After throwing their “perfect” dinner plate… my LILLSTREET THROWDOWNER’s were then challenged to make the largest platter they could with 6-pounds of clay! Remember, some of them had never made a plate… let alone a huge platter… let alone handling six pounds on a wheel!!! I did a quick demo for them… which they fully appreciated… and then I let them loose!!! And they all did AMAZING!!! Even surprising themselves with their newly-found platter-making skills!

So this week in my beginning Wheel class we discussed making “bowls on purpose, and not cylinders gone bad.” I did a demo… and then sent them off to make their own. Then I made “a few more” so we could start talking about alterations & surface decorations in an effort to make their basic bowls “not-so-basic”!

A quick batch of mug cylinders this morning… fulfilling another 10×10 challenge. Ten pieces thrown before 10:00am! Next up… stamping, trimming & handles!

Last night in my pottery class, my Beginners tackled trimming, pulling & attaching handles… thus finishing their first mugs. And it’s only Week Two!!

More then ten wheelthrown mug cylinders before 10:00am. A productive morning in the studio.

Last night was the kick-off of my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class!! With a great new group of potters ready to take on my silly games, races, projects & challenges!

Last night they started off throwing one “perfectly” mug shaped cylinder in their own style. Only to be followed up by a challenge to throw more cylinders that MATCHED… but not theirs, they had to match everyone else’s!!! Matching pots are tough enough, let alone matching someone else’s shape & style!!! Lots of pots, lots of fun!!! And we’re just getting started…

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to work with some artsy kids at Vernon Hills High School. What I thought was going to be a workshop mostly about altering & decorating bowls, turned into a much more “interactive” wheelthrowing class as many of them had never really thrown before?! Of course I encouraged & prodded them “just a little” to get the to lighten up, loosen up & get muddy in the clay with me.

I taught them some beginning basics… and then coached them along the way as I continued to throw two dozen bowls. At the end of the workshop, we started altering rims, adding some creative flair & blowing kid’s minds!!! I loved seeing their looks of shock & awe as I altered some of the bowls. They loved it… and I had a great time molding clay & molding young minds!

Spent the day with a bunch of great kids at Vernon Hills High School today… making a bunch of bowls, chatting about pottery & trying to inspire them to play with their clay more. After I threw two bags of clay… two dozen bowls… we talked some more and then started altering rims & decorating bowls. Great fun with a good number of “wow” moments… until the school bell rang & we ran out of time!!! Luckily, all of my bowls are staying there so that the students get to finish decorating, trimming & glazing them… and keep their new bowls!!!

10×10 : No sunrise ride today… what with the rain outside & my bike at the shop! So I started my day early in the studio instead. Cranking out another ten Christmas trees before 10:00 am. Is there such a thing as too many trees?… I think not.

By the end of class Tuesday, we had a tableful of bowls… all with some fun alterations & decorations! They’re safely under plastic for a couple days… as I think they “might” just need a little more. Perhaps a bit of stamping??? You know, more is more!!!