Just finished assembling my “class demo” casserole… as my Intermediate Wheel class has been focused on casseroles this session. No one ever said a casserole has to be oval, right???

By the end of class last night, my THROWDOWNERs had completed all of their polka dot platters… ready for discussion critique & judging. We even had my friend & fellow teacher Nicole stop by for her choices!

Scroll through to see them all.
And in the Comments section please let me know which one was your overall favorite platter.
Remember the category was “polka dots!”

You know how I love a good holiday… so last night in my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class we celebrated NATIONAL POLKA DOT DAY!!! As part two of their challenge was to decorate their platters with polka dots!!! They had 45 minutes to finish their masterpieces! And I loved all of the creativity & different takes on polka dots. Some went big, some went small… some more colorful & some more minimal… and one that made me think of Pringles!!!

Last night in my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, the first challenge was to throw a simple 12-inch platter in thirty minutes. Always fun to watch how different students approach a simple piece… with so many shapes & variations. Some were “spot-on” with their dimensions, some didn’t quite make it. But this was only the first step…

Last night in my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class… it’s Week Two and they just got their “Main Make” Project!!! While they’ll have ongoing challenges, contests & projects weekly… this ongoing project needs to be done & presented for critique & final judging at our last class in Week 10.

Since we’re in the dead of winter… I figured it’s Soup Season! So their challenge is to create a full Soup Service Set. Complete with a lidded soup tureen, tureen plate, ladle, four soup bowls & four soup spoons! That’s a hefty challenge to take on with a strict deadline looming.

And oh, but wait there’s more… you know I LOVE a good theme. And since it’s “Award Season”… our theme for the soup sets is “Academy Award Best Picture” movies. I printed out a bunch of movie posters for them to choose sight-unseen. They just got a little hint of the year it won the award!

They were all very excited about their big THROWDOWN challenge project. And there was a good bit of googling & researching as them began to ponder their theme and how to best approach the project. I can’t wait to see how their projects progress!!!

Last night during my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, my students brought back their “homework” projects for critique & judging. The goal was to “refine & finish” their set of four tumblers from the class before. Everyone did a great job… some went even further with colored slip, water etching, handles & even goblet bases!!!

So tonight during class, I trimmed my demo mugs & put them back under plastic while I did my handle-pulling demo. As I was getting ready for the attachment demo… someone (me) “might have” knocked over my bag of clay & it landed on one of my trimmed cylinders! Great demo, huh?!!! Actually it was good for them to see… things happen… it’s just clay!!!

I was going to call it quits and reclaim it. But thanks to Andrew’s encouragement, I “resurrected it” with a little ball of clay to keep it sitting level. Not ideal… but it might be funny… or it might lead us to something new?! So it has a handle now… it survived class… for now anyways ?!

Tonight was “Mug Night” with my beginning wheel class. First they learned how to trim their cylinders from last week. Then the pulled handles the traditional way. We let them set-up a bit & then they attached their handles… thus creating their first mugs of the session!!!

Pretty impressive for only their second class of the session!!!

And so it begins… tonight was the first night of our LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class!!! Their first challenge was to “recreate” two drinking glasses in clay. Matching sizes, proportions, angles, textures & styles. Easier said than done!

Part two was to choose one of their new two cups… which then became their new prototype to make three more to match. Ultimately ending with a matching set of four.

Everyone did pretty good… with many of themselves even impressing themselves. So many cups made in not a lot of time. So much fun with a great group of students… some new “throwdowners” & some repeating for another season of pottery fun!!

Here’s one of my class demos on carving & surface decoration that I finally got around to glazing… been a while. The platter has white slip on the flange rim that I dried a bit before carving the leaf pattern. And then I added little “berries” using a darker clay body. A rich green glaze makes it perfect for the holidays! Kinda now wish I had carved holly leaves instead?… ah, next time!!!

Anyway… this platter will be there for one lucky customer
this weekend at my SECOND HOLIDAY HOME SHOW!!!