While unloading my soda kiln I practically filled a box with textured tiles.
The larger ones are already “spoken for” with an upcoming installation…
but I need to pull something together with these smaller ones for next weekend’s
HOLIDAY HOME SHOW. A couple new ClayQuilts coming soon!!!

Last night we played with clay to celebrate Kieran’s upcoming nuptials.
The “bachelorette” group had already been to the Art Institute, and had pizza for dinner,
next stop was the studio for some terra cotta fun! They all made textured slabs
that they turned into vases & mugs. So much fun to see them working together
through the generations. Such a wonderful group of family & friends…
which I’m honored to say I’m part of!

Who’s to say what “trouble” the girls got into though after they left the studio?!!!

Lots of fun & laughter… lots of encouragement & support… a lot of great pots!
All of which ended with little Ryann scrubbing down the tables!

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

So he’s at it again… the carving addiction has taken a hold of my student Dave.
My class demo intrigued him… so he bought his own DiamondCore Carving Tool…
and now he’s a force to be reckoned with. He’s definitely found a new direction for his work.
I can’t wait to see where this new passion takes him!!!

Spent part of my day yesterday wadding individual tiles for the soda kiln. Each and every tile… one by one… wad, wad, wad… all ready to be loaded into the kiln. The perfect “kiln filler” in between all of the other pots! Sure, it takes me longer to load the kiln, but by the time I’m done barely any of the empty shelf surface is showing!

Another day with dramatic “mood lighting” in my studio without the ceiling light.
Tough to work “in the dark”… but the task lighting sure does make the textures pop!!!

Great patterns & reliefs on pressed ceiling tiles in the theater lobby at Drury Lane. Might need to make some new stamps now???

So excited to bring my new soda-fired flower bricks to ART IN THE BARN this weekend!
I think they turned out pretty cool… can’t wait to see them with some flowers in them!!!
I’m hoping to get some good photos before they fly off the shelves!!!

And especially pleased that my first project using my new STODOLA texture rolling pins turned out well. They were fun to play with… can’t wait to make more cool textures with the carved rolling pins! Click here to check out their website!

I started off my day today putting together a few last minute ClayQuilts to bring to the art fair this weekend. Sure, I already had enough made… but I couldn’t help myself! More is more!!! So I spent the morning arranging & assembling hundreds of handmade textured tiles to make these wall pieces look “perfectly random.” Just in time so they could dry while I went out to Barrington to set-up my booth!

Lots of patterns, stamps & textures…
drying slowly on some elevated plastic grid so they dry more evenly -
hoping to avoid any warping with even airflow on both sides!