After two amazing days of teaching my workshop with the Fairbanks Potters Guild, I had several demo pieces that needed to go somewhere… and not into my suitcase!!! So the four mugs were raffled off to four winners! Now they get to glaze & fire them. The bowl demos will be trimmed & glazed for their Empty Bowls fundraiser. And my large stamped platter will be finished & hang on the wall in Tammy’s studio where the workshop was held. Nice to know they’re all going somewhere good… better than squishing them up!!!

Day Two of my pottery workshop with the Fairbanks Potters Guild.
My fear was that when we returned to the studio all of their pots would be bone dry… or still soaking wet. I was hoping that they would be on the softer-side of leatherhard for good stamping… and they were!! YAY!!! We did a little heat-gunning to dry the stamps more before the potters arrived.

To get us started, I did a couple stamping demos using some bisqued stamps I brought with me. We also discussed how to use your texture tools to complement the design & shape of a pot… and maybe thinking the other way while throwing. Setting yourself up with a well-designed pot with good “canvas areas” for stamping later. So the stamps & textures are the focus, not an after-thought.

Throughout the day we stamped & textured everything. We also added some thick slip decorations to a few of the bowls… I love chattered slip!!! We trimmed our pots even though they were wetter than I would like. We even did a demo-on-demand for pulling handles… which I love! We also did some trimming & finishing of their hybrid mugs before adding handles. Again, we had a LOT of pots to work our way through… luckily we had all day!

This workshop was so much fun!!! They were a great group of people… so open, invested, encouraging & interactive. Everyone participated and I think had a great time making some newly-inspired pots. I was kind of wondering what I could offer a group of established potters… turns out there is always lot to share. I shared with them, and they shared with me! It will be interesting to see how they incorporate some of these new techniques into their pottery moving forward.

Huge thanks to all of the Fairbanks Potters Guild… you guys were the BEST!!! Thanks to my favorite Ida who was seemingly the all-knowing matriarch of the group… so much wisdom, so helpful, so nice!!! And thanks to Tammy for opening her studio & hosting the two-day event. Special thanks to Theresa for making this all happen. A simple email got me interested, and then Theresa worked out all of the details to make this workshop happen!!! Thanks to everyone for making this workshop a success & so much fun!!!

I love teaching. And I loved this workshop.
So if anyone else out there needs me to visit for a fun group workshop in your neck of the woods… just let me know! The more exotic the location the better!!! HA!!! I mean, it can’t hurt, right?!

And then the FUN began!!! Finally the whole reason I came to Alaska in the first place!!! To teach a pottery workshop for the Fairbanks Potters Guild. It was a two-day workshop basically to show them anything & everything I wanted to… plus, Theresa requested stamps & hybrid mugs!

So Saturday we did some introductions, told some stories, shared some insights & made a LOT of pots! It was a full day of interactive demos where I did the demos… and then they all had a chance to give my techniques a try. We went through a LOT of clay during the all-day workshop!!! So much fun!

We made mug cylinders, bowls on purpose instead of cylinders gone bad, altered not-so-basic bowls, platters & more! We also did a little combo wheelthrown & handbuilt hybrid mug form to be finished the second day.

We ended with a little stamp-making demo where they all made their own stamps. My hope was that their pots would slowly dry overnight to a “soft-leatherhard” overnight AND their stamps would be dry enough for them to stamp their pots! Fingers crossed… as we didn’t have enough time to dry & bisque the stamps!

I was very pleased with how Day One went. We made a LOT of pots & it seemed like everyone was having a good time. There were a few “a-ha” moments as I was showing them some of my techniques & tricks along the way. And in return, they all taught me a few things too. I also had a giggle when I saw possibly the “smallest sink ever” in the restroom. And yes, I did bring the OREOs!!!

After hiking all day and a fun “Meet & Greet” potluck dinner, Theresa & I headed over to RAVEN CITY CLAY STUDIO in Fairbanks. We wanted to stop in so I could see where the weekend workshop was going to be taking place. We met with Tammy, the owner, who walked us around & got the feel of the place. A nice studio with plenty of space, plenty of wheels & good lighting wheres she offers classes, camps & open studio times. We talked about the “plan” for the workshop. She was providing wheels , tools & clay for the participants… the rest was going to be pretty much up to me!!!

Okay, here we go!!! Welcome back to ALASKA!!! I’ve been spending a lot of time editing & cleaning out some of my photos… I “may have” taken far too many photos???… if that’s even possible??? And I finally think I’m ready to start sharing my ALASKA Adventure… through some quick photos & stories! We’re going chronological… starting at the beginning! So here go… giddy-up!!!

My Alaskan Adventure began with two flights… lots of blue skies & lots of clouds moving in as we got closer to Fairbanks. I traveled from Chicago to Seattle, and then Seattle to Fairbanks. I had a window seat both times so I could easily fall asleep… and the first flight I had plenty of extra leg room!!! Great flights… let the adventure begin!!!

And don’t think that I have forgotten about Alaska. How could I?… is was AMAZING!!!

It’s just that I’ve been crazy busy in the studio getting ready for this weekend’s soda kiln… and I have a TON of photos to go through editing & choosing the best of the best. I promise to post more photos soon. I’m thinking maybe a chronological day-by-day “journey” to show my travels, workshop & adventures through Alaska last week.

I had an amazing adventure up north in Alaska this past week. And I “might” have taken “just a few” photos along the way! I’ve got a LOT of editing to do… and I promise a lot of posts with a lot of photos. But it might take awhile… as I’ve got to get back into pottery-mode! That soda kiln is not going to load itself by Friday!!! So… until I have a chance, here are a few “teaser” photos from my time in Alaska! Not to mention all of the pottery fun I had with the Fairbanks Potters Guild & my personal “tour guide” Theresa!!! Thank you Alaska!!!

I had to travel all the way up to Alaska to find the newest flavor!!!
Well worth the trip!!! burp.

Everything is AMAZING up here. The workshop was yesterday & today…
then more touring fun to come. Tons of photos to come too… later…

Fairbanks Potters Guild… I’m comin’ for ya’!!! Let my Alaskan Adventure begin.