With the folks from HGTV coming over this afternoon to film me in my studio,
I knew that I had to make it presentable. Had to clean up the mess that I work in
from day to day. The wareboards with clay covered in plastic. The piles of bisque
in every corner. The overflowing garbage can. The dust & trimmings on the floor.
I had to clean up my act a bit… and make it look good for the camera!

Luckily, one of my studio neighbors has been on vacation, so her studio worked
perfectly as an “overflow” for some of my extra things while they were here. I think my
studio has never looked as nice as it did today. Thank You HGTV for making me clean!

It’s a fairly small space. Some days it feels smaller than others.
Because it’s so small, I think that I need to keep it pretty well organized too.
There’s not much space for piles of useless things. Everything is part of the process.
And it’s important that I keep the flow going.. make, bisque, glaze, fire, repeat.
Otherwise things would pile up even more. And my studio would feel even smaller!!!

So here’s a quick photo tour of my studio… while it is still clean.
After all, tomorrow is another day…

And the wonderful rolling cart my Dad made for my studio. It has removable shelves
that slide in and out on both sides of the cart. With plenty of levels for shelves at different
heights. Ideal for storing drying greenware… or waxed bisque pieces… or glazed pots for
when I roll them downstairs to the soda kiln!

Buckets of glaze on the floor… containers & buckets of slip on the shelves…
plus boxes & tubs on the top two shelves full of Summer Camp supplies!

And now… more insight into my peg-board obsession…

Plus, you know that I’m not above a little shameless self-promotion!
Hopefully, my groovy little signs made it onto some HGTV footage… free publicity?!!!

But let’s not get crazy… my wheel is still filled with trimmings! I haven’t really cleaned it
since I moved into my studio. I just empty the splash pan of the dried remains, then back
onto the wheel it goes. Why wash it? It’s only going to get dirty again!

Well, today was my day in front of the camera. Who knew?…
that my little “addiction” to kiln filler & textures might get me on HGTV?!
That making little textured rattles might get me noticed?! Crazy, huh?!

Let me back up a bit…

A little over a week ago, I was contacted by the Producer of an HGTV show.
You know, one of those shows where they go in and transform an average couple’s
home with cool design. Showing the creative choices, installation, design choices…
all leading up to the “Big Reveal” where the couple sees their new room for the very
first time. Well, this is one of “those” design shows!!! And here’s the host…

Yep… that’s Meg Caswell. Winner of HGTV Design Star season six.
One of those Reality TV shows where they compete in design challenges weekly
and get voted off one by one. Until the last one is standing… and she gets a TV Show!!!

The initial contact came through the Producer who did a search and found my work
on the Internet. Good thing I’ve been keeping my blog up-to-date, huh?! She contacted
me and asked if I would be interested in creating some custom ceramic knobs & door pulls
for the kitchen they are renovating. So of course I was intrigued… and FULL of questions.
We did some e-mailing back & forth, including some samples & “mood boards” being
shared. She also stopped by my studio to check it out, meet with me… which I now realize
was probably also my “audition.” Once we had worked out the details, I was in…
and now facing a production deadline to get all of the knobs & pulls done in time
for the “Big Reveal” taping.

Luckily, we came upon a creative solution… where I would make the knobs in a very
similar style to the textured Relic Rattles I’ve been making for about a year. Handbuilt
stoneware, textured, stained and fired to cone 10… minus the rattles! The plan gave us
different shapes, different textures and different stain colors to play with. I gave the
Producer a few samples that she shared with Meg. Her choice was to go with two shapes,
each with their own texture, and one stain color for continuity.

So I’ve already made the knobs… “squares” for the cabinet knobs, and “horns” for the
drawer pulls. They’ve already been bisqued in my last kiln… look closely, they were the
“still too wet” pieces sprinkled around the kiln… masquerading as simple “kiln filler.”

Today was my day in front of the camera!
Complete with Meg, a full crew, professional lighting, wireless microphones, makeup,
craft services, the whole “shebang”! I guess I never quite expected the full production?!
But there I was, suddenly in front of the camera, with Meg… cameras rolling!

The plan was that we were going to do a little banter, discuss the project, look at a few
rattles I’ve made as samples, do some interactive demos where she plays with clay,
and so on. Everything went really well… despite the fact that it was SO hot in the studios!
No one expected 80-degree days in mid-March… so no one planned on air conditioning.
I’m sure we’re both going to be glistening with sweat. Even though the makeup guy did a
couple touch-ups along the way.

Hopefully they got some good shots of my work and my studio while they were there.
And the witty repartee and banter with Meg will come off well on-screen. Even though
I’m pretty confident that my hours & hours of “brilliant, Emmy-award worthy” footage
will be edited down to a mere 20 seconds or so!

We finished the initial filming – the interactive studio work with Meg… “the Talent.”
Then they left for a short time to do some prep-interviews that will be spliced into the show.
While they were gone, I set up two more demo areas so that they film some B-roll film
that they might intersperse – montage shots of me working on the actual knobs!
Complete with a change of wardrobe to make it “appear” as though time has passed
and the process is well on its way making the actual hardware the homeowners will see
in the “Big Reveal.”

So… that’s the story so far.
I’ve kept it to myself for the most part. It was kind of in the category of “too good to be true.”
I didn’t want to hype the project until I was sure it was going forward. I was afraid that the
plug might be pulled at any time… apparently, not to worry. It was a very professional
production. All of the people were great to work with. And I wouldn’t mind doing it again!

I just hope I don’t look too stupid on screen.
Or too sweaty…

When I find out the air date, I will definitely keep you posted.
I will also do a blog entry about the step-by-step process of the actual pieces I’m making.
Until then… you’ll need to wait for the “Big Reveal” also!!!

It’s still quite warm in Chicago… reaching into the 80’s and we’re loving it!
And this morning was another beautiful day. With one dark cloud looming over
the horizon, I knew that there was great potential for a great sunrise!

And as the sun continued to rise, the colors began to pop! And I loved how the sky’s color
began to reflect on the gentle waves. But the colors were stunning & ever-changing…
even it was “just” under that one big cloud!

And then the sun finally made its way over the horizon. Ready to greet the day.

Then it was time for me to get back on the bike… pedal on… and finish my morning ride.
Today’s going to be a “BIG” day!!!

Tonight I unloaded my “still-too-warm” bisque kiln… with gloves!
And proceeded to wax the bottoms of everything while I was trying to find
a place to store them until I find a chance to start glazing! Tough to find a
space shelf… things are piling up! Which I guess is a good thing, right?

I love waxing.

With the “heat wave” still keeping it in the 80’s in Chicago…
and we’re loving it by the way… looks like we don’t really need all the snow fence
along the lakefront anymore?! I think they place it “strategically” along the beaches
to prevent drifting & erosion over the snowy Winter months. But now, it’s kind of
just sitting there doing nothing… except making a cool photo!!!

The city was beautiful this morning. The sky was clear and the sun was shining!
And surprisingly warm… so I decided to ride my bike downtown to watch them dye
the Chicago River a beautiful shade of Irish Green! An annual tradition here in Chicago.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY CHICAGO!!!

Let the games begin… and let the color “splash” across the Chicago River.

So the first boat drops the orange dye into the water… yes ORANGE!!!
The orange powder surprisingly turns an oddly phosphorescent lime green in the water!
As the powder is dropped in, the second boat follows closely to stir it up into the river.

After several passes back & forth, the river has taken on a vibrant shade of green.
Striking as it spreads and changes the entire look of downtown for one Irish day!

The dyeing of the river is an annual tradition, and yet somehow, I’ve never been downtown
to actually see them do it. But this being a Saturday, and an unusually sunny & warm day,
I thought it would be fitting to ride my bike down. I thought I was on top of my game.
Until I saw a bunch of kayakers in the river… color me JEALOUS!!!…
thinking I might need to try that next year?! What better vantage point could you find, huh?

And to top off the morning… they were passing out free swag!
Well it’s not my favorite flavor, but it was free… and oddly fitting for today! I guess their
marketing team gets this one day each year to promote their product!

Tonight I loaded another kiln full of greenware!
Okay, I must admit that some of it was a little “wetter” than I would like.
Seriously, some of the pieces I made earlier today, with them in front of the fan!
I just hope they “dry” in the kiln before the explode!!!

Layer #1 – ovals, mugs and a lot of kiln filler… you know how I LOVE kiln filler!!!

Layer #2 – berry bowls & plates, soap dispensers and more kiln filler.

Layer #3 – stamped platters & plates, spoon rests, filler… and Nadine’s bug mug.

Layer #4 – stamped bowls, an oval, mugs, spoon rests and a lot of kiln filler!

Layer #5 – spoon rests, small dishes, Karen Patinkin bowls and more kiln filler!
As you can see, some of the filler is a little wetter than it should be! Still dark. Still wet.

Don’t forget that you can always follow along on Facebook!
Just click on the link to get to my pottery page… and then click LIKE.
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

You’ll get posts from my studio, updates, photos, process shots and an occasional
biking sunrise photo along the way. Never junk mail. Never stupid jokes.
It’s immediate pottery fun on your Facebook News Feed. But remember that
my blog always has more information, more stories, more photos, more fun!
So don’t stop coming to my blog… but LIKE me on Facebook too!

Just eight weeks from today!
The premier pottery event in the Midwest!

20th Annual St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour
Friday, May 11, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Saturday, May 12, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 13, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm

Mark your calendars and plan a weekend get-away to surround yourself with incredible
pottery at every turn. There are seven studio stops on the tour, with 49 incredible potters
along the way! Each one better than the next. Each one with a distinctive style. Each with
years of experience. Each with incredible pots!!! So hard to narrow it down… so I’ve picked
out the Top Ten Potters that I’m looking forward to seeing. Some are perennial favorites,
some are friends, and others are new… and may just “need” to join my collection?!

Bob Briscoe – Always the first stop of my tour! Bob’s studio location is beautiful as it
overlooks a quaint pond & woods. Then, to make it even cooler, he puts up several large
white tents and fills them with a LOT of incredible pots and potters! Bob makes these
incredibly funtional; pots with great glazes & textures. Nothing too fancy. Just a great pot.
In fact, I have a set of bowls that Bob made that are perfect for my Thai food addiction!

Matt Metz – One of the favorites on my tour. Luckily, he’s one of the guest potters
at Bob Briscoe’s studio. So when I start my day at Bob’s, I can “have my pick” of all Matt’s
treasures before they get snatched up. I’ve acquired quite a collection of his work…
including this platter which I got last year!

Simon Levin – Guest potter at Guillermo’s place, Simon gets these incredible flashing effects.
Generally I’m not a huge fan of wood-fired pottery. But Simon Levin is the exception!

Steven Hill – I’ve known Steven for several years now, and enjoy seeing him whenever I get
the chance. His glazing effects are stunning. With glazes running, dripping, crystalizing and
working it out all over every pot! Over the past few years, Steven has switched from cone 10
reduction firing to cone 6 oxidation… all the while keeping the integrity of his glazing
techniques. Can’t wait to see him up in Minneapolis. To laugh with him & see his new pots!
Maybe he’ll finally have some dinnerware ready for me?! Yep… I’m waiting Steven…

Delores Fortuna – I’ve know Delores now for several years, but definitely getting to
know her better over the past couple. Delores is an occasional teacher at Lillstreet Art
Center so I get to see her when she comes around. Unfortunately, her class is typically
on Tuesday night… which is the same night as my class! So I can never take her class?!!!

Ellen Shankin – Beautiful forms with sweet glaze combinations. When I first started taking
pottery classes, Ellen had some pots in the Lillstreet Gallery. Even back then, I was still drawn
to her pots. Now that I have more experience & clay knowledge… I still appreciate her work.

Silvie Granatelli – Textures, patterns & colorful glazes that accentuate the details.
If you want to get some of her work, you need to get to the Tour early… her “good stuff”
gets snatched up quickly!

Mary Barringer – Somehow, I have yet to get a Mary Barringer piece?!
How has that happened? I love her subtle textures, and minimal pop of color.

Suze Lindsay – Whimsical illustrations, forms and designs… and soda fired to boot!
I appreciate her simple brush techniques – how deliberate her work is, and yet still very
spontaneous looking. Suze’s style is one of those I “appreciate” but know that I would never
be able to duplicate! I think I’m just a bit too tightly wound… some say anal-retentive!

Josh DeWeese – I first met Josh DeWeese at the old Lillstreet Art Center. He stopped by
several years ago for a weekend workshop. I was still pretty young in my ceramics career.
So it will be interesting to see his work again now that I know more, and appreciate more!

Well, that’s just ten of the 49 incredible potters that will be part of the annual tour!
Of course, there are always a couple surprises along the way. New potters to the tour
who catch your fancy. Or artists who may have new work that catches your eye. Of course,
there a few “missing” from the tour that I was looking forward to seeing. What happened to
Ryan Greenheck & Laurie Shaman?! I got my first Ryan Greenheck pieces last year and
LOVE ‘EM!!! I was definitely looking forward to more of Ryan’s “perfectly” glazed pieces!!!
What the heck?… no Greenheck?!

Mark your calendar and make plans to see a lot of beautiful pottery. Start saving your money
because you’re going to need it… unless you have more restraint than I do! Even if you’re not
planning on purchasing any pots, it’s still a great adventure. So many beautiful things. That
region of Minnesota is beautiful. And the artists are all there and willing to chat. Last year,
we had a great conversation with Bob Briscoe & Suze Lindsay. Hope to talk with them
again this year!

Check their website for complete details, dates, maps & artist information…
www.minnesotapotters.com

So it seems like everything is coming together nicely…
and my “intriguing proposition” project is coming to fruition soon.
I can’t quite reveal it all yet… but here’s another hint.

Don’t get too excited… it’s really not THAT big of a deal.
More to come!