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!!!

A little late for Santa…
but it looks like someone is planning on milk & cookies for ONE!!!
And I sure hope there’s more cookies where those came from!!!
Thanks for sharing Karen!

I packed up the pottery “starter sets” and shipped them out… anxiously awaiting The Big Reveal on Christmas! With things being as they are this year… the family “got together” to open their presents online!!! Not the best screen-grabs… but you can kinda see the excitement & joy of their new pottery! With the “gift-givers” a bit blurry, but still in the bottom left corner!

And since then… it’s been fun watching them all start using their new pottery collection! Each of them showing off parts of their new collections!

And Matt has already found “space” on his kitchen display shelves… although methinks he’s going to “need” more shelving pretty darn soon!

Another great Christmas SURPRISE…
I was also asked to make a couple “sets” of pottery for three different families. The parents who requested these “sets” have QUITE the collection of my pottery. They’ve been collecting my work for years… and probably have TOO MUCH if that’s even possible! I know most of their kids have some “random” pieces… a mug here, a bowl there… but not a good “set” of anything!

So the request was to make two bowls, two mugs and two juice cups in three different colors for three different families. They love the stamped patterns… but didn’t want them to be all “matchy-matchy”… so they wanted the stamps to all be different. Similar, but different.

And to make matters worse…
imagine ME not being able to share the photos of these pieces as I was making them!!! I was so careful not to share too much to ruin the surprise! I had fun making the sets… but so tough NOT to show photos along the way!

The “celadon” green set traveled to Kristy & Matt in Wisconsin!

The cobalt blue set went to Karen & Annie in Maryland.

And the green set was delivered to Jody & Ira in Pennsylvania.

And oh, but wait there’s more…
I figured since each of the families was getting a nice “starter set” courtesy of their parents… maybe they needed a plate to go with it too??? Especially since I’ve kinda been “adopted” into the family. I’ve even been referred to as “the favorite son”!!!

A title I’ll gladly take… especially since they only have daughters!

A quick reminder that tomorrow from 12:00noon to 7:00pm CST is my MUGSHOT MONDAY STUDIO SALE!!! One last grab-n-go holiday sale for my local Chicago area friends & fans starting with a HUNDRED MUGS! The perfect chance to pick up that last-minute gift for that special someone… or even yourself?! With special holiday pricing… the more you buy, the bigger the discounts!

Hope to see you tomorrow with all the safety precautions in place!
My studio is located on the second floor of Lillstreet Art Center at
4401 North Ravenswood – Studio 205 West.
We’re on the corner of Montrose & Ravenswood…
and remember MASKS ARE REQUIRED!!!

And these are just a FEW of the mugs I’ll have ready to go at NOON tomorrow!