While stores around the city are being decked out in all their festive glory…
and others are looking for retro fun… or traditional splendor… or homespun memories…
I’m not quite sure what these windows were going for?!

It’s a small window store front on Grand Avenue – and I have no idea what they do?!
Styrofoam Cup Manufacturer?… no. Carryout Food Container Distributor?… no.
But I love their windows!!! And I don’t know why… I think it’s the conglomeration
of styrofoam cups & containers put together to become something new & different!
I love that sense of eclectic creativity!!!

Another Holiday Home Show this Saturday with just two weeks left to shop for the
holidays! The shelves are stocked full, replenished since the last holiday home show…
plus, this time there are two guest artists!

Stop by for a wonderful day of holiday shopping with handmade objects of both mud & metal.
With pottery in every room of my condo, there’s sure to be a lot of great gifts for everyone
on your holiday shopping list… including yourself! Mugs, vases, bowls, oil lamps, berry bowls,
soap dispensers, garlic keepers, salt & pepper shakers and more – all food-safe,
dishwasher-safe & microwave-safe! Plus decorative items like tiled ClayQuilts,
ceramic masks & holiday ornaments!

Saturday, December 11th : 10:00am-6:00pm
Stop by early for the best selection, or come later to do a little shopping or simply hang out
on my couch. Either way, we’d love to see you this Saturday! As always, hot apple cider and
yummy snacks in the kitchen! Back by popular demand, my Mom will be bringing
her special “cereal cookies”!!! Reason enough to come over this Saturday!

Special Guest Artist : Sarah C. Chapman … she’s the “Metal” part… get it?!
Sarah will be joining me for the day with her incredible jewelry. Architecturally inspired metal
work with great design, textures & patterns. From smaller pieces to wear everyday to larger
“showy” pieces sure to impress your friends, all of Sarah’s work is handmade and easy
to wear. I have quite a collection! Check out Sarah’s work – www.chapmanmetals.com

Special Guest Artist : Nancy Jana-Kent
Many of you have met Nancy over the years as “my biking friend” or the “home show cashier,”
but Nancy is also a talented knitter-crocheter – and she’ll be bringing some of her fiber work
on Saturday! Hats, scarves, lavender sachets and more! Perfect holiday gifts as the
temperatures continue to drop!

Special Offer : The Tired Of Shlepping Sale
All three artists will be offering up a selection of great pieces at incredibly low discount prices!
The back porch has been replenished with new pottery pieces marked down to move. I’ve just
scoured the storage room to collect even more pieces that I’m “tired of shlepping” from art fair
to art fair! Some class demos, some older “vintage” work, some the last of a production line…
a few seconds, a few novelties, a few summer camp projects… all good to go!

Plus : New this weekend… I will be selling off some of my own personal collection
of pottery in the Tired of Shlepping Sale! Perfectly good pieces by some different artists
that have just been “squeezed out” as my personal pottery collection continues to grow
and my tastes continues to evolve. Some names you may recognize, some you may not…
but they’re all great pieces! And will make a great addition to someone else’s collection!

Hope to see you this Saturday at the Holiday Home Show!
If you would like more details or my home address, please send me a quick e-mail.
Remember : Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm

Or, if you can’t make it on Saturday, become s Fan on Facebook – and get quick
updates on the fly! Nothing too fancy, just some photos & anecdotes about what’s
going on in my creative world. Just find me and then click the “Like” button…
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

So I got this great e-mail this morning from one of my blog followers.
It’s always an incredible feeling to know that someone out there is reading along…
and enjoying my ramblings. Sometimes you wonder if anyone is out there?!
Thanks Pam… warm fuzzies all around!

Subject:  HAPPY MONDAY GARY

Hi Gary-
I thought I might let you in on a secret of your own doing. When I’m struggling
with what’s going on in my life, in the studio, or with the kids, I read your blog.
Especially “It’s all about me”. It reminds me to keep it simple and have fun.
If it isn’t joyful, why do it?
Thanks for that.
Pam

After traveling the show, and taking in the over 600 artist booths, glazed over & dazed,
but still in the holiday shopping mood… I decided to go back to visit my new “favorite”
ceramic artist in the show. None of the pottery really took my breath away… except for
the crystalline glazes of Anne Gary. But I’ve seen her work before at Art In The Barn.

But there was one new ceramic artist there who was doing great things with clay!
Combining more traditional woodcut print block techniques with clay to create some
wonderful imagery & sculptural works. Indiana artist Zach Medler takes his own whimsical
views & drawing styles to create individual pieces, as well as larger installation pieces.
He has a great story, passion for his work and obviously enjoys what he does! And so do I.
I especially loved his textures, patterns, colors, surface and whimsical quality!

I love meeting new artists and supporting them if I can. So there I was, chatting it up
with Zach and trying to figure out what I was going to buy. And I was enamored by his series
of buildings that were along the top of his display. I was torn between the holiday decorated
houses… or go for the year-round, non-decorated buildings. Then he started telling me the
story of his grandmother, how she collected holiday houses, how he now lives in his
Grandmothers house… and look here, THIS house is his Grandmother’s house!!! Sold.

So the decision to go holiday houses was done. And I knew I had to get the one that
represented his Grandmother’s decorated holiday home. But one wasn’t enough.
You know groups of three always look better. You can’t have a collection of just one piece.
So I was going to get three. But which ones? Looking. Comparing. Lining up. Rearranging.
Analyzing. But somehow I couldn’t make three work out. Something always looked off.
But if I bumped it up to five… somehow it all fell into place. So there it was.
My new collection of FIVE HOLIDAY HOUSES!!!

Like I said, the first one coming home with me was Zach’s Grandmother’s house…

After a long weekend at the “One-Of-A-Kind Show”… it was refreshing to have made a new
clay friend named Zach Medler. And great to have added a new “collection” to my already
overflowing home. Some of you have seen my home and my many collections.
I really didn’t need to start another one. But I do have a great fireplace mantle…
and it needed some great ceramic holiday houses by a great ceramic artist, right?!

After my long day at “One Of A Kind” and the Lillstreet Holiday Opening last night,
I laid myself down for a long winter’s nap… and awoke this morning to this…

And although I loved it, the new snow doesn’t help my biking mileage goal any!!!

So today I went to the “One Of A Kind Show” down at the Merchandise Mart
to shop with my friend Nancy… and to help my friend Sarah Chapman who is
exhibiting her incredible jewelry!!! So after checking out Sarah’s latest pieces and
catching up on the latest stories… Nancy & I head off to do a little shopping. With over
600 artists exhibiting, there is a LOT to see. So much of it is incredible!!! However…
there is always a handful of things that aren’t. We like to employ the secret code-word
“lovely” for those things we need to talk about “politely” while the artist is within
ear-shot. But all of my friends know what the secret code-word really means!

So, as we were shopping we saw many beautiful works of art. Many things I would like
to take home with me. But as a self-employed artist – I must show restraint. Until…

You know when you walk past an artist’s booth and it kind of takes your breath away?
When you see something that really connects with you on several levels? When you meet
the artist and they are the nicest, most sincere, bubbly & creative person which somehow
makes the artwork all that much better?! Well… there it was in Booth #7084.

So…
You know how I love rusty metal.
You know how I love “conglomerations” of things that create other things.
You know how I love recycling objects into new works of art.
Well… so does Tammy Roy of Stratford, Wisconsin at 180-Degrees Design!!!
And look what I got…

It’s a large bowl made out of metal tools and other fun stuff! Okay, so it’s not rusty… yet.
But it will be. Tammy told me a couple different options to speed along the rusting process!
I’m not quite sure where it’s going to go yet – but that doesn’t matter. I firmly believe that
if you see a piece of art you love, you should always buy it and find a place for it later.
And I’m still trying to convince my parents of that too…

Tonight is the Lillstreet Holiday Open House Party from 6:00-10:00pm
to kick-off the holiday shopping season. The studios are all decked out and
stocked up for the eager shoppers! Including mine…

The group of artists who share the spaces in Studio 205 West at Lillstreet Art Center
will be open for holiday shopping every weekend through Christmas! So stop by for our
scheduled hours, or throughout the week if one of the artists happens to be around working.
Saturdays 10:00am-6:00pm and Sundays 10:00am-5:00pm.
Even if I’m not in the studio, any of the other studio artists can help you with your transaction.

Winter is here… but with enough layers, I’m still pedaling!

With a wide ribbon of clouds on the horizon, the sunrise was delayed for quite awhile.
It sun finally made its way over the clouds with a shimmering glow.