So our ceramic classes have started up again at Lillstreet Art Center.
Again this session, I am teaching wheelthrowing class for beginners & “advanced” beginners
on Tuesday nights.  Also, again this session, my class is full… with a waiting list!!!

uh oh… what am I going to do when “LOST” starts up on Tuesday nights?…
can you say TiVO?!!!

My class is filled with a great mix of energetic potters-to-be… some brand new to clay,
some brand new to Lillstreet, and some returning for “another tour of duty” in clay.
I have quite a few returning students which is always fun for me… continuing with them
from where we left off last session. We also have a few students “crossing over” and
joining my class from other previous classes. The new ones are in for an adventure…
it’s only Week #2, but they’re already having a great time getting dirty!!!

Next week, in addition to “throwing taller”… we’re also making STAMPS!!!

Another night in the studio… a night of bowls… a night of stamping.

Another night of stamping in the studio. More pots… more stamps… more fun!
Still working to get some new work ready for the holidays. I have three glaze kilns lined up
in the coming weeks… gotta get the pieces thrown, stamped & trimmed…
and dried in time to get them bisqued & glazed for the kiln firings! Busy, busy…

Stampin’ round & round… quite literally!

Still getting ready for next weekend’s Art In The Barn… and tonight I was glazing!!!
I typically start by inlaying glaze into all of the stamps by filling them all
with glaze and then wiping off the top surface… allowing the glaze that is actually inside
the stamp to stay there. I find that it really helps accentuate the stamp pattern!

After the stamps have been inlaid & wiped, then they each get a liner glaze on the inside.
Some of them might even get a little accent color sprayed on the exterior… and then every
pot needs to be wadded before it can go into the soda kiln. Still have a long ways to go…

A couple days later… the newly thrown cylinders have dried a bit
so they are now a little stiffer, not quite sticky – and a good stage for stamping.
So I stamped all of the “soon-to-be-mugs” going down the line…
and then trimmed all of the bottoms again going down the line!

Handles will have to wait for another day…

While getting ready for the next art fair, I needed to replenish my inventory
of smaller mugs. Personally, I don’t know why anyone would want
a small mug?!… I think if you’re going to drink something, drink a lot of it!
The larger the mug, the fewer times I need to refill it! But that’s just me…

So I started by throwing the smaller cup forms. Once they get to a damp,
leather-hard state, I start stamping them and then trim the bottoms as they
begin to stiffen up a bit more.

After stamping & trimming, I attach the handles and then keep them covered
in plastic overnight to allow the moisture level to balance out between the
leather-hard cup and the wetter, fresh handles.

The next day, I add the finishing touch… some soda slip accents in assorted colors.
These slips will react nicely to the soda atmosphere in the kiln as they are being fired.

And there we are… several steps closer to having more mini mugs!
And now on to drying, bisque firing, glazing, wadding and firing again!
Just a few more steps to go…

This morning’s sunrise was simply spectacular.

There’s no better way to start your day…
than playing along the lakefront, enjoying the quiet serenity of morning…
and watching the beauty of nature’s morning announcement greet the day!
It’s amazing what a difference five minutes can make!

Okay… so “My Favorite Stamp” is of course first out of the box…
but there’s a very close “Runner-Up.” I hate to play favorites!
It’s a little larger. A little rounder. A little smoother… suitable for many surfaces.
And has a tendency to show up every time I start stamping a batch of pots!

One thing that I especially like about both stamps, is that they both leave a
“raised section” in the which is perfect for highlighting with a little contrasting slip!

So… for those of you who have been watching my work and paying attention
over the past couple years, you may have noticed that certain stamps get used
more often than others – with one or two in particular!

So I thought I’d share with you “my favorite stamp”!
Yep, it seems like this is the one that I turn to “when all else fails.”
There are literally hundreds of stamps in my arsenal – and yet a few favorites
keep surfacing… when I go to make my surface textures! Surprisingly…
it is also one of my first handmade stamps!

Tonight I stamped a couple serving bowls – all with that one stamp!!!
One stamp at a time… over… and over.. and over!