I mean…
it’s not every day that I put coho salmon on a bowl?! But this once I will…

So… I’ve been working on a little “undercover” project for one of my students. Couldn’t give anything away too soon… or she might have thought something was “fishy.” And yes… I put two salmon on my bowl. More story to come…

Ripe for the pickin’… plenty of functional bowls headed to the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR next weekend. I will once again be setting up my booth at the Sandwich, Illinois location… home of My Talented Friend Cory McCrory… she’s a peach!!!

Just a week away… still trying to pull together a few last pieces in one last kiln!!!
For more details : www.northernilpottery.com

Possibly my fastest turn-around ever?!

After returning from Minnesota… I realized I had nothing ready for my SURFACE DECORATION class for a night of glazing fun. So Tuesday early evening, I threw fifteen bowls before teaching my Tuesday night class. That same evening late after class, I trimmed them all… dried them as much as I could overnight on plastic racks… and then they were in a bisque kiln early the very next morning! Done, fired & ready in time for last night’s class… a fun SURPRISE!… with a “free” bowl for each student to experiment on instead of using one of their own “precious” pots!!!

Whew, that was a quick one!

Drilling holes making berry bowls this morning. Using drill bits for assorted sizes of holes…
and a decorating disk from MKM Pottery Tools for even segments & spacing!

An early morning in the studio working on a batch of berry bowls…
ten bowls before 10:00am. Stamping & drainage holes to come!

The final remains… the car was totaled, as was this chip & dip in the back seat!

Luckily, the plastic crate with three platters in the way-back survived. But now we’re moving on… it’s just clay! I can always make another one… and I finally have a car! Things are looking up & my insurance settlement is done!!! Movin’ on from this fallen tree fiasco!!!

After all of the fun sgraffito my class did with Kristen last week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, I thought it might be my turn to do some carving over the weekend. So I did two bowls… kind of an “inverse” of each other. Thinking that these two bowls might need to “live together” forever!

So last night I revisited the class demo bowls from earlier in the week.
Sure, the altered rims & textured slip “could” have been enough.
But you know me… MORE IS MORE!!!

So I did more… go figure!

Part Two of last night’s class demo with my Beginners was to show them several quick tips & tricks to make some “not-so-basic bowls.” I’m a firm believer that the wheel does most of the work making a plain round bowl. But it’s up to each potter to do something to it to make it “their” handmade bowl. So I encouraged them to play with their clay & have a little more fun making each bowl a little more fun!!!

Of course I’m a “More is More” kinda guy… so there’s still a good chance
these “might” still get a little more embellishments in the next day or so?!

BOWL A – Plain… this is where they ALL started!!!

BOWL B – Two Fluted Points

BOWL C – Eight fluted points.

BOWL D – Thin rim-flange bent outwards.

BOWL E – wide rim-flange bent outward.

BOWL F – Bent flange & four fluted points together.

BOWL G – Split rim with eight pinched points.

BOWL H – Split rim with four indented sides.

BOWL I – Split rim with four inward dented sides… and four outward dented corners.

BOWL J – Thick white slip inside… then a tool dragged through to create a spiral.

BOWL K – Thick white slip interior, then chattered with rhythmic tapping of a rubber rib.

BOWL L – Thick slip ombre’ blend of white to green… this will be carved through later!

BOWL M – Thick slip ombre’ blend of green to white… this will be carved through later!

So for now they’re all under plastic in my studio…
waiting for a chance o do a wee bit more detailing & decorating!