Bringing out my favorite carving tools from DiamondCore Tools for some fun Christmas tree texturing! Nice crisp cuts with sharp tools… perfect for the glaze to pool & puddle in all the right places!!!

Spent the day with a bunch of great kids at Vernon Hills High School today… making a bunch of bowls, chatting about pottery & trying to inspire them to play with their clay more. After I threw two bags of clay… two dozen bowls… we talked some more and then started altering rims & decorating bowls. Great fun with a good number of “wow” moments… until the school bell rang & we ran out of time!!! Luckily, all of my bowls are staying there so that the students get to finish decorating, trimming & glazing them… and keep their new bowls!!!

10×10 : No sunrise ride today… what with the rain outside & my bike at the shop! So I started my day early in the studio instead. Cranking out another ten Christmas trees before 10:00 am. Is there such a thing as too many trees?… I think not.

10×10 : It was a busy morning trimming & making things “festive” in the studio.
More than ten done by 10:00am!!!

Just a little detailing & decorating… and they’re looking a lot more festive!!!

This past week in one of my pottery classes
we had a “demo-on-demand” request… and so it begins…

Putting the finishing touches on… a layer of clear glaze. Starting with the interiors & bottoms. The exteriors will be sprayed to cover with the shiny clear glaze… which when applied looks strangely like chocolate chip mint ice cream?!

Fun in the studio earlier this week trying to get these Ghouls finished.
Great colors & coverage with Amaco Velvet Underglazes.

Base coat of underglaze colors… already looking better!
Gotta add more color… say it three times!!! … Underglaze. Underglaze. Underglaze.

At one point last session, one of my “advanced beginning” students requested a demo on making a moon jar… well, there’s no lid… so it’s more like a spherical vase. We made one in class, and I was kind of enamored by it. So I made a few more!!! Thanks Allison for the request & inspiration!!!