Getting ready to pull some handles again!!!
The more you do, the easier they get… just sayin’…

It’s more than a little chilly here in Chicago. And it looks like Kim is working on something warm & yummy in her kitchen. Plenty of squash & pottery for everyone!!!

They’re coming along nicely… a fresh batch of hybrid mugs in the works!
Next up… trimming, then handles!

Here we go again… starting another batch of hybrid mugs. The coneflower pattern from my friends at MKM Pottery Tools was so popular last summer… I figured I should make more of them for this summer’s art fairs!

Last night in my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class… it’s Week Two and they just got their “Main Make” Project!!! While they’ll have ongoing challenges, contests & projects weekly… this ongoing project needs to be done & presented for critique & final judging at our last class in Week 10.

Since we’re in the dead of winter… I figured it’s Soup Season! So their challenge is to create a full Soup Service Set. Complete with a lidded soup tureen, tureen plate, ladle, four soup bowls & four soup spoons! That’s a hefty challenge to take on with a strict deadline looming.

And oh, but wait there’s more… you know I LOVE a good theme. And since it’s “Award Season”… our theme for the soup sets is “Academy Award Best Picture” movies. I printed out a bunch of movie posters for them to choose sight-unseen. They just got a little hint of the year it won the award!

They were all very excited about their big THROWDOWN challenge project. And there was a good bit of googling & researching as them began to ponder their theme and how to best approach the project. I can’t wait to see how their projects progress!!!

Last night during my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, my students brought back their “homework” projects for critique & judging. The goal was to “refine & finish” their set of four tumblers from the class before. Everyone did a great job… some went even further with colored slip, water etching, handles & even goblet bases!!!

Another chilly morning… a little more snow & a lot more icicles!!!

Accents painted & done! These mugs will be bisqued & then soda-fired. So they will not get any glaze on the exterior except for a little tenmoku in each stamped impression. The raw clay & colored flashing slips will transform in the kiln due to the firing process creating a nice “glazed” shine & flashing effects. Each one totally different based on where the flames hit it during the soda firing.

Just painting some details with colored flashing slips today. These areas will change colors in an upcoming soda firing kiln. These two should have accents of orange when this slip reacts to the soda atmosphere. Fingers crossed…

Was it just me who was completely surprised by the winter wonderland this morning?! I had no idea we were going to get snow… which was beautiful. The icy roads with absolutely no salt trucks?… not so much.