So here’s a story for you…
Last Wednesday evening I received an email from a Facebook Follower who lives out in California. She said she saw some of my images on an Instagram Post for a pottery studio out in San Jose. She got all excited thinking that I was going out there to teach a workshop. She commented on the Instagram post asking if I was coming out to do a workshop and how can she get more information. But then she saw that her comment was “Hidden” on Instagram, instead of getting a response.

That raised a red flag… and so she contacted me. I immediately went on Instagram to see for myself. And here it was… a full video Reel starting off with several of MY images leading into shots of their art center in San Jose. I immediately sent a direct & succinct Comment message telling them they CAN NOT use my images like that… that they are using my own proprietary images for their own business. Totally rude, unprofessional & quite possibly illegal. I told them to remove the images & send me a confirmation that it was done.

In the meantime, I shared the story with a few of my friends, and they “may have” left some very direct & pointed Comments on their Instagram post as well… and reported them to Instagram! Needless to say, the post was removed pretty quickly… and yet I have NOT heard anything from them.

It was a weird feeling having my own hybrid mug images stolen off my social media… unethically used to promote another pottery business. It may have happened before, but this was the first time I was made aware of it… and it was SO obvious!!!! They didn’t even think to remove the Chicago flag flowerpot that lives in my studio from one of the pictures!!!

Thanks for letting me know so quickly Neha… I have the BEST FOLLOWERS EVER!!!

“Come and hang out with us?”…. NOPE!!!

Huge congratulations to Taylor in my THROWDOWN class… as this is her very first plate AND her first time doing slip trailing!!! And look how great her very first plate turned out!!! Well done Taylor!

When the kiln gets up towards the top temperatures, and the cones are dropping… it’s time to insert the soda mixture. Scoop it onto the angle iron, pull a peep brick, insert the angle iron, dump the mixture, pull out the angle iron & put the brick back in. Easy-peezy… as long as you watch out for the flames!!! Then we let the mixture vaporize & fly around inside the kiln leaving soda “glaze” deposits all over the pots inside.

Towards the end of the soda-firing yesterday, it was time for my “workshoppers” to mix up the soda mixture & prep it for putting it into the kiln. I like to insert the mixture by scooping it onto a long angle iron that will then go into the kiln through two peeps that are directly over the fire boxes.

Yesterday was my firing day for the 3-DAY SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP. So much fun firing the kiln when the flames start to peek out during “body reduction.” Basically, when the gas-to-air ratio is a bit out of whack and the flames are searching for more air!

Cones are finally dropping… “body reduction” in full force!!!

The heat is on… and the kiln is warming up nicely!
Just waiting for some cones to start dropping.

Early this morning…. the door is all sealed, pyrometers in place… and we have IGNITION!!!

And sure, kiln loading can be a long-drawn out process… but it always helps when there are good snacks! Special THANKS to Martin for baking us some amazing Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with a sprinkle of sea salt on top!!! Amazing as always Martin!

So much fun watching Kelsey get so enamored by the flashings & patinas on some of the crusty kiln door bricks. Sure, it might have slowed down our process a little… but Kelsey is right… some of the bricks are GORGEOUS!!!