Looking to support Chicago Artists? Want to give a home to a unique piece of handmade art or get a jump on shopping for the holidays? Now is the perfect time!

Lillstreet opens the gallery for this very special event. Join us for a juried show featuring work by over 60 student artists.  As a teacher at Lillstreet, I cannot participate in the sale.  However, the work submitted by the students is sure to be top notch!

When:
Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday, August 30, 200910:00am – 5:00p

Where:
Lillstreet Art Center
4401 N. Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640
Google Map

Contact:
773-769-4226
kat@lillstreet.com

Check out the pretty awesome glaze run!

So now I am sitting here, drinking tea, and contemplating a shower.  I think a shower would be a good idea.  Back in a few…

I’d been drinking tea more regularly, so I really needed a teapot to brew some up in properly.  Hadn’t made any since college, so figured now was the time to start again.  Needless to say I was a bit rusty.  But, in a few short weeks, 4 pots made came to fruition.  3 of them work really well, and 1 was an utter failure (functionally speaking).  Three of them can be viewed here and here.  Can you guess which one doesn’t work?  Basically these are the show pieces, the fourth teapot is at home with me.  My teachers have always said that to best judge a piece you need to live with it.  So I have been using it daily for about a month.  There are so many things you can learn from a piece of pottery that gets daily use — specially a teapot.  How does it pour?  Is the handle comfortable?  How hard or easy is it to get the tea leaves out when you are done brewing?  How much water does it hold and is it enough?  These are some of the questions I have asked myself about this particular piece.  Ironically, before actually using it, I assumed it was going to be the worst functioning piece of the bunch.  But, it has proven to be quite the reliable workhorse.  Granted it has minor issues, and things I will change in the future, but all in all, this particular teapot is a success.  This is the little guy:

It is based on the Japanese Kyusu style, glazed with Guston Shino, and sprinkled with wood ash from my in-law’s fireplace.  As you can see from the close-up, the strainer is drilled out of teh pot’s wall.

I’ve been using the pot to brew quite a few different teas: a loose leaf pu-ehr, a lapsang souchong, and 2nd grade jasmine pearls.  All are from Ten Ren here in Chicago.  Today’s selection is is the jasmine.

And a shot of the beast in progress:

Been keeping myself busy the last couple of days playing with Google Sketchup designing a kiln.  It is basically 1/2 of an Olsen Fastfire Wood kiln.  I’ll post more as when I complete the drawing…

That settles it
This is my lucky day
That’s what they always say
This is what they mean

I’m looking up
Into a cloudless blue
Ever since I met you
It’s been my lucky day

And I still don’t know what it’s all about
But without a doubt today I just don’t care
I’m telling you
It’s never been this way
And all that I can say is this is my lucky day

And I still don’t know what it’s all about
But without a doubt today I just don’t care
I’m looking up into a cloudless blue
Ever since I met you
It’s been my lucky day
And all that I can say is this is my lucky day

Apparently today is MY lucky day

Here is a different song off a different album.  Still hot none the less…This one goes out to Steven Colby and his music of my mind…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjzlUA0El4Y

1. Do not grab an angle iron that has just been pulled from a HOT HOT kiln with your bare hand.

2. When making cone packs, make sure that the cones are facing in such a way that the lower temp cones fall away from the higher temp cones, not into.

3. A kiln that is packed logically and efficiently will fire much easier than a kiln that has an extremely odd pack.

That is all.