Hoping to crank out one last batch of hybrid mugs… quick, quick, quick!!!
Fingers crossed that I can get them done in time for next weekend’s soda kiln?!!!

A quick layer of black underglaze makes stark contrast with the white porcelain clay. Just making a few more pieces for Amy Taylor to play with… she’s doing some fun sgraffito sketches on the black areas specifically for ART IN THE GARDEN. It’s my next art fair in Glenview where many of the artists work together on special one-of-a-kind collaborations! This is just one… I have a few more collaborations “under wraps” to share soon… but first, time to go teach my Beginner’s class!!!

For more information, click here – https://www.grassrootsartfair.com/

Pretty little porcelain balls… going to try to crank out some quick porcelain pieces!!! After summer camp, but before teaching again tonight. Hopefully, setting up some good “canvases” for a little ART IN THE GARDEN collaboration project with one of “My Talented Friends”!

Adding a little “plump” to my pumpkins! Yep, it’s already pumpkin season in the studio! Tonight I worked on the first batch of pumpkins… trying to stay one small step ahead of the season! Summer Camp ends soon… so Fall can’t be that far away!

So tonight’s class demo was stacked two-part vase! I threw a 4-pound bottom cylinder, and then another 4-pound top cylinder that was bottomless. After they set-up a bit, I scored & slipped them & attached the two halves. Smoothed out the connection seam… then tried to smooth it out & reshape it into a nice, tall vase shape.

As I told my class, I would have liked to have the clay set-up a lot longer. But for class demo timing, we decided to go for it even though we all knew the clay was far to wet to hold up. So when the bottom section started to squish as we knew it would, we decided to cut it in half to see how thick the walls were. And I think it looks pretty good… nice thin & even walls… but you can clearly see how wet & squishy the clay was! We all knew it should have set-up more… but sometimes it’s fun to show a “fail” demo too!!!

I mean, who doesn’t like pottery with power tools?! Just drilling some holes through a couple new berry bowls… so much faster, so much louder!!!

After summer camp, but before teaching tonight… and I think I can crank out a quick batch of mini bowls. Fingers crossed…

Handles are attached & mugs are made. So now it’s time to add some accents of colored flashing slip before I set them out to dry. I like to paint the top “banded” area, and a little touch of color on each of the stamps. If all goes well, this colored slip will turn orange in my next soda firing!

Time to make some more mugs… or at least start adding handles! I pull them the old-fashioned way, and then loop them over so they can set-up a bit. I’m not sure what it says about me, but this kinda reminds me of a Rorschach Test… butterfly?… rib cage?… you tell me!!!

Just a quick morning of wheelthrowing… but it’s FAR too nice outside to work in the studio all day. So… wrapping them up because my bike is calling me again… gotta go play outside!!!