A lot to report here:
First, my online throwing course on Teachinart.com is now open for registration. There are six weekly sessions, with the entire course content available for ten weeks. This format feels like an innovative hybrid — somewhere between in-person lessons and watching pottery videos on You-Tube. Students will have a chance to ask me questions and interact with each other in a course chat room.
Koos and Antoinette Badenhorst have created their TeachinArt.com school, starting with Antoinette’s own teaching and expanding to guest potters. (I’m their fourth guest.) My course covers throwing the basics of throwing cylinders plus a number of advanced projects, including lamps, two-part forms, several lid styles, enclosed forms, mugs and handles, oval forms, and elephants. We filmed it in Saltillo, Mississippi in Antoinette’s studio.
Second, yesterday I fired my kiln for the second time. Firing next to a construction site (we’re still remodeling the house) is more of a challenge than next to a functioning studio. But I got lucky with the weather, in that it stayed overcast most of the day, so although temperatures were typical for Virginia in July, I was spared having to deal with direct sun. Will post photos here when I unload the firing tomorrow.
And finally, I just discovered this set of Mick Casson Master Classes posted on Jiseys Blog. Mick taught at Harrow and then ran the course during my second year there. He was a warm generous teacher — one of the people I try to emulate in my own teaching. I haven’t taken the time to watch the whole series yet, but I already know it will be a treat!