Hard to believe that Summer is coming to an end soon, but…
Tonight was the last wheelthrowing class of our Summer Session at Lillstreet
Art Center. So we celebrated with a great potluck with tons of great treats!
We now have one week off… and then the Fall Session starts up again on
September 11th. So sign up today – as my class is filling up fast!

Click here to register online with the Lillstreet website!

Last Tuesday, I did some repeat demos for my class for those that missed them
the first time… or didn’t find them quite as easy when they tried to do them!
Totally fine by me. It’s their class and I’m more than willing to demo whatever they want.
And now I find myself with another demo platter thrown and waiting to be stamped.
Well, tonight was the night. First, I started by unwrapping the original platter which was
finally to a good state of leather-hardness to be stamped… just a little softer than
“trimming leather-hardness” typically is.

Then I start by making the first row of impressions with the chosen stamp pressed in one,
by one, by one, by one… again, and again, and again… until you get all the way around
to the other side! And I always have my fingers crossed that they’ll line up just fine!!!

Then it’s time for a second row of stamps to start the pattern…

After a couple more stamps, and a few smaller accent stamps at the bottom of each point
and the stamping portion was done.

Then it was time for a little rim fluting & curving to give the platter a gentle undulating
design. A simple touch to give the platter a completely different look.

Here’s a close-up of the curved rim – just before wrapping it up with plastic for the night.
So now it’s a waiting game until it is dry enough for trimming.

Tonight in my beginning wheel class we tackled basic glazing techniques…
and then continued our throwing demonstrations with plates & platters.
I showed my students how to throw the plate. Then we discussed how plates are pretty
easy to throw… starting with a wide, low, flat cylinder… but tougher to trim & dry properly.

3-pound plate with white slip decoration – squiggled while still spinning!

6-pound platter… pretty plain now, but soon will be stamped which is no surprise!

So last night was my “basic bowl” demonstration for my wheel throwing class!
We were working on making each bowl different and unique. After class, I brought them
all upstairs to my studio so that I could do a little more work on them. So today after camp,
I spent some time refining & stamping the bowl samples. It will be fun to show my students
how they’ve all been transformed seemingly “overnight.”

This first bowl has a flared out rim… plain & flat until you add some stamped fun!

This second one has the same flared rim, but with the addition of fluted curves. A simple
ring of stamps keeps the gently undulation of the rim intact without overpowering it.

This third bowl had a simple, solid layer of white slip inside. Kinda plain & boring.
But a quick textured rim makes all the difference. One stamp… again, and again, and again!

One of my students asked about a “squared-off” bowl form, so I took the split rim and
literally pulled out the corners to create a square-ish bowl. But it seemed a little predictable.
So I decided to highlight two opposing sides as a “canvas” for some fun stamping,
and changed the split rim on those same sides!

With a wider flanged rim, I originally though I was going to stamp the whole thing.
But then I thought “hey, I do that all the time.” So I forced myself to try something a
little different. Nice… but I’m not quite sure if I like it or not?

So there it is, the demo behind the demo. The “magic” that occurs in my studio after class
ends. The bowls are still wrapped overnight and waiting to be trimmed and finished. I may
actually add some more “fun” to the bowls before they done and ready for the bisque kiln.

Part One of tonight’s class demo was about making bowls on purpose…
not a cylinder gone bad. Part Two was how to quickly turn 10 “matching” bowls
into 10 “unique” bowls with just a few quick tricks!

So I did the basic bowl demo to show my students how to make a bowl “the right way.”
Then, as they went back to their wheels to make their own bowls, I quickly threw nine more
basic bowls. We regrouped for Part Two where I showed them fluting, flaring, slipping,
swirling, chattering and other fun tricks! My main goal for the night is to get them over the
fear of playing with their clay. To show them that you can push it further, twist it, bend it,
shape it. That each piece doesn’t have to be so precious. That if you let yourself try a few
new things you might just make something special along the way. So go ahead…
play with your clay!!!

After the two-part bowl demo, we also did some slip painting, throwing off the hump,
throwing spouts and stamp making. It was a very busy class tonight. I kinda felt like
I had some making-up to do after missing the last two classes due to my extended
FIREFLY trip to Dover?!

Tonight was the first night of the new Summer Session of classes at Lillstreet Art Center.
My beginning wheelthrowing students seem to be a little more “advanced” than normal.
Generally it’s a bunch of people who are pretty “new” to clay and are looking for a fun hobby
with a few returning beginners sprinkled in. Apparently not this time.

Should I be concerned that on the list of project requests from my “beginners” was a teapot?!
Or the birdfeeder?! What?… in a beginning wheelthrowing class?! Really?! Beginners?!!!

We’ll see… you know how I love a challenge!!!

The new summer session of adult classes begins in two weeks.
I will once again be teaching my Tuesday night wheelthrowing class
for beginners & returning beginners. It’s an 8-week class starting on July 10th.
The class is already half-full, so sign up soon before you’re left out!

Stop by Lillstreet, call in or click here to register online!

Today was a very long day… playing & teaching.
With the kids wheelthrowing in the morning, more kids drawing & making collages
in the afternoon, plus my adult class wheelthrowing in the evening.
It was a trifecta of creative fun!

This past Tuesday was the last night for my Spring Wheelthrowing Class at Lillstreet.
As usual, we celebrated with a potluck in class… complete with ice cream sundaes
and my very own homemade, hot fudge sauce! Thanks to Grandma’s recipe!!!
Hard to believe that 10 weeks of class have already come & gone. But always so fun
to see how far my students have progressed from that first night of frustration.

So now we’re on to the next session…
Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing

4-Week June Session : Tuesday Nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm
Generally for those who just want to continue working on their projects. Plus the perfect
chance for newbies to get a quick taste of wheelthrowing fun. Four weeks is a little too
quick to cover “everything” – but we’ll try our best!

8-Week Summer Session : Tuesday Nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm
Starting the first Tuesday after the 4th of July, the new session starts and goes
through the months of July & August. We’ll cover all of the basics from wedging,
centering, throwing, trimming & glazing. The full process squeezed into 8 weeks.
Plus, we always try to tailor the syllabus for those returning students who want to
focus on a certain form or technique.

Registration for both sessions is already open.
Stop by Lillstreet Art Center, give ’em a call or register online by clicking here.
Be sure to sign up soon before the class gets filled up!

It’s official… Summer Camp starts on Monday at Lillstreet Art Center.
Another fun summer of playing with kids & art supplies… creating… laughing…
and maybe even teaching them a few things along the way!

Summer Camps at Lillstreet are for the full week. Kids have a choice of taking the
morning session from 9:00am-1:00pm, the afternoon session from 1:00pm-3:30pm,
or putting both together for a full day of fun. There is even an “after camp” option for
those kids who need to stay later until Mom or Dad can get off work to pick them up.

These are the weeks when I’ll be teaching camps…
Besides the first week, all of my camp are “full-day” camps from 9:00am-3:30pm.
My camps are also designed for kids who are 8-12 years old.
There are plenty of other camps for kids of all ages.

Week B – June 11-15 – Wheelthrowing AM, Clay & Multimedia PM
Wheelthrowing basics from start to finish. We’ll wedge, center & throw on Monday
and work our way to glazing on Friday! Clay & Multimedia is a clay handbuilding project
on Monday and other random art projects throughout the week… quite possibly
with tie-dye on Thursday!

Week D – June 25-29 – Garden Camp
It’s a full week camp art projects for the garden. Planters, flower boxes, lawn ornaments
and maybe even a totem pole along the way?!

Week E – July 9-13 – Fire, Forge & Feast
We start the week on the “dirty side of the building” making clay plates, bowls, cups and
handles on Monday & Tuesday. Then we move over to the “clean side” on Wednesday &
Thursday to make metal knives, forks & spoons. Friday we put it all together and have a
great potluck lunch on their finished dinnerware sets! These week I co-teach with
Pam Robinson who is the one in charge of the Metals Dept. at Lillstreet –
and an incredible metalsmith in her own right!

Week F should have been Chess Camp, but I got “pulled away” for a two-week “glitter gig”
in Dover, Delaware. So the camp is still running, but I won’t be the teacher this summer.
Instead, my friend Dave Trost will be taking the helm. His whimsical & satirical approach
to sculpture will really be fun for the kids! Still… no Chess fun for me this summer. Bummer.

Week H – July 30 – August 3 – Wild Things!
It’s a wild week filled with animals every step of the way. All of our projects are
animal themed. Including a Field Trip to Lincoln Park Zoo on Tuesday.

Week I – August 6-10 – Fire, Forge & Feast
So much fun the first time… so we’re offering it twice this Summer!

Week J – August 13-17 – Masters Camp
A little bit of Art History, thrown in with a lot of fun art projects! We go to the Art Institute
on Tuesday for inspiration – and all art projects this week are done “in the style of” a famous
master artist. The week culminates with a “gallery show” of the kids works!

Check out the Lillstreet website for a full listing of Summer Camps.
There’s a lot of Clay & Multimedia Camps, as well as metalsmithing, painting, etc… and
plenty of specialty camps like Movie Making, Cartooning, Sewing, Fashion Design & more!
It’s always a fun summer at Lillstreet Art Center.