Congrats to Maya in my Monday night class… for making these cool bookend flower pots! She came into class & said that she wanted to focus on making flower pots & planters this session. So she has… including these crackled white slip planters! Very cool… and very successful. Thanks for sharing your work Maya!!!

So here are my “not-so-basic bowls” from Tuesday night’s beginner class demo. Again, altering all of my bowls with some quick twists, flicks & slips! Trying to do something to them to make them more fun & more unique. My students really seemed to enjoy the demo… as I saw the “light bulb” go off for many of them as I demo’d. I don’t expect them to “copy” me… but hopefully employ some of the techniques… but twist them somehow to make it their own!

And I’m sure you’ve already guessed… and yes, I will be doing even more to them up in my studio over the next day or two. There might just be a bit of stamping here there… allegedly…

So here are all of my class demo bowls. Keep in mind they all started out as very simple round bowls. Nothing special. Nothing col. Just plain & round… and then I PLAYED with them!!!

Bowl #1 – Two simple fluted twists opposite each other.

Bowl #2 – Eight fluted twists evenly space around the bowl.

Bowl #3 – A simple flared-out flange about an inch wide.

Bowl #4 – Another flared out flange… twice as wide!!!

Bowl #5 – Combined fluting & flared out flange.

Bowl #6 – A split rim treatment… then dented inwards at two places opposite each other. This one we decided to keep like this… knowing that I can add an over-the-top handle to turn it into a “basket bowl.”

Bowl #7 – Another split rim… and then pinched together in eight places.

Bowl #8 – Split rim – dented inwards at four places.

Bowl #9 – Split rim dented inwards & outwards!

Bowl #10 – Sliced through the sides, and then pulled-in & overlapped.

And then it was time to introduce thick slip as a surface decoration option! I like to use white so it’s there for texture so the glaze can pool & puddle over it… and not a dramatic color “forced” onto the bowl.

Bowl #11 – Just one splatter paintbrush stroke of thick white slip… kind of a joke, but then I actually started to like it.

Bowl #12 – A layer of thick white slip with the rounded end of a tool dragged through while the wheel was spinning.

Bowl #13 – Thick white slip banded… setting up a canvas area for sgraffito carving later.

Bowl #14 – Thick white slip with a chattering effect… my favorite technique!!!

Bowl #15 – An ombre’ blend of white to green slip… also waiting for some sgraffito carving to come…

Bowl #16 – Another ombre’ blend of white to green slips… and then a spiral from a a tool dragged through while the wheel was spinning.

And for now… all of these bowls are up in my studio under plastic for the night.
As there’s most likely going to be some stamping & detailing coming soon…

Part Two of this week’s wheelthrowing demo was altering all of the basic bowls… turning them into “not-so-basic bowls.” I took all of the basic bowls & showed my class some.very quick & simple alterations that can add some style & whimsy to their pots. I tell them that “the wheel” pretty much made the round bowl for them. Now it’s time for THEM to do something to it to make it THEIR bowl! Encouraging them to play more with their clay, try something new & have fun making pottery. Don’t sweat over it… IT’S JUST CLAY!!!

This week in my Beginning Wheelthrowing class we tackled “making bowls on purpose instead of a cylinder gone bad.” I showed them how to make a bowl with a smooth, rounded interior with no fla bottoms, no corners, no “beginner’s ledge” or indents along the way. We did a full demo… and then I sent them back to their wheels while I threw “a few more” bowls for Part Two for the demo…

And just for the record… this was ONE 25lb. bag of clay!

The first batch of mugs made with my Advanced Beginners last night during the second class of our new summer session. Looks like they’re off to a good start…

For the final class of my SURFACE DECORATION class, we pulled together all of the glazed bowls we had gotten back from the kiln. A couple weeks prior, I had challenged them all to try a different technique on a little slip of paper. It was fun to watch how each student approached their glazing challenge… but even more fun to see all of the final results!!!

Last session, one of my Intermediate Wheel students came to the first class and “proclaimed” that his goal for the class was to make EIGHTY PIECES during the session!!! As a recent condo owner, Jack has plenty of room to fill. So some of the eighty were for personal use, some are gifts, but most were just for the practice & muscle-memory of making so many pots! At our final class, Jack pulled them all out for a little “show & tell”… and the Grand Total was 84!!! Congrats Jack… you succeeded & blew us all out of the water!!! A wonderful achievement!!!

After making a tons of textured & color-slipped slabs last night in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we set out to make some cool handbuilt bowls with strips & layers pressed together. Several of us have been impressed & inspired by the work of Stephen Biggerstaff… so this was our attempt at making some small pieces in his style. It was a great “team building” class with everyone working & experimenting together! A lot of fun for all of us!!!

Last night in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we played with texture & color while making a crazy amount of colorful slabs. Many of the textures were made with my collection of MKM Pottery Tools handrollers… which my students love every time I bring them out to share!!!

Always fun to see my students playing with my SURFACE DECORATION techniques after the class demo. Like Maya & Taylor who were thrilled by their results so far! Beautifully done team!