Looks like my mosaic friend Kristin Conneely is playing around with some of my soda-fired beads… working towards some new collaboration pieces for ART IN THE GARDEN!!! I can’t wait to see what she finally comes up with when we have the “Big Reveal” at the art fair on the last week of August in Glenview.

This past Tuesday night in my wheelthrowing class, I shared my DiamondCore Tools with some of my students to try out. They loved the sharp-crisp carvings & trimmings that they made. And then Katie tackled a bowl she made with marbled clay of ochre & B-clay. As if the marbled swirl weren’t cool enough… Katie carved a repetitive pattern on the sides to reveal an even cooler pattern within the marble!!! Well done Katie… I love it… as you know, MORE IS MORE!!!

So I squeezed in a little stamping between sunrise & summer camp this morning! I’ve still got a few more bowls to stamp… but I had to go quick as my campers were arriving soon!!! Happy that I got one done at least… stamped one-by-one-by-one… and the stamp that did all the work!!!

Another beautiful day. Kinda cool, and not so humid… and not nearly as windy!!! Pretty calm ride along the lake today with still waters, nice reflections & beautiful colors!

Fun little pottery twirls “sprouting” in my friends’ garden down in Peoria! A fun little accent bordering the staircase… as every garden could use a bit more pottery, right?! Looking good Rosene & Gerry!

Looks like I’m not the only one working on some collaboration projects for ART IN THE GARDEN!!! I see that mosaic artist Kristin Conneely is making a sweet little piece with some textured pottery pieces from my friend Cory McCrory! These collaborations are so much for for all of us… getting to play with each other to make cool things we don’t usually get to make… as “normal” art fairs kinda frown upon this kind of collaboration!!!

Painting some accents & details onto my lidded jars with colored flashing slips. These lidded jars will all be soda-fired… so hopefully the porcelain will get a beautiful blushed effect & the colored flashing slips will pop with color! Working my way towards ART IN THE GARDEN with a few of our special collaboration pieces!!!

Big sky. Big clouds. Big fun!

Okay so this morning was pretty clear & cloud-free…
but YESTERDAY…

Yesterday we had some great drama in the skies. Lots of clouds & LOTS of wind! The ride south to the City was amazing… but then the whole ride back home was into a very strong headwind! So strong that the red beach warning flags were waving strong… and a little bit upwards???

And some crazy places where the lake is so “overflowing” that the lakefront path is flooded… with WHITECAPS!!!

Lidded jars without knobs… whoops… but, part of the plan!!! Working on these lidded jars as part of my collaboration pieces for ART IN THE GARDEN. Drilling holes through leatherhard porcelain?… why not use an actual drill bit???