This week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, it was Sgraffito Night! I had suggested that they all bring some leatherhard pieces to carve through. I did a couple demo pieces & my students did their own thing too!!! So much better with good carving tools from DiamondCore Tools! My first demo piece was this small bowl with an ombre’ blend of white & black slips.

Another beautiful sunrise morning… hello weekend.

Picked a perfect day to play hookie with some great friends down in Central Illinois. We weren’t doing farm stuff… I just thought this looked cool on what turned out to be a beautiful day!!!

Another flash of color with some pretty flowers in one of my stamped & soda-fired vases. Just “fulfilling the destiny” of any good vase on another Floral Friday!

We had April showers, so now we have May flowers! That, plus the fact that my cousin Kim helped me plant hundreds of bulbs in my front garden last Fall. And now after a long Winter of waiting… it’s all paying off!!! Thanks again Kim!!!!

I’m pretty sure it’s not pear season in Chicago… but I was still happy to find some on sale at the grocery store! Just waiting for them to ripen… hoping that it’s not all on the same day!!!

Some of the brightest flowers along the lake… more crabapple trees in bloom.
But this dark magenta color is CRAZY!!! So vibrant it almost doesn’t look natural?!

Another “thick slip” demo this week… chattering while spinning to create some groovy textures & patterns. I usually do this demo on bowls… but it was kinda fun to do it a little larger this time on a platter! Can’t wait to see how the glaze pools & puddles in all the right places!

A beautiful evening for stroll along the Chicago River… before heading back to the studio for the night. Blue skies, wispy clouds & warm temps… gotta get outside to play once & awhile!!!

More orchids blooming… and I love how the backlighting is kinda making them glow!!!