Repetitive stamping on a stoneware platter. And some pretty sweet lighting & shadows from the regular IKEA work light on my wedging table. Go figure.

Here are the “glamour shots” of tonight’s freshly stamped platter.
For the mesmerizing video of this platter, click over to my pottery Facebook page.

After The Greeks, I was tap dancing on being visually overstimulated… but not quite.
So I continued my tour of old pots in the China Exhibit. And again, I was impressed by the pots in the exhibit… keeping in mind how old these pots are. Taken out of context of the museum exhibit, I think you could find most of these forms at any art fair nowadays!

A beautiful celadon teapot…

And a few examples of early sgrafitto… in graphic black & white…

And again, saved my favorite for last… love the pattern, the design, the colors…
and the “rusty-ness” look of it.

Last night in my pottery class we made a LOT of bowls!!! We started with a demo of how to make a good basic bowl. A bowl on purpose instead of a cylinder gone bad. We talked about gaining control of the clay and having a plan when you start. Sit down at the wheel and know what you’re going to make before you even start centering the clay.

So I threw one bowl for my students… and then “released them” back to their own wheels. While they practiced, I threw 15 more bowls… all basically the same. Simple. Round. Plain. Then we reconvened for Part Two of the evening’s demo.

We discussed the importance of playing with the clay and making it your own. Anyone can make a simple bowl. But making it “special” is a lot more fun. So I went through some quick tricks they can all do to make their bowls a little more fun. And begin to express themselves past the plain, round bowl. And the importance of being diligent and committing to a design. Don’t be tentative… no one likes an “iffy” pot. To start making their bowls with a purpose.

Bowl #1 – Four simple finger twists giving four fluted details.

Bowl #2 – And if four is good, eight flutes might be better.

Bowl #3 – A thin flange flared out to create a wider, decorative rim.

Bowl #4 – And if thin is good, thicker might be better. A wide flanged bowl… kinda like the ones you get at a fancy restaurant. Large bowl with one little bite of food in the bottom.

Bowl #5 – So why not combine the two – flanged & fluted rim.

Bowl #6 – A hollow rolled rim to give a bit of visual “bulk” and a grooved spiral.

Bowl #7 – A simple flower made in the bottom of the bowl with a dragonscale tool.

Bowl #8 – A split rim, then pinched back together in four places.

Bowl #9 – A sweet split rim “fluted” out with a round stick tool.

Bowl #10 – Another split rim with four flouted OUTs, and four fluted IN’s!

Then we discussed the fun option of colored slips. Basically a layer of colored clay “skin” that they can paint onto their pots. It’s a quick & easy way to add some flair to the pots. And sure, you can paint them with slip and leave them plain… or…

Bowl #11 – A thick layer of white slip and a spiral created by dragging a wood tool through it while the bowl was still rotating on the wheel.

Bowl #12 – Another layer of white slip. A paintbrush spiral in the bottom. Then some horiziontal banding along the top made with a wood tool pressing through while rotating. Then a little “basket weave” pattern by simply dragging through the bands.

Bowl #13 – A little bit thicker layer of slip, maybe double the normal amount, and then some fun finger squiggles… yep, my finger!

Bowl #14 – Another layer of white slip- then some decorative chattering through to reveal the clay color. Chattering is just rhythmic tapping of my rib through the slip while the bowl was spinning.

Bowl #15 – The plan here was to make a wide flange, paint it with slip and then do some decorative “fun” on the flange. But my students (err, Catherine) talked me into leaving it as it is for now… and then doing some stamping on the white slip. Their hope is that the stamps would reveal the clay color when pressed in. I doubt that it will. I think the white slip will just press in along with the stamp. But we’ll see…

Bowl #16 – A little colored ombre effect by blending two colors.

So for now they’re under wraps in my studio.
Part Three of the demo will happen there when I start stamping & detailing them all a little bit more. I’ll add more photos here as they progress.

Not for the faint of heart… or those who hate the twirling teacups at Great America.
But this video is pretty amazing thanks to the folks at Colossal online.
Simple enough… camera attached to the wheel… so it’s wheelthrowing a bottle from
the clay’s point-of-view! Hang on tight while we go for a spin!!!

As seen on Colossal…
Watching a ceramist work at a potter’s wheel is a mesmerizing and nearly meditative process as the wet clay slowly morphs into shape, spinning so quickly it loses definition almost completely. Eric Landon from Tortus Copenhagen was curious to see what things might look like from the clay’s perspective and mounted a camera to the edge of a potter’s wheel as he worked on a vase. It’s fascinating to see the world become a blur while the clay and wheel remains in sharp focus.

Click here for the fast-spinning, mesmerizing, wheelthrowing video!!!
And here’s a few “still-life” sneak peeks for those who don’t like to spin…

For more great videos and so much more… click here to visit Colossal online.

Look what came in the mail the other day… WHOO-HOO!!!

The BEST pottery weekend get-away of the year!!! Mark your calendars now.
Friday, May 6th… Saturday, May 7th.. and Sunday, May 8th, 2016.

It’s always over Mother’s Day Weekend in the St. Croix Valley area just north of Minneapolis. There are seven pottery studio locations in the area. Each with a host potter and a collection of talented friends. 57 potters in total. So many pots. So much fun!!!

It’s always a great time to drive around, visit all of the studios and chat with the artists. I’ve become friends with a few of them over the years. And always end up coming home with more pottery than I had planned on buying. How can I be expected to stop when there is incredible work everywhere you stop?!!! Unfortunately, I’m not one of the “chosen” potters invited to the Tour… dare to dream, right??? I’m thinking “write-in-campaign” ???

NEW THIS YEAR!!! So excited that one of my favorite potters is joining the tour this year as one of the Visiting Artists. I’ve admired Julia’s work for many years… and attended three of he workshops!!! Not quite a pottery stalker, but close.

For more about the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour, click here.
For more about Julia Galloway’s work, click here.

Homemade brownies on an a handmade plate.
Stamped, soda-fired and baked. Yummy!!!

Looking for a nice handmade Valentine’s Gift for that special someone?…
Here’s a quick glance of the ten mugs going up for sale next
Saturday, January 30th at Noon CST.

The photos here are for a little “window shopping” before the sale actually goes LIVE on my Facebook pottery page next Saturday. You can leave Comments here, but the only Comments that really matter are the ones next Saturday on Facebook that “claim” your mug! It’s going to be first come, first served… snag a great mug as soon as you can NEXT Saturday!!!

Each mug will be $50 which includes handling & shipping.
(contiguous US only please.)

Mug #A – stamped & soda-fired stoneware with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #B – stamped & soda-fired stoneware, orange flashing slip with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #C – stamped & soda-fired B-clay, Nichols Blue flashing slip with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #D – stamped & soda-fired stoneware with a temoku glaze liner & slight hints of green.

Mug #E – stamped & soda-fired B-clay, green glaze accents with a Shino glaze liner.

Mug #F – stamped & soda-fired porcelain with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #G – stamped & soda-fired stoneware with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #H – stamped & soda-fired stoneware, temoku glaze liner and drippy green glaze accents

Mug #I – stamped & soda-fired stoneware with a temoku glaze liner.

Mug #J – stamped porcelain cone 6 oxidation glaze.

Remember… these ten mugs go on sale NEXT Saturday, January 30th at Noon CST.
Click here for my Facebook pottery page. Click FOLLOW and get ready for next Saturday!

A lot of people commented that they missed out on the last online mug sale
back in early December 2015. So I thought it might be a good idea to do another one…
this time, in time for Valentine’s Day Gifts!!!

So the plan is much like the last online sale…
I will post photos of all the mugs here on my blog. Both sides of each mug for comparison.
Then next Saturday, January 30th at Noon CST, I will post the “official” Photo Album on my Facebook pottery page. Once posted on Facebook, it’s gonna be a first come, first served race to the end. The first person to post a Comment on a photo in the Facebook Photo Album with “claim” their prize.

Feel free to post comments here on the mugs, but keep in mind that
ONLY the first person to Comment on Facebook will get the mug!
Good luck!!!

Click here to go to my pottery Facebook page.
Be sure to click LIKE so you’re ready for the big sale next Saturday!