Conveniently, two of my “original” class demo pieces came out of the cone 10 reduction kiln too! Each of these used the crackled slip technique – this time with black slip on porcelain. One of them I left white, the other one I colored the porcelain with ivy green mason stain. A thin spray of clear glaze gives them a finished shine!

Last night we unloaded the soda kiln, cleaned, scraped, etc… and then took some time to admire our newest treasures! My students were excited to see their new soda-fired pieces – and the randomness that happens during the firing! There were some pleasant surprises… and some not-so-pleasant surprises! But here are just a few of the pieces that came out of the kiln last night. Kudos to my students on their beautiful pots!!!

Pretty perfect puffed & powdered pastries
on a pinkish-purple patterned pottery platter!

Now say THAT ten times fast!!!
Thanks for sharing your yummy treats with all of us Julie!

A wonderful pizza night with my good friends Pam & Sarah!
Yummy pizza from Lou Malnati’s & great conversation…
sure, it was virtual over ZOOM… but I’ll take pizza with friends
any way I can these days!!!

Uh oh… another one bites the dust!!!

And this one is a bit painful.
It was the very first mug that my very first art fair friends ever got from me! It has lived a long life with them… as you can tell by this earlier “style” with minimal stamping and too much glaze for a good soda-firing?! Luckily, they have more than PLENTY of my newer pottery pieces in their house… and I’m sure they’ll get more!!!

Sad day & sad mug Rosene!

Funny story…
While I was making these crackled slip vases, one of them “slumped down” a little as I might have bulged it out a bit too far. I let it sit on my work table while I made more… mocking me… always looking at it thinking that the shape was bad. Questioning if I should just squish it up and do it again. But then I remembered one of my students Dan who always tries to flip-over his slumping pots to see if gravity will “un-slump” them. I figured what do I have to lose?! It was still firmly attached to the plastic bat, so I flipped it, tapped it a few times and then hung it upside down overnight in a bucket with plastic over it. The next day… voila’… the slumped area had “stretched” back out and the curve was all better… and perfect for trimming!!!

Thanks Dan for the unwitting motivation! HA!!!

So when I shared this crackled slip technique with my class last Thursday morning… they asked if I thought it might work its way into my own body of work. I scoffed and said “I don’t think so.”

But I posted some class demo pictures online and they got some good loving… and then THIS happened!!! Looks like maybe I should not have scoffed so quickly…

Okay… so my brother-in-law “found” Bernie at my Holiday Home Show… at Lillstreet… on my wheel… and even on two of my morning bike rides!!! That Bernie sure gets around!!! Just had to share “a few” more!!!

Looking to find a little more zen & calm in your 2021???…
don’t forget a new session of pottery classes start next week at Lillstreet Art Center. My Beginning & Intermediate classes are already full, but there is still space in my Advanced Wheelthrowing class on Thursday mornings from 10:00am-1:00pm. Click on the link if you want to improve your skills, streamline your techniques, or just relax & get muddy with us starting next week!

Click here – Advanced Wheelthrowing classes!

Special occasions require special pottery…
looks like a very festive dinner planned to celebrate the end of the year!
Thanks for sharing Gerry & Rosene… and here’s to a better New Year!!!