Last week in my Intermediate Wheel class, we decided to tackle wheelthrown Christmas trees… as they seem to be all the rage on Instagram! So we started throwing and soon enough had a forest of groovy shapes & styles!!!

And here are my class demos… more trees & more styles to come…

So now the soda kiln is empty once more… although I do still have some cleaning to do! Ugh. Gotta scrape the shelves, re-kiln wash them, clean the fire box & tidy up the kiln room. Ahhh… the glamorous side of soda-firing!

Another beautiful flower from the rooftop of Lillstreet… and one last rooftop lunch with my Summer Campers! They’re in the final stretch of painting & finishing all of their chess pieces! Nearing the end of another wonderful summer of teaching & playing with the kids… making cool art projects along the way!

Enjoying the flowers, the beautiful weather and one of the last afternoons sitting on the Lillstreet Rooftop having a fun lunch with my Summer Campers. We’re in the middle of CHESS CAMP… which is also my last camp of the summer. Checkmate!

Starting out the morning with clean reclaim buckets… as Nate volunteered to press all of the dried reclaim terra cotta through the grate on top… as intended. I love when my Summer Campers just start volunteering to do projects around the studio making it a better place for everyone. As though they’re part of the community. Taking one for the team. Now if we could just get some more of the adult students to follow Nate’s lead… wouldn’t THAT be great?!

A little early-morning Summer Camp still-life…
red & ready… the calm before the storm!

Enjoying a little sunshine this afternoon lunching on the Lillstreet Rooftop with my Summer Campers… along with a black swallowtail butterfly who seems to be enjoying his floral lunch as well.

Well, we’re one arch closer to getting the Lillstreet soda kiln back up & running. Still need a few more bricks to fill in some of those holes!!! Doug Jeppesen & Neil Estrick have been working hard to get it done for us! Can’t wait to get it firing again! It’s getting there… brick by brick!!!

Starting off another day of Summer Camp looking longingly through the skylights at Lillstreet… just waiting for my kids to show up!

Looks like the new Lillstreet soda kiln is coming along quite nicely… brick by brick. Thanks to Doug Jeppesen & Neil Estrick for working on our kiln for us!