While porcelain is inherently white… and so many people love it because it’s SO white... I need to add a little color. So I paint on some colored slip accents on each mug. The top section above the stamped line gets a smooth coating of a colored flashing slip. Then each stamp also gets a small dab of the same colored slip to help draw the eye and the color down into the pot.

Once they’ve been accented with color, I can now leave them open to dry in my studio. All of these pastel slip colors will change dramatically in the soda firing atmosphere. The colors should get more vibrant, and have random effects caused by the flames touching the pot and deposited soda mixture.

Spent some time in the studio “detailing” this evening.

More bowls freshly stamped in the studio.
With all of the other talented artists at “Art In The Garden” this year… I’ve got to step up my game and make sure that I have some new work to show off in the garden as well!!!

Finished detailing another batch of mugs with colored flashing slips for my next soda kiln firing. Now to dry… then bisque… then glaze… then fire. Still a lot to do in the next couple weeks! Not to mention all of the other pots I still need to make to fill the kiln!!!

Some more textured tiles in the studio this evening.
Slab, pattern, square, repeat. Lots of textures. Lots of stamps. Lots of squares!

The other two-pots-thrown-as-one demo was a large chip & dip bowl.
So it’s now stamped and “drying” slowly in my studio… waiting to be trimmed.

This week’s class demos were about two-piece pots thrown as one. Like this large flower pot with an attached water tray. I threw the pot in class, but did the stamping later in my studio after it had stiffened up a bit.

Finished “detailing” a few more mugs this evening with accents of colored flashing slips. They’re now drying and waiting for a trip into my next bisque kiln.

Here’s my stamped demo platter again from tonight’s class.
Amazing how a little different lighting can make a world of difference.

So much more dramatic, huh?! And this is just from the compact fluorescent bulb in the task lighting on my wedging table. I like the dramatic shadows it provides, but not a huge fan of the yellow tint it gives everything?! But for a cheap IKEA task lamp, it’s not too bad!!!

Tonight I subbed for Dave Trost’s Advanced Wheelthrowing Class.
I gave them the option for whatever they wanted me to show them… “Demo On Demand.”
One guy requested a goblet thrown as one piece, and I offered up a stamped platter.
Other than those demos. it was a pretty easy night… no crazy requests?! Bring it on!!!

So I did a platter demo, both throwing & stamping.
Presumably the “best” demo that class has ever seen!!!
Or at least that’s what we’re telling Dave when he gets back from vacation! Ha!!!

So here’s my stamped demo platter…

And here’s one of the student’s stamped platters. Nicely done Stephanie!
I love when students actually follow along and do the demo piece in class.