Just finished a bit of stamping on the latest batch of mugs. Hoping to get these all done in the next couple days… so there’s time to dry, bisque fire, glaze & fire again before my Holiday Home Show!!!

Had to swing by the studio for a little Sunday stamping!!! When your pots are drying, you need to catch them at just the right point to get some good stamped impressions. A little on the wetter-side of leatherhard. And this class-demo platter was ready… so I did a little stamping… all done with just one of my own handmade clay stamps!

Last night in my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, we had wonderful demo about mocha diffusion as a kind of surface decoration. Spencer had “requested” a demo on mocha diffusion… but then I flipped it and challenged them to do the research, give it a try & then share a demo with the class. Spencer practiced over the weekend, I offered some advice along the way… and I made a bunch of trimmed cylinders for my students to play with. Spencer did a great demo… everyone was excited… and they made some really cool pots with their new surface technique. Thank for a fun demo Spencer! You rocked it!!!

Currently on display in the Gallery at LILLSTREET ART CENTER, some amazing pots by Steven Young Lee. He makes these crazy cool, precisely thrown & exquisitely decorated porcelain vessels – that then “explode” and crumble down on themselves in the kiln!

According to his Artist Statement… Steve says “Intentionally deconstructing vessels recalibrates notions of classical perfection and beauty and seeks to critique ideas of failure and expectation, craft skill and the innate value of an object. By making porcelain vessels intended to crack in the firing and morphing decorative practices, I am challenging a deep history of craft protocols and questioning the boundaries and authenticity of identity, ownership and intent.”

I’m still not sure I truly “get it”… and I’m glad he didn’t teach us to do THIS in class…
or my pots might look quite different these days!!! HA!!!

I can tell you that Steve Lee is my favorite pottery instructor I’ve ever had. He taught classes at the old Lillstreet location (actually on Lill Street). I had the chance to learn from “the master” and improve my own skill set. Mostly learning how to create different forms & to throw with intention. He was a “tough” teacher with high expectations for his students to follow. I think I learned a lot from Steve – both in making pots & teaching skills. So much so that I even took my own Monday night class into the Gallery to view his pieces… paying it forward & inspiring the next wave of Lillstreet Potters! Thank You Steve!

Just doin’ a little sgraffito carving through white slip with one of my favorite carving tools from DiamondCore Tools. This was the “last” of my class demo bowls… finally leatherhard enough to carve!

After Tuesday night’s class demo on “not-so-basic bowls”…
I just did a few things in my studio to make them “not-so-basicER”!!!
More is more, right?i

More details… more “not-so-basic” bowls! Here are all of the bowls from last night’s class demo about making bowls on purpose… and not cylinders gone bad! A little flick, a little twist, a little slip… voila’!!!

So then THIS happened!!! Last night in class I showed my Beginners some quick tricks & techniques to add some style to their pottery! A quick tutorial with rim alterations & colored slip accents… effectively turning my fourteen “matching” bowls into “not-so-basic” bowls!

Another platter off to a new home! Lots of pots left my booth this weekend to find their new forever homes. So fun to see people get excited… touch, love & fondle… and decide that they “need” to have one of my pieces in their life!

Pressing one of my handmade clay stamps into the clay one by one… by one… by one…

Now if only that center section weren’t so plain & flat?… more to come???
More is more!!!