Today was a lot better.
No falling off stools… no heads hitting the floor.. no allergic reactions…

After a slightly frantic start to the week, I “re-grouped” and came back today
with a new plan. Turning it into a “game” and making it appear “fun” while doing
a little strategic divide & conquer! Separating the class to their three work tables
based on yesterday’s “unholy alliances”… and they never saw it coming! Ha.

Yesterday during the morning class, between finishing our clay projects, the kids learned
about color theory and painted their own color wheels with just the three primary colors.
They learned about primary, secondary and tertiary colors… mixing them all along the way.
Today we continued painting as they each tackled their own individual still-life setting.
Strategically separated AND focused on their own projects! So much better.

As some of the morning campers stay with me for the afternoon session,
I need to keep them engaged with different projects all day. So the afternoon class
created color-themed collages – more fun with Mod Podge!
Still divided… still conquering!!!

Another week at Summer Camp! Another batch of kids to teach & play with.
Unfortunately, this week I have a much younger group of kids – so my normal repertoire
of projects & tricks isn’t quite working. I typically teach the older kids who are 8-12 years old.
This week I have six and seven year olds – big difference! I’m needing to find new ways
to relate to them, find different art projects more suited to their abilities… and get used to their
shall we say “enthusiasm”?… “energy”??… okay, why mince words… “squirrely-ness”???
And yet… so “cute” at the same time!

So this week we made a clay project on Monday, then painted & glazed it today
so that it can be fired and returned to the kids on Friday. We focused on making sculptures
of their favorite animals… owls, dogs, cats, turtles, dragons, even giant squids!!!

Even with these younger kids, it always amazes me how focused and determined they get
while making their artwork. Once you get them engaged and show them the demo, they’re
always excited to get started. The challenge is keeping them focused – especially when
they start finishing their projects at different times. While one’s still working,
another is done and raring to go!

A little back porch beauty this morning. First a sunrise… then this… beautiful!

What started out as a clear sunrise morning  turned into a dramatic sky show.
It started as a pretty pink sky… which always makes you think of that old adage…
“Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.”

And when I turned around, there was another cloud that caught my attention.
Something sure seems to be brewing “back on land” and headed my way.

But as the clouds blew over, it created another striking sunrise over the lake.
A little more golden as the sun rose high enough to meet the encroaching clouds.

Subjected to the hectic, frenzied & totally unorganized experience of my VERY first
craft fair… Gerry & Rosene have been with me since the beginning of my pottery career.
Unbeknownst to them, Gerry & Rosene were across the aisle from me when I showed up
to set up my booth. It was my very first art fair – and I knew nothing!!! They were veterans
of the art fair circuit and watched in disbelief as I spread my pottery all over the floor,
the aisle, anywhere I could so that I could empty the crates that would become my shelving…
it was everywhere! And nothing was pre-priced… I was a wreck. Luckily, they were there
to help me through this crazy experience!

Gerry & Rosene were the owners & artists of Pine Needle Crafts – focusing on “primitive”
home decorations. Since then, they have retired from the art fair circuit, as well as “crafting”
all together. Instead, they have decided to turn their other passion into a new business
venture. Their incredible garden down in Central Illinois is spectacular vision with layers,
colors, textures and whimsical touches everywhere you look. Once a year, they open up
the garden in the Spring for their own garden sale of hostas, perennials & annuals.

This weekend, I made the trip down to visit… and sit back to relax in their garden.
It’s always great to see them, share stories while playing in the dirt, relax in the hot tub,
and enjoy some incredible brownies!!!

Besides the rusty bikes… which are a great accent for any garden… I need to get one…
one of my favorite focal points in their garden is this groovy bridge that crosses the creek at
the bottom of the garden ravine. The plank bridge was simple & plain… until they put their
collection of rusty garden tools to “use” as their not-quite-conventional handrail. Love it.

So their yard is incredible. The front of their house is full of flowers and rusty accents.
Turn around the side of the house and enjoy a large deck overlooking the backyard.
A few steps down, and you see an incredible “spread” of garden unfold before you.
Layers & terraces take you down to the bottom of the ravine, across the bridge and
back up the other side. Around every corner, there are spectacular plants & flowers. Some
have bright colored flowers, while others are more appreciated for their foliage & textures.

But it’s not just flowers… like I said, it’s also an incredible assortment of rusty metal
accents – and you know how I LOVE RUST!!! So it’s great to look around… see the
beautiful garden they’ve created and be inspired by their passion & excitement.

Plus… mixed in amongst the sloping garden… one of my own ceramic totem poles!
Being slightly upstaged by a beautiful Siberian iris.

In addition to gardening, Gerry is still working in the wood shop making bird houses!
Over the years, I have received quite a collection of Gerry’s pieces… many with great
barnboard sides and rusty metal roofs. Rosene stays crafty as well – mostly with her
hand-painted garden plant identification markers. Yes… EVERY PLANT in their garden
is marked with a hand-painted sign! Crazy, I know…

But then it’s time to drive back to the city after a very enjoyable day in their garden.
And a car load of potted plants they’ve sent me home with. Plants that were left over
from their sale, as well as cuttings & divisions from many of their spectacular garden.
For those of you that have seen my condo garden, you can thank Gerry & Rosene for
the majority of the plants that are flourishing there. They have been such generous
& supportive friends over the years… it’s great to have Talented Friends!

This week was the triumphant return of everybody’s favorite Summer Camp!
It was time for the campers to once again create their own custom chess set out of clay.
In previous years, the camp was only a morning camp. This year, we’ve changed it to
a full-day camp, giving the kids about 2-1/2 hours more each day to work.
And it payed off… they were working right down to the very end of the day today!

Each of the kids had to come up with their own “theme” for their chess set.
We brainstormed & discussed their ideas… and they decided upon some great themes…
* School Days versus Summer Vacation
* Mythological Creatures versus Prehistoric Creatures
* Flowers versus Weeds
* Cause & Effect: Good Things versus When Bad Things Happen to Good Things
* Frogs versus Bugs
* Rock Music versus Jazz Music
* “Fablehaven” Heroes versus Villains
and of course, we had to have… * Harry Potter versus Twilight

After determining their themes, the kids set out to assign what shape each piece will take
in their sets – and then the construction process began. With a lot of discussion of techniques
and the importance of “scoring & slipping.” It’s a little overwhelming at the beginning…
with a LOT of work ahead of each of them… and me!

Throughout the week, we continued to build pieces and stress the importance of
“scoring & slipping”… especially as a few pieces fell apart as they were drying.
And others broke out of pure carelessness. It was a continual learning curve for all
of the kids. Once built, the kids started painting their pieces with colored underglaze.

First it was simple glazing… backgrounds, bases, large areas.
And then the extra focus set in as they got to the finer details of their pieces!

As if that weren’t enough work to keep them busy, they also needed to draw & paint
their checkered boards in a thematic pattern. Colors & textures representative of their chosen
theme were discussed & encouraged. After painting, each board also received two thick coats
of Mod Podge to protect the surface. I love the smell of Mod Podge in the morning.

After five very productive days, all of the kids accomplished their task – and finished
all 32 pieces, a few “extras” in case of breakage and their painted chess boards. We had
some excitement, some anxiety an a lot of creativity throughout the week. All in all,
everyone did an incredible job on their chess sets.

So for now they are done… and waiting to be glazed & fired. A special thank you to our
camp assistant Brian who will be carefully spraying them all with a light coat of clear glaze
and loading all of the pieces into the kiln. If all goes as planned, the kids will return the end
of next week to pick up their finished chess sets. And can then start playing…

If this looks like fun, I will be teaching another week of Chess Camp in August.
Monday through Friday, August 9-13, 2010 at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago.
Sign-up the kids today before the class fills up. Call or register online at
www.lillstreet.com.

Enough said…

A cloudy morning. A beautiful sunrise. A wonderful morning ride.

And then the sun broke through… and the pink sky turned bright orange
with a beautiful reflection on the water and wonderful shadow on the cement shoreline.

Just like The Beatles classic song…

Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun.
And I say, it’s alright.

And… It seems like years since it’s been here.

Okay, so there were a few puddles to dodge along the way… but it’s still alright.
It just seems like we’ve had some crazy storms for so long, it was great to see the sun
come out this morning… and the forecast is saying it might stick around for awhile!

Tonight in class we had a trimming demo for my Beginning students…
as well as a repeat of centering, cylinders, shaping cylinders & pulling handles.
We’re in a very quick 4-week interim class, so things are moving quickly.

So Pam, one of my returning students who made tiles for years and recently switched
to wheel throwing and is now quite addicted to her surprise & everyone else as well,
shared her passion for trimming. She said she thought she would hate it
but now has come to find that she LOVES trimming… as do I.
And here’s Pam’s quote of the night… and I LOVE it…

“Some days you throw just so you can trim.”