With my next soda kiln just a week away, I made one last batch of textured slab vases.
They’re perfect pieces to fit on the top shelf… hopefully fitting in perfectly along the
curve of the roof. Unfortunately, I only finished these yesterday, so they’re not quite dry!
But, I need to get them into my next bisque kiln if they’re going to make it into my
soda kiln next weekend. What to do?… well, I’m going to put them in, do a little
pre-heat, fire slowly and hope for the best!

With my next soda kiln less than two weeks away, it’s time to start making some of the taller
pieces that will go on the top shelves… and follow the curve of the roof quite nicely. These
large slab vases are a lot of fun to make with different textures on each side of each vase.

Now that they’re all stamped and ready to start drying, I just need to add some colored
slip details on them. Good thing Flat Stanley stopped by to help!

Yep, my first grade niece Taylor read one of the “Flat Stanley” books and is now watching
Stanley travel around. I received Flat Stanley in the mail yesterday and have about a week
to capture his travels and exploits around the city. I thought it only fitting that Flat Stanley’s
first stop would have to be the studio where Taylor loves to play in the mud!
Apparently Flat Stanley like to play in the mud too!

So tonight while I was in the studio, I checked the bowls we threw last night
during my Beginning Wheel class demo. They were protected under plastic
and drying slowly. Luckily, with a little patience, they were ready to stamp a
few details into a couple of them. If you want to compare them to the original,
check the blog post from yesterday… you’ll the difference a little stamping can do!!!

Bowl #2 – Flanged… and now stamped!

Bowl #3 – Flanged, Fluted & Flopped… and now stamped!

Bowl #4 – Wide Flange… and now stamped!

Bowl #6 – Divided, Pinched, Squared… and now stamped!
Once this one gets trimmed, I’m also planning on adding some little “balls” on top
of the four pinch points. I’m not really a fan of the “pinch marks.” So I think they’ll
need some “creative camouflage.”

Yesterday I spent the day with my cousin Michael from Minnesota and his family.
They came down to Chicago for Spring Break and we had planned a full day of clay fun
at the studio. We started making terra cotta planters with textures – everyone working
on their own planter. They all learned the basics… and set off to work…

And then, unfortunately… the day took a turn!
As we were about halfway done with our planters, I started feeling a little light-headed.
A little dizzy… and the next thing I knew, I was down for the count. Literally. Down.
Drama. Embarrassment. Paramedics. And a trip to the hospital to get checked out.

Apparently, I was dehydrated and my body wasn’t happy with that. They checked my vitals
and everything was fine. Except for the back of my head where it “met” the wedging table
on the way down. So I now have four staples on the back of my head. Yeah, souvenirs!

The doctor said I should get plenty of liquids and bring up my blood sugar level…
so we all went for a wonderful dinner at my favorite restaurant Rose Angeli’s.
And I had plenty of HOT caramel sauce for medicinal purposes!

More of my “catch-it-while-it’s-clean” studio photo tour… a little closer up this time!

Tonight was week #9 of my beginning wheelthrowing class. Only one more week!
They have all of the basic skills and are busy working & making pots!

So tonight I thought it would be great to surprise them all with a wonderful surface
decoration demonstration by my friend & potter Amy Higgason. Amy has been in town
for the weekend, and after her Trunk Show on Friday, we thought it would be fun for her
to do a demo for my class. So Amy threw a few pots last Friday, trimmed ’em today
and set off carving them tonight! A special treat for my students.

Amy started her demo with a discussion of the tools she uses… a few simple tools
that make a wide range of textures & patterns. Some of them actual ceramic tools,
while others are found items like a broken TV antennae! She then started in on her
demonstration of how she decorates a simple bowl.
Yeah, well it started out simple anyway…

Suddenly, not so simple of a bowl any more!!!

Then she moved on to a small creamer pitcher. A quick trick of cutting a vase shape to make
the spout. A little wetting, sponging, finessing and shaping to create the spout. After the spout
is formed, she then set in to the carving & decorating of this piece.

Amy then showed my class how she makes her leaf-shaped handles out of a slab.

And then in Amy World, a pitcher can’t be just a pitcher… it needs a saucer to sit on too!
And not just any saucer, but an over-the-top, decoratively carved plate!!!

And then to close out the evening, I surprised Amy with a birthday cake
to help celebrate her big day. Nothing says birthday like a big chocolate cake!!!

So let me send out a quick Thank You again to Amy Higgason for sharing her talents
& creativity with us. I’m sure my students were inspired and will be incorporating some of
her techniques into their work. I know I enjoyed Amy’s time here this weekend,
and I hope she had some fun with us celebrating her big birthday!

You know how I love texture… and repetitive patterns… and excess creativity!
Well, apparently so does my friend Northwoods potter friend Amy Higgason…
and here are a few detail shots of her incredible pieces! See what I mean?…

Tonight was Amy Higgason’s “unofficial” Trunk Show in my studio at Lillstreet Art Center.
She drove down from the Wisconsin Northwoods yesterday, escaping three feet of snow!!!
Today she made it to the my studio and we quickly got to converting my display shelves
and work areas to be “The Amy Show”. It’s been several years since Amy had a studio at
Lillstreet, so it was kind of a return to her roots. She brought a lot of her latest work, many
fresh out of the kiln, to show off in my studio for her Trunk Show. Special thanks to everyone
who braved the elements to come and see Amy and her work.

You can tell from Amy’s work that she is quite an illustrator, as well as potter.
Many of her pots are more like visual “paintings” on clay. So much work and so many hours
go into every pot she creates. With a multitude of textures, patterns & colors, Amy’s work
draws you in and makes you want to touch every piece!

A friend of ours has made a keen observation about both of our styles. Pat Howe decided that
Amy’s work is “feathery” and my work is “footprinty.” At first we all laughed… but in hindsight,
he was oddly insightful and onto something. Amy and I are definitely working with some of the
same aesthetics, yet using our own techniques developed over the years.

I think that Amy had a good time tonight showing her work in the Chicago area after 8 years.
Seeing some familiar faces around Lillstreet. Getting away from her frozen tundra at home!!!

I always think it’s important to support and help promote your friends. Making your way
as a full-time artist is a tough road. And everyone needs a little help now and again.
So I was pleased to give Amy the exposure she deserves in my studio tonight! She makes
incredible ceramic works but is somewhat “isolated” by living up in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
While her home & studio are located in the middle of Nature’s beauty, there’s also not a lot of
“pottery shopper” traffic. Hopefully, she made some contacts tonight, and exposed her work to
people who may never had seen her if she never made it out of the Northwoods…
especially with the recent snowstorm that almost cancelled her trip simply because
she almost couldn’t get out of her own driveway!!!

I’ve always said that I love having “Talented Friends.” Not only in their artistic endeavors,
but also in their ability to express themselves, share their ideas and inspire others.
Our pottery community is a lot smaller than people would expect. And I think it’s important
for each of us to support each other, educate people about pottery, and promote handmade
crafts   & small businesses whenever given the chance. Enough preaching to the choir…
you get it.

If you didn’t get a chance to see Amy tonight, her work will continue to be on display
in my studio space through Tuesday night, March 6th.