Striking clouds creating a colorful sunrise & moody reflections on the lake. This morning was ever-changing as the sun played amongst the clouds. Seemed like I was stopping every few minutes as the sky-show kept changing! And I didn’t mind at all… as it was STUNNING!!!

Another “sneak peek” into the ART IN THE GARDEN collaborations… this time it’s a glimpse into Cory McCrory’s studio! And some of the parts & pieces that she’s making to add onto our terra cotta birdhouses! I can’t wait to see how her whimsical handbuilding skills add to my birdhouses! Big debut next weekend in Glenview!

More info – www.grassrootsartfair.com

It took awhile, but I finished loading the soda kiln last night. Lots of pots made it in… and quite a few pumpkins!!! Firing today & unloading Monday night… just in time for ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend! Fresh new soda-fired pots coming soon!!!

As usual, I added some masking tape “seat belts” to my studio rolling cart… so that all of my glazed & waded pots would make it safely down to the kiln room via the rickety freight elevator… with none of them jumpin’ off along the way!

Last night started with an empty soda kiln… full of possibilities! Not quite sure why the bottom floor shelves are standing vertically?… but it’s an easy fix before loading!

Another beautiful sunrise with clear skies, warmer weather & smooth water perfect for some rippled reflections. A quiet & serene ride to start my day… and now it’s off to the studio to fire the soda kiln!!! At least I got to play outside a little today!

After applying a layer of tenmoku glaze into the stamped impressions. I wipe off the top surface with a damp sponge. This cleans the surface layer, but keeps the darker glaze in the stamps.

Doing a little glaze inlay into the stamped impressions. I like to fill the stampings with a dark tenmoku glaze so the pattern stands out a bit more after the soda-firing!

So this is what I’ve been looking at a lot the past couple days… bisque that needs to be glazed! I’ve been trying to stay focused & tackle it bit by bit. Seems like I’m right on schedule… but everyone knows that glazing is my least favorite part of the entire process!!!