we’re a day after Halloween.
All of the treats have been passed out to the little munchkins in cute costumes.
And then one of my students brought in some new OREO’s tonight…
and it seems like we’ve dived right into the holidays already!!!
11.01.2016
With my soda kiln scheduled for this coming Saturday, I knew that I needed to crank out some last minute work… and squeeze it all into one last bisque kiln. Sure, it might not be my finest job of packing a tight kiln, but all of the little “filler” pieces went into the bisque kiln a couple days ago! So for now, I just knew that I had to get things bisqued quickly so I had some time to glaze & wad before Friday night’s soda kiln loading.
Kiln Layer #1 – lidded jars, small pitchers, mugs and some ornaments.
Kiln Layer #2 – two stamped platters, two bowls… and some more ornaments!
Kiln Layer #3 – half of the third layer was filled with stacked stamped bowls.
Kiln Layer #4 – porcelain mugs, bowls and some stacked pieces to fill the height.
But, oh wait… there’s a gaping space on the top of the kiln!!! We can’t have that.
You know how much I LOVE a well-packed kiln. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I left that empty space like that!
Gotta make something quick to fill that space!!!