So then THIS is happening!

The soda kiln where I fire my work at Lillstreet Art Center is currently being demolished and rebuilt. It’s been about three years since it was last rebuilt… with practically weekly firings with a lot of soda mixture to slowly work its way into the kiln bricks eroding the surface & allowing some bricks to move a bit more than one would like! Looking forward to using the new kiln for my next soda firing!!!

Well, we’re finishing up another week of Wheelthrowing Summer Camp… and what better way than by having the kids clean-up after themselves… and after some of the adults too! Once again they decided to push the reclaim clay through the grid & wash down the bucket.

Something I’ve NEVER seen an adult student do…
and never with such a cute face involved!!!

So we’re back for another week of Summer Camp… and once again I’m in Wheelthrowing Camps all day! Sure, we could have them throw pots all day long, but they kinda like cleaning too! So why not have them tackle cleaning the community reclaim clay bucket?! The reason for the grid on the top is to press the clay through to make it smaller pieces for easier reclaiming later… a fact often lost on the adult students who just pile tons of clay on top! Not my kids though… they know to push it all through the grid! Thanks Emery & Hannah for making it happen today!

As part of last night’s “Sgraffito Surprise” demo in my SURFACE DECORATIONS class… I brought in my pal Susan Slogoff to show off some of her superior sgraffito skills. She’s one of our best sgraffito artists at Lillstreet and I knew that she would be a welcome “surprise” guest artist for my class! Susan shared info & did some demos before we unleashed my students to do their own sgraffito on some small porcelain plates I had pre-prepped for them!

Susan has been my teaching assistant for years, but with reduced class sizes at Lillstreet, we’ve also lost our assistants. It was so great to have her back in class with me… and looking forward to getting back to larger classes & having Susan back teaching with me!

A new show has popped up in the Lillstreet Gallery Annex on the second floor. Sculptural works by one of the new Artists-In-Residence… Corran Shrimpton. I was struck by this piece as it was the first one to show-up in the gallery space. Striking & powerful… as she reaches for the chalk eraser!

You gotta love some free pottery! Especially fun on this cool weathered window ledge in the back alley behind Lillstreet Art Center. An ever-changing assortment of seconds, demos & cast-offs from some of the potters & students at Lillstreet. It’s “grab-n-go” fun for everyone!!!

Tonight was the final night of our SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP at Lillstreet. My students finally got to unbrick the door of the soda kiln to see their new treasures inside! Its always an “emotional-adventure” when you start to see your new pots “revealed” as the door comes down row by row by row! Lots of oohh’s & aahh’s along the way… and a few ughh’s as well. I always tell students that just because it may not have turned out how you “expected” it to be… doesn’t mean it’s bad. Sometimes they just take a little longer to win your lovin’!

Lots of flames finding their way through the kiln bricks of the door! Mesmerizing & magical. I think my workshop participants were smitten with the flaming glow… just as I am every time I fire the soda kiln!!!

So this adorable creature just showed up on the Lillsttreet Show-Off Shelves… and I’m thinking he might need to be nominated for a new Lillstreet Mascot – just sayin’!!! Loving his punky attitude! Well done Heather!!!

Back stack loaded last night… pretty tight to the arched roof… nice!!!