As we are ending another month, it’s time for another installment of the 2021 CHAIN CHALLENGE!!! And this month I’ve gone for another version of the ceramic chain… each link textured & soda-fired with a bit more gray-reduction & shine than the first one!

#2021chainchallenge
#handmadechain
#chainlinks2021

Towards the end of our bike ride today, we ran across this little field of sunflowers again. We saw it a couple weeks ago… but it was great to see how some of the flowers have changed. New colors blooming… including some “new” almost-white sunflowers! So cool.

While riding through the farm fields out in the middle of nowhere today… our regular route was “altered” by a missing bridge & road under construction! Sure, it “might’ have said ROAD CLOSED… but that has never stopped us before!

A beautiful day biking out amongst the cornfields!

The weather today was practically perfect… and perfect for a long bike ride through the farm fields of the far western suburbs! Along the way we passed this beautiful barn… and surprisingly a nicely weathered WHITE barn!

With some colored slips, the kids’ handbuilt mugs really came together today! They finished up detailing their handbuilt mugs, and then added a layer of colored slips to bring them to life. After they’re bisque fired, a layer of clear glaze will make then shiny & a bit more colorful. So much fun to see these projects come together with some great Summer Campers!!!

On Thursday, my morning summer campers did a handbuilding project… making handbuilt slab mugs with a theme! I challenged them to make two mugs that “go together” to tell a creative story… like day & night… like fire & water… like Harry Pottery & Voldemort!!! They may look a little “crusty” & “smudgey” right now, but I’m confident that when we add some colored slips they’ll all come together. I mean, they’re so cute already…

So this was another week of Wheelthrowing & Handbuilding Camp with some adorable summer campers! I had more great kids this week… younger in the morning & older in the afternoon. They all did a great job… although some threw themselves into their work a bit more than others. Quite literally for some!!!

Since the pandemic, we have NOT had any water fountains anywhere around the city! All shut down with the fear of spreading disease through close contact at the drinking fountain. Finally, some of the fountains were finally turned on along the bike trail… I’m guessing they’ve determined they’re safe enough… and better than dehydration during the recent hot-spell. But it was funny to see them this morning playfully dancing in the wind!!!

Generally not a “big fan” of getting solar flare spots in my sunrise photos. But then again, sometimes they can be quite beautiful. Like some this morning when there was so much misty spray in the winds that it was tough to keep my camera lens dry through the sunrise. And therefore… THIS happens!!! And I’m kinda okay with this one!!!