Look at the great bicycle cup my friend & printmaker Judy Zeddes made in her “print on clay” class at Lillstreet. It’s one of her own original print designs typically 2D on paper! I’m going to have to act really surprised when she gives it to me for my birthday!!! Hint, hint…

Another faithful Facebook Fan sharing a Selfie all the way from Ft. Myers Beach. She looks so warm, sunny & tropical… as I’m here in Chicago bracing for another overnight Winter storm! Thanks Carol for sharing your PMI photo… now if you could just share some of that Florida sunshine too!!!

Anyone else up for the Selfie Challenge??? Just e-mail me a Selfie of you with your copy of POTTERY MAKING ILLUSTRATED!!! Send to gary@firewhenreadypottery.com

I’ve always been intrigued by installation art that incorporates a LOT of pieces!
And these wonderful ceramic pieces are pretty darn incredible. Such wonderful details, colors and textures. So amazing when they’re all put together into one amazing installation!!!

According to ThisIsColossal.com…
“Doubling as an artist and ocean advocate, Courtney Mattison produces large-scale ceramic installations that draw attention to conservation of our planet’s seas. Her latest installation “Aqueduct” showcases hundreds of porcelain sea creatures including anemones, sponges, and coral sprouting from a porcelain air duct. The piece asks us to imagine the plight of these undersea creatures as tropical sea temperatures begin to rise, asking where they might migrate to once their homes have been rendered uninhabitable.”

Click here to see the full article on www.thisiscolossal.com.

And some detailed looks at some of the amazing details of Courtney Mattison’s work…

Congratulations to the first person to respond to my “PMI Call For Selfies”!
Special thanks to Reid Brinton who has been potting since 2002 in Gilbert, Arizona.
“Gonna make some stamps and sprigs real soon and add some new language to my pots. Fantastic job you’re doing by the way.”

Anyone else up for the Selfie Challenge??? Just e-mail me a Selfie of you with your copy of POTTERY MAKING ILLUSTRATED!!! Send to gary@firewhenreadypottery.com

Here we go…. the second month… February… second of twelve…
And another batch of holiday ornaments made by me &  four of My Talented Friends.
Remember, we’ve all signed-on for a Monthly Holiday Ornament Challenge.
The plan is for each of us to make a new ornament each month of the year.
We’re two months in… one sixth of the way!!!

My Talented Friend : Cory McCrory
Cory embraces our second month of ornaments with a wonderful batch of textured & constructed ornaments. They’re amazing so far!!! And I LOVE them… so I’m sorry, but there may not be any of these left to share with anyone else after I buy them all from Cory!!!  Ha!!!

My Talented Friend : Sarah Chapman
This month, Sarah takes a more “natural” approach with a beautiful stone and “twig.”
Some stylized wire-work and voila… another beautiful ornament by Miss Chapman.
I’m sure this one will really glisten in the sun… or Christmas lights?!

My Talented Friend : Roberta Polfus
Roberta continued her love affair with porcelain & carving. Her ornaments could make a beautiful Christmas Constellation if you promised someone the “moon and stars.”

My Talented Friend : Amy Taylor
Amy takes another spin on her already popular ADORBS Collection…
this time looking forward to Spring with that one ADORB-able eye!

My Talented Friend : … oh wait, it’s ME!!!
And for my February ornament, I’ve been making some porcelain snowflakes. The stamping is giving them a sort of knit texture. I’m hoping to glaze them with a clear glaze that will make them shine with a very slight cool blue hue.

So there they are… the ornaments of My Talented Friends Cory, Sarah, Roberta & Amy. Be sure to check out their websites. They’re all in the LINKS section in the far right column. And they all have fun Facebook pages too. Find your favorites & follow them everywhere!

And oh, but wait there’s more!!!
Remember, the ceramic folks have a little tougher time actually finishing their ornaments due to kiln firing schedules. So we’re frequently posting the dried greenware versions monthly. And then, once they get glazed & fired, I’ll post the “finished” results here too.

Like this one… a few finished January beauties from Cory McCrory!!!

One of my favorite pieces of rusty metal. This beautifully carved shovel creates such great shadows on my dining room wall. Beautiful artwork by New Orleans artist Denice Bizot.

For more rusty shovels and other beautiful things, click here for Denice’s website.

My friend Nancy had an opening tonight in the gallery of ClaySpace in Lisle, Illinois.
“A Feast of Bowls”... just bowls, nothing else. But bowls of all sizes & uses.

It was several years ago that Nancy and I were on a bike ride in southern Indiana when we stopped for lunch. While walking around Nashville, Indiana we stumbled upon a small potter’s studio. It was then that Nancy suggested we take a pottery class. She did the research and found Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago. We both took our Beginning Wheelthrowing class… and have never looked back. So it’s all HER fault that I now have this crazy clay addiction!!!

Anyway, enough about me… Nancy took some time off from clay to get married, have a kid and move to the suburbs. But is now back in full swing as a Resident Artist at ClaySpace in Lisle. It was fun to go out there tonight to support a good friend, see her beautiful bowls and explore another ceramic studio space.

“A Feast Of Bowls” runs through the end of the month if need a new bowl or two!

Click here for more of Nancy’s pottery.

Okay, so you know how I love a good tie-dye.
So many of my old t-shirts have been “rejuvenated” by a good summer camp tie-dying. So much fun. But this video definitely makes me think I need to step up my game. Must learn how to do this technique. The end result is well worth the wait.

Click here for the amazing tie-dye video.

And while we’re on craftsmanship & skill… here’s another video that’s quite mesmerizing. I know I’ve posted it before, but I’m still entranced. I think this is done with colored slip, or maybe colored sand on the wheel… but I suggest we all try the same “trick” on the next platter we make. Get ready Tuesday night class… this week we cover slips, and the next week plates & platters. Dangerously groovy combination apparently?!!! Get ready.

Click here for the spinning, spiraling, evolving and ever-changing video!

And a second one…. on the video there’s a title, but I can’t read it?!

And then a third… and another title in another language… Russian maybe?

Okay, so I’m not a woodworker. But I do appreciate the intrinsic craftsmanship & skill that goes into this. He makes it look so easy…. which I’m sure it is not. Just wait until you see the final result. Especially when he puts on the final layer of oil. Voila. A masterpiece in wood.

Click HERE to watch the amazing video.

And then a bunch of MAGIC happens in this part… and then the Big Reveal.
Click here to see the MAGIC on the video!