While the new class session starts this week, I found these pictures from last session… when one of my Intermediate Wheel students was working on decorating this large platter. Maya has been working on making a collection of large platters to install on her wall at home. They all have a “leaf motif”… like this one with fresh oak leaves pressed onto her platter, painted with thick white slip… and then the leaves removed to leave natural impressions & patterns. Beautifully done Maya!!!

After playing outside all day, I just had to get into the studio tonight to get a bit of work done. So I’m tackling a new batch of mugs… shocker, I know… but this time I’m trying out a new clay body!!! Sure, I coulda done a test tile or something first. But that just not how I roll. I’m all in!!!

I typically use a lot of B-Clay… but the last time I bought clay from Continental Clay they suggested “B-Clay with Grog.” It threw beautifully, seems to be drying a bit faster… and I can’t wait to see how it reacts in the soda kiln!!!

Always exciting to find a monarch caterpillar out in the wild… even if they are eating away the milkweeds – HA! These orange milkweeds must be a “specialty” flavor for them?!

Pedaling through prairies & wildflowers this afternoon… amazed at the colors & textures already blooming out there. The wildflowers were amazing… but let’s just say, that red-winged blackbird was NOT so happy to see me there! Protecting his area… screeching & dive-bombing at me… telling me to move on away from his territory!

A beautiful afternoon of biking away from the lakefront for a scenic change of pace. Enjoyed the tranquility pedaling through some of the lakes & ponds out in the forest preserves!

Quiet colors. Pastoral pastels. Shrouded sunrise. Not really sure if it’s clouds or smoke from the Canadian wildfires still? But either way, it made for another dramatic start to my day. I’ll take it.

Looks like my cousin Kim is enjoying her bountiful harvest of homegrown strawberries this morning! They look scrumptious on those pancakes… and those pottery side pieces look pretty yummy too!

A fun ending to a beautiful Saturday night in Chicago… FIREWORKS at Navy Pier!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed the fireworks downtown. I had kinda forgotten about how close they are to the Pier & how beautiful the reflections are! Stunning!!!

The weather was perfect today for a great bike ride along the lakefront. With a fun opportunity to see the SAIL GP boats pretty close-up as they were being craned back into the water for Day Two of the SAIL GRAND PRIX races at Navy Pier! Amazing racing boats… picture sailboats racing at Nascar speeds on Lake Michigan at the very end of Navy Pier inside the breakwater!

Finished painting some accents of colored flashing slips on this latest batch of mugs. These color-painted areas will “flash” with colors & soda effects after firing in the soda kiln. But first… they need to dry & be bisque fired.