Just finishing up another batch of stamped vases… some porcelain, some stoneware. All complete with colored flashing slip accents… and trying to dry ’em a bit quicker on an elevated plastic grid for better air-flow on all sides! Gotta get these babies into a bisque kiln quick… deadline approaching faster than I’d like…

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Just dropped off some new olive oil pourers at the cutest little olive oil boutique on Clark Street – CITY OLIVE!!! Stop by for amazing olive oils from around the world in all different flavors. You can even taste-test a few of them while you’re there! Then buy a bottle, some gourmet foods or put together an amazing gift basket with products from City Olive… 5644 North Clark, Chicago.

It’s always encouraging to see that people are actually out there USING the pottery that I make. All too often I hear that people save it, show it off, or that it’s just “too nice to use.” Well, my pottery is meant to be used!!! And I love seeing a dish drainer full of soda-fired pots drying off! Thanks Rosene for sharing your dish drainer!!

For the end of this summer session, my Tuesday night pottery students have been challenged to make two matching mugs to trade on our last night of class. Of course, I’ve got to make mine too… so I threw the cylinders in class showing them how to make “matching” pieces… and then I did a bit of stamping and now adding handles! I’m making two sets… just in case something goes “wrong” along the way!!! Just hedging my bets….

Huge thanks to everyone who came out this weekend for the
HINSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL. We had surprisingly great weather both days,
met quite a few fun people and a LOT of pots & mugs found their way off to new homes.
Thanks again!!!

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Waiting for someone to snatch ‘em up today at the HINSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL.
We are now officially open for the day. Giddy-up!!!

If that first batch of larger lidded jars was pretty sweet,
then these even smaller ones are even SWEETER ones!!!
Especially when you fill them with M&M’s!!!

Fresh from my soda kiln… a fun batch of lidded jars destined for my next two art fairs in Schaumburg & Hinsdale! Some fun colors & flashing effects… just showing that soda-fired pottery doesn’t always have to be crusty-brown or blasted-gray!!!

So you saw all of the prepping, glazing, wadding & loading…
so it only seems fitting to show you the finished results too!

I unloaded my soda kiln Monday night… and it was my quickest & most efficient unload ever… TWO HOURS unloaded, packed, shelves scraped, kiln washed, floor swept, garbage out, all done!!! In. Out. Done… oh, yeah, and a few pictures along the way!

Front stack of the kiln…

Back stack of the kiln…

And a few of the pieces still on the kiln shelves…

Stopped in the studio earlier this morning to take off a couple layers of brick so my kiln can cool even faster. Pretty pleased with the first glimpses… can’t wait to see everything as I unload later tonight!!!