It was a pretty productive morning today in the studio. Seems like I always start with my “default”… making more MUGS!!! You know they’re my favorite thing to make!

After wiping away the excess underglaze, my SURFACE DECORATION students were left with cylinders with great “illustrations” incised into their cylinders highlighted with colorful underglaze. These will now dry & be bisque-fired… and then glazed. It was a great way for my class to wrap-up after tackling several different techniques over the past 10-weeks. Thanks for playing everyone!

After letting the underglaze set-up a bit in the carved areas, we gently wiped away the excess that was sitting on top of the wax resist… carefully leaving as much underglaze in the carved lines as possible.

After carving their mishima patterns, my SURFACE DECORATION students then painted the waxed surfaces with colored underglazes. The idea is that the underglaze can “fill” the carved patterns, but will sit on top of the wax everywhere else!

Last night we celebrated the end of our SURFACE DECORATION class with one last technique… MISHIMA. First we painted the surface with a layer of wax resist. Once dry, we carved designs into the clay with sharp-tipped tools… with the plan of carving through the wax & into the clay. Such focus… such determination…

Another quiet morning along the lake. The waves were rolling in as the sun was rising slowly through a hazy layer of clouds… err, maybe some of the “smoke” on the horizon from the Canadian wildfires? Not quite as crazy as what New York is experiencing… but it made for a cool red sunrise nonetheless.

So tonight is the last class for my SURFACE DECORATION students. Sure, we could sit back, relax & potluck… but instead I told them we have one more surface decoration technique to tackle!!! MISHIMA.

I told them to bring some leatherhard cylinders to class as part of their homework. And I told them that I would NOT be providing pre-made cylinders for them to practice on this time!!!

Okay… so maybe I lied.

So Monday night we had a little “party” in our final pottery class of the session. Lots of food & fun… and these two HUGE OREOs that practically cover my blue dinner plate! Thanks to Maureen for finding these huge goodies!!! More is more… but in this case BIGGER IS BETTER too!!!

Looks like my cousin Kimberley has had a bumper crop of fresh strawberries from her garden this year! They look amazing in her homemade strawberry shortcake… and her pottery collection. Including a berry bowl collaboration I did with Cory McCrory a couple years ago for ART IN THE GARDEN. Can’t wait to see what kind of a collaboration Cory & I pull together this year!

So tonight we’re finishing out my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class with a BANG!!! Celebrating the Top Three & the Big Finale of THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW! Slight spoiler… my student Martin is still in the Top Three!!! And we’ll be “revealing” the BIG WINNER later with a real “spoiler” if you haven’t watched yet. But first, what kind of party isn’t more fun with some GOLDen CORN?!!! More details to come…