This morning’s sunrise was layered with beautiful colors.
Bright pinks. Subtle blues. Shades of purples & oranges.
What a beautiful was to start the morning… literally!

Well, I got a little busy… and the promised alliteration had to wait a couple days.
But I finally got into the studio to do some more work on the “textured terra cotta tubes.”
And the tubes are now taking shape – and becoming ceramic birdhouses!

This evening I worked on adding some of the finishing touches to the construction.
Now with roofs, “doors,” awnings, loops to hang by, and a hole which will be filled
after firing by a real wood branch for the birds to perch on.

Hopefully they will dry overnight. I put them on elevated plastic grids so that air can flow
all around them and they will dry more evenly… and quicker?! Fingers crossed…
If so, tomorrow I can stain them with underglaze, and glaze the roofs & awnings…
as I am hoping to get them into a kiln on Tuesday night, fire on Wednesday, cool Thursday
and unload late Thursday night… just in time for this weekend’s art fair in Hinsdale!

Today’s bike ride was incredibly windy, with strong gusts pushing you backwards!
At least it felt that way?! Luckily, the clouds were dynamic… and moving very quickly!

I had planned to pedal down to the 57th Street Art Fair today to visit some of my
artist friends who were showing there work down there. Sadly, I only got part way
there before I had to turn around as I could see the big storm clouds headed my way!
I made it home just before the clouds opened up and dumped on the city. So I hopped
in my car and headed down to the south side.

Luckily, by the time I drove down there, the storm had just stopped and the fair was
just getting under way. So I had plenty of time time to hang out with friends and shop!
It’s always fun to attend an art fair, support my friends and have fun without having my
own booth. So I started with a Twizzlers break with Julie and metalsmith Sarah Chapman.
Centrally located right next to the funnel cakes, so I made frequent returns to Sarah’s booth.
Then it was off to make the rounds… Amy Taylor’s hinged jewelry, Judy Zeddes prints,
Melissa Banks’ chain maille, Glynnis Lessing’s porcelain sgraffito, Karen Patinkin’s glazed
procelain, Roberta Polfus and her carved porcelain miniatures, Marian Castro-Palanyk’s
porcelain, Molly Bitters leather & silver jewelry & Mary Zehnder’s southwestern sculptures.

And a trip to an art fair would not be complete without a little shopping…
including a new chain maille bracelet to add to my Melissa Banks Collection…
and couple great miniature vases to add to my Roberta Polfus Collection! Yeah me!
And yes Sarah, you were “supposed” to help me narrow down my Polfus choices!!!

Followed by dinner at my favorite restaurant, Rose Angeli’s, and a brand new dish of
jerk chicken ravioli with asiago cheese cream sauce, fried plantains and mango chutney!
Yeah… I know, sounds a little strange – so much so that I HAD to try it… and LOVED it!!!

With just a slice of sun peeking out on the horizon… another beautiful ride!

A little cool. A little cloudy. But still… very cool.

Tops. ‘Tachments. Treatments. Tomorrow.
… and hopefully more alliteration!!!

With camp quickly approaching, I find it is also time to start gathering supplies.
Don’t get me wrong, Lillstreet provides a LOT of great art supplies & all the clay we can use!
But I’m a big advocate for collecting things, donations and some “creative project planning”
instead of buying everything brand new. With that said… if any of you are in the area
and have “extra” supplies to donate – I will gladly take them off your hands. I’ve already
received some great stuff from one of my past students, Veronica, like this big bag of yarn!

On the list of things I’m collecting…
and I’m always open to other things too… you know how I love a challenge…
Magazines… one with good pictures, and nothing offensive, for collage projects.
Yarn… for weaving projects, new skeins or odds & ends.
Fabric… for sewing projects – remnants make good puppets & pillows!
Beads & Buttons… easily added to macrame, weaving & sewing projects.
Wood Scraps… collages with smaller pieces, larger ones become sculpture bases!
Wine Corks… you can drink the wine, but we can use the corks!
Tiles… large enough we can paint on them, small enough and they become mosaics!
Bottle Caps… why do people think mosaics always need to be made of tiles?!
Marbles… always a fun addition to a mosaic… or an animal sculpture’s eyeballs!
Rubber Bands… for my favorite project.. tie-dyeing… which has become trendy again!!!
Plastic Containers… yogurt, margarine and other containers with lids.
Newspaper… great for paper maché and some general “stuffing” needs.
Dry Cleaning Bags… perfect for covering clay projects to keep them from drying too fast.
Satin Ribbon… great for woven pillow tops.
Twine… perfect for macrame wall hangings and weaving warps!
Styrofoam Plates… ideal for printmaking where the designs are pressed into the foam.
Drinking Straws… String… Mod Podge… Wire… Tissue Paper… Boxes…
Cardboard… Glue… Dowel Rods… Tin Foil… Masking Tape… Paint Brushes…
Construction Paper… Texture Tools… Sponges… Wire Hangers… etc…

As you can see, the list is endless. And the project possibilities are endless too!
Generally speaking, anything you have a quantity of, we can make something out of it.
One’s and two’s of things don’t work as well as ten’s, fifty’s and hundred’s of things!!!
The more we have, the more we can make. One cork per kid is just that – a cork…
but 50 corks per kid can become a masterpiece!!!

So… if you have any “art supplies” you are willing to donate, please let me know
and we can coordinate a drop-off. Plus, my studio is frequently open, and if not, feel free
to drop stuff off in front of the door with my name on it. My studio mates are accustomed
to seeing strange piles of random objects show up for me! Thanks in advance…

Well, we’re now just two weeks away from the start of my “tour of duty” with the
kids teaching Summer Camp at Lillstreet Art Center. And counting down the days…
It’s going to be a very busy summer. I’m scheduled for the most camp classes
I’ve ever taught in one summer. It’s going to be a lot of fun… and quite exhausting!!!

So now that it’s so close… I felt it was time to re-publish my schedule for those of you
looking for a great place to send your kids this summer. So here’s my schedule of camps
this summer. And remember, I only teach camps for the 8-12 year old group. But there
are other camps for the younger kids too. Check out the full schedule of kids camps,
as well as adult classes, at www.lillstreet.com

WEEK A:  June 7 – June 11
AM: I’m only scheduled as the back-up teacher for Clay & Multimedia…
so if there’s a lot kids signed up for that week, I’m in.

WEEK B:  June 14 – June 18
AM/PM: Chess Camp #1… we only have a week for the kids to build an entire
thematic chess set out of terra cotta! They develop a theme of what their two
“competing” sides are, and then build them & paint them with underglaze.
Oh yeah, and a chess board too! Only five days and a LOT of work!!!

WEEK C:  June 21 – June 25
AM: Clay & Multimedia
PM: Clay & Multimedia
Basically, “Clay & Multimedia” means that we all do a clay project on Monday,
and then assorted other art projects Tuesday through Friday… with our hope
that all projects are ready to take home on Friday!

WEEK D:  June 28 – July 2nd
AM: Clay & Multimedia
PM: Clay & Multimedia

WEEK E:  July 5th – July 9th
AM: Wheelthrowing… enough said, the kids get to play on the wheel & make pots!!!
PM: Clay & Multimedia

WEEK H:  July 26th – July 30th
AM: Fire. Forge. Feast… a week of fun teaching with metalsmith Pam Robinson
as we work with the kids to make a dinnerware set. Monday & Tuesday we make plates,
bowls & handles out of clay. Wednesday & Thursday we make knives, forks & spoons
out of metal. Friday we put it all together and have a class potluck lunch…
using their own handmade dinnerware set!

WEEK I:  August 2nd – August 6th
AM: Clay & Multimedia

WEEK J:  August 9th – August 13th
AM/PM: Chess Camp #2 – another week, another challenge to finish full chess sets!
Thirty-two pieces, a chess board and a lot of work to get it all done in a week!

WEEK K:  August 16th – August 20th
AM: Wild Things – it’s a week full of animals and animal-themed projects!
Including a group field trip to Lincoln Park Zoo on Tuesday for inspiration!

WEEK L:  August 23rd – August 27th
AM: Clay & Multimedia
PM: Hand & Wheel for 8 year olds – new this year… clay all week for 8-year old kids!

WEEK M:  August 30th – September 3rd
AM: Clay & Multimedia
PM: Hand & Wheel for 8 year olds

WEEK N: collapse!

For more complete details on Summer Camp at Lillstreet, and the full schedule
of all the other camps for all ages, stop by Lillstreet or check them out online.
www.lillstreet.com.

At the same time, I will also be teaching my adult Beginning Wheelthrowing class
on Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm-10:00pm. Sign-up online for a class!

It was quite the foggy morning today on the lakefront.
At least I assume the lake was still there… as you couldn’t see it?!
Nor could you see a mere 20-feet in front of you! Not the safest of morning rides –
things tend to “sneak up” on you quickly when you’re riding 20mph into the fog…
but it was quite fun!

Notice the fog between me and the bike in the harbor shot. A misty morning everywhere.
Remember the beautiful sunrise off the breakwater about a week ago???… on 5.19.10…
well, the second shot is from the exact same place. Little different feeling, huh?

And what to do you call a breakwater when there’s no water visible?!
And no skyline. Looking down this breakwater pavement every other morning leads you
right into a beautiful skyline shot of the city. But not today. Gone – vanished in the fog!