It’s another Thursday… so another SURFACE DECORATION class tonight. And this is getting to be a little bit of a “habit”… but I made a bunch of trimmed & leatherhard bowls for my students to carve through tonight. Can’t wait to see what kind of magic they create this evening! Not so bad for throwing these bowls late last night, huh?!

Another sweet little flag iris popping up in the garden…
I’m LOVING iris season this year!!!

One of the highlights from this past weekend’s trip to Omaha was the amazing sculpture installation at PIONEER COURAGE PARK.

Incredible bronze sculptures immortalizing the pioneers who traveled west on the Mormon Trail & Oregon Trail. Created by sculptors Blair Buswell & Ed Fraughton, these amazing sculptures cross two large parks… and everything in between! Including flying geese & buffalo running through flower beads and through buildings!!! Such an amazing installation… and a “must-see” if you’re ever in Omaha!

So excited to be part of this new Pottery Tour… featuring so many great potters! I wish we were doing it live & in-person this time… but with times being what they are, we’re online virtual this year. But look for us alive & in-person next summer!!! More details to come!!!

While today looks to be more on the chilly & gray side… yesterday was GLORIOUS!!! Bright sunshine, blue skies & 80-degrees! Turns out I played ALL DAY on my bike… before a late night session working at the studio. But it was more than worth it!!!

After fifteen months of being stuck at home… it felt so good to finally get away for the weekend! Sure, it may have been work-related… but it felt great to fly again now that I’m fully vaccinated. It felt almost “normal” even though I was still masked & taking extra safety precautions along the way. Oh, how I’ve missed flying!!!

While the overnight rains have not been so conducive to my morning bike rides, they are working wonders for some of the iris currently blooming in my front yard! I’m totally enamored by these beautiful bi-color irises… the color, the texture, the structure!!!

You’re the “Master of Water-Etching”… and I’m sure my students loved your demo! You went above & beyond with that splash of color… but I knew you would. Thanks for being the best sub teacher ever for my SURFACE DECORATIONS class last Thursday!

After wiping away the background… leaving the wax resist areas intact… Catherine had to get a little showy and added a layer of colored fun to her demo! Letting the wax resist do it’s thing, Catherine painted the bowl with blue underglaze… and the color doesn’t stick on the wax, except for maybe a little touch-up here & there! So now the “protected” pattern areas will be higher & clay colored… whereas the background is lower & blue!!!

When the wax resist pattern were dry, Catherine Tweedie then demonstrated how to wipe away the “unprotected” background areas with a damp sponge. As you wipe, the background dissolves away, whereas the “wax protected” parts stay where they were. The more you wipe away, the deeper the contrast between the two layers. Be careful not to wipe too hard… or you might wipe away some of the wax!