In preparation for last night’s class demo with my SURFACE DECORATION class, I made a bunch of stoneware tiles with stamped impressions. I then filled the stamps & slathered on some thick white slip ahead of time to get it all to stiffen up to leatherhard. The plan is to discus “sanggam” as a technique where they will “shave off” the top layer of slip to reveal the stamped pattern… leaving it filled with slip & flush to the top of the tile! More to come…

Last night in my Advanced Beginner’s class, we closed out the evening with a little stamp-making demo & interactive making session. Hopefully I can get these stamps bisque-fired soon enough for them to start using before the class session ends!!!

So last week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we focused on Mishima. Basically coating the pot with wax, and then carving through with sharp tools… like our favorite DiamondCore Tools! Then you fill the carvings with some underglazes… inlaying the carved patterns. The wax allows you to wipe away the “background” area more cleanly & easily. Then during bisque, the wax disappears & then it’s ready for glazing!!!

So last week I did another “quick” throwing session making a bunch of basic cylinders. I had a plan… and I knew that some of my students would have fun “playing” with them!

This weekend at the Schaumburg Prairie Arts Festival, a “few” of my ceramic fortune cookies “may have” fallen off my cart as I was packing up! Ten textured fortune cookies to find out in the park… and here are the clues to find them! Thanks to my art fair friends Rhonda & Maria for helping me “locate” the cookies. Happy searching!!!

It’s Day Two of the SCHAUMBURG PRAIRIE ARTS FESTIVAL.
It’s a little cooler & grayer outside today… perfect for pottery shopping.
We’re here in the park until 5:00pm. C’mon by!

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the park. Quite the views with blue skies, green trees, the fountain & the swans! However… when they said the municipal center was “under construction”… they failed to mention that it’s just plain GONE!!! The entire building that my booth has been next to for years… GONE!!! Pretty much where that yellow crane is now… that was my booth space! Crazy, right?

Well, just for the record… this other side of the pond is beautiful too!!!

And you gotta love when one of your favorite “fans” brings a little sumthin’-sumthin’ to the art fair just for you!!! So sweet of Melissa to bring me a bunch of yummy bakery cookies … we’ll just call them “lunch.”

Not a bad day at the art fair today! It’s always nice to win a prize ribbon… and sell a bunch of pots at the same time! Were there again tomorrow from 10:00am-5:00pm at the SCHAUMBURG PRAIRIE ARTS FESTIVAL. Be sure to stop by… my now “award-winning” booth to say “Hi” tomorrow! Ha!!!

Just one last reminder… this weekend Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm!!! It’s the kick-off of my art fair season… and I’d love to have some of you stop by to say “Hi.” The municipal buildings might be under construction, but there will be beautiful artwork all around the park… amongst the sawhorses & barricades!!! HA!!! Think of it as a little scavenger hunt… and who doesn’t like searching for that pottery prize at the end?!