Okay, so this may have been my favorite pot from the entire LILLSTREET SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP… because it comes with a great story!

So back in 2017, Carmina was in my beginning wheelthrowing class. But for one of our classes we focused on handbuilding. San Francisco potter Kate Chenok had contacted me as one of my Facebook Fans saying that she was coming to Chicago and asked if she could stop by for a visit… and I said yes, of course… but then I encouraged her to do a class demo while she was here. She was so gracious and did an AMAZING demo for my class. She brought her templates and showed my class how to make these cute textured-slab-darted cups. So the story is… that Carmina made this cup back in 2017… and has been wondering how to glaze it ever since?! Until this workshop…so SIX YEARS LATER it is finally done!!!

Good save Carmina… I’m glad you waited.

To see more about Kate’s visit and the demos she did for my class… click here… http://firewhenreadypottery.com/2017/06/class-demo-by-a-visiting-artist-kate-chenok/

And then be sure to click here to see more of Kate Chenok’s work… https://www.glazedoverceramicsorinda.com/

This week has been crazy busy with teaching class & preparing for my Lillstreet 3-Day Soda-Firing Workshop this weekend… and getting some new stuff ready for “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” for next weekend. So I’ve spent a bit of time adding some inlaid glaze to these highly textured pieces.

There is already some colored flashing slip accent in the stamped areas… but I wanted the impressions to be highlighted too. So I’ve added some tenmoku glaze into them & gently wiped it off the top surface to reveal some more contrast that I’m hoping the soda kiln will love!!!

So I’ve been glazing the latest batch of “hybrid mugs” in preparation for this weekends Soda-Firing Workshop. A simple liner glaze of tenmoku… and then I had to decide which ones to leave raw outside, and which ones need a bit more lovin’ & a bit more colored glaze accents before soda-firing.

Another large serving platter… stamped & textured using two simple tools. Each stamped impression pressed in one-by-one… by one… by one… by one… just “a couple” impressions to fill it in all the way around the platter!

Little textures. Lots of glazing. And a BIG plan coming together… I just hope it comes even close to how I imagine it in my head?!

Celebrating another TEXTURE TUESDAY with some fun stamped & soda-fired textures! And looking forward to this weekend when I share some “soda-fun” by teaching a 3-DAY SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP at Lillstreet Art Center. It’s a fast-paced weekend for my workshop students to get a quick taste of the soda-firing process… hoping they love their results after the firing. I’m sure there will be some great photos to come!!!

A lot of stamping yesterday… followed by a LOT of colored flashing slip accents painted in all the right places today!!! You know I work best under deadline… rush, rush… it’s all coming together!!!

Pretty excited about this first batch of “hybrid” mugs… half wheelthrown, half handbuilt… using my new MKM Pottery Tools for some great patterns & textures. I’m pretty sure the soda kiln is going to LOVE making all of these textures really pop!!!

Just a little bit of stamping going on today… one last project I think I can still get done in time for next weekend’s soda kiln firing?!

Another quick batch of textured “tiles” getting ready for the kiln… hoping that this very loose plan will come together in time for “4×4 : Four Makers” in Evanston. It’s a bit sketchy still… fingers crossed…