This morning I unloaded my car. Shlepping all of my new clay boxes, glaze boxes and bags of reclaim up to my second floor studio. So thankful that we have a freight elevator!!!

Those bags of reclaim scraps just seem to be multiplying?!!!

So many pots… so little time… and now far less cash in my wallet!!!
So much fun touring and seeing all of those great pots. Great to chat with all of the artists… and to add a “few” pieces to my already too huge pottery collection!

Starting with a new mug by Matthew Metz. And a slightly new style with a dark clay body dipped in a light slip and then carved with his signature sgraffito style. I especially loved the “finger prints” on the bottom of the cup where he held it to dip into the slip.

I also added a Bob Briscoe mug to my “mug collection”… and a new Bob Briscoe lidded jar… for M&M’s or Hershey’s Kisses?!!!

At our second stop, we met up with Steven Young Lee… a former teacher of mine. Of course I had to add another mug of his to my collection. I have quite a few “vintage” Steve Lee pieces. And now I have some of his new blue & white style. Unfortunately, I couldn’t decide… so I had to get a couple!!!

Blue & white… and a stark contrast with a carved monochromatic tea bowl.

On Day Two, we started from the beginning and did the Tour all over again! We started at Bob Briscoe’s again… and he had unloaded another kiln overnight. So he was restocked with a few pieces. Including these two bowls that “had” to come home with me… to join the other four bowls already in my kitchen cabinet.

I also picked up a mug by George Lowe… I loved the texture and the rusty, crusty finish!

One of our last stops on Saturday was The Rogue Potters. I picked up a couple pieces, including a mug by Randal Anderson and a plate by Mark Johnson.

After a long weekend in Minnesota, I was kinda ready to be headed home. Sure the Pottery Tour was great… and my time with my cousins & kids was too much fun!!! But seriously, all good things must come to an end… and my wallet is pretty empty too. Luckily, the weather was great for my drive home. At least until I got back into Illinois when the clouds started to take over… as the big storm was heading in.

More clouds… with a nice sunrise squeaking in just under the wire.
Gotta love taking pictures out of a moving car while driving. Sure, not too safe, but…

Part of our Day Two excursion took us to The Rogue Potters.
You’ve got to love a group of fun-loving potters who are tacking onto the “official” Pottery Tour. With a few signs on the side of the road, they’re pulling a few pottery-loving shoppers into their stop… including me!!!

So glad we did the entire tour yesterday.
We did the Pottery Tour again today… but many of the shelves were already empty?!!!
Like these shelves of Ellen Shankin at Will Swanson’s studio stop.

While at Bob Briscoe’s studio, there were shelves that were empty and totally gone!!!

Morning stop at Continental Clay to stock-up on a “few” things.
And now back for Day Two of the St Croix Valley Potters Tour.
Like we didn’t do enough damage yesterday?!!!

And yes… the bags in the back are bags of dried porcelain trimmings from my friend & potter Emily Murphy. I used to enjoy getting her reclaim scraps when her studio was across the hall from me at Lillstreet. But now that she’s moved up to Minnesota, I thought my reclaim pipeline had dried up. Apparently not… it just now comes in larger batches once a year!!!

So now I’ve got fresh, new clay.
Bags of dried reclaim scraps.
And now we’re off to the Pottery Tour to see more fired clay!!!

It was a long day hitting up all of the studio locations for Day One of the Minnesota Pottery Tour. It was a welcome rest going out to dinner with my friends Sarah & Julie. It was Sarah’s first adventure into the Pottery Tour. I’m sure she was more than a little overwhelmed & exhausted. A relaxing dinner downtown with friends… resting up to do it all over again tomorrow!!!

We started out at the studio of Robert Briscoe. Always our first destination. So many great artists all in one location. It’s also the furthest north… and then we work our way down from there. There are seven studio locations on the St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour… showing 51 artists along the way. It’s a wonderful day of pottery fun with friends, artists & pots!!!

So many great potters… so much great pottery… which only makes me dream…
“Wouldn’t it be GREAT to be one of the invited guest artists of the Minnesota Pottery Tour?”
Of all the locations, Bob Briscoe’s would be my dream location to join the group!!!
The array of work there is wonderful. Closest to my style and yet completely different.
Plus the artists there are all so nice… I would love to “play” with them for a full weekend!
Some day… dare to dream… maybe we need to start a grassroots, write-in campaign???

Bob Briscoe pots… so many everywhere… so many that I would love to take home with me!

Fun to see so many pots… and so many people admiring them. Like this pair admiring the work of Suze Lindsay. It’s a great weekend for potters everywhere… promoting the “culture” of handmade wares by ceramic artists from around the country.

And a welcome “surprise” from Matt Metz with a slight change in his signature style… dark clay with a quick slip-dip before his trademark sgraffito technique.

One of my favorites at the first stop… ceramic banana salt & pepper shakers
by Kent McLaughlin!!!

So many pots… so many textures… so many great ceramic artists in such close proximity.

Fun to get a glimpse behind the tent of my friend & potter Steven Hill… and his box of overstock mugs!!! Especially good to see that there are so many “holes” in the box from those that have already sold!!!

Throughout the day, it was so nice to see so many of the vase hosting beautiful flowers – fulfilling the “destiny” of the vase and its ultimate purpose!

One of the most “shocking & amusing” sights during Day One of the Pottery Tour?… discuss.

Stop #2 on the Minnesota Pottery Tour.
Already did some damage $$$ with Bob Briscoe & Matt Metz.
Now we’re moving on to Steven Young Lee… one of my former teachers!!!

You know how you need snacks for a good road trip?!
I decided that my favorite jumbo marshmallows might be the perfect “road trip” snack. Bite sized. Sweet. Sugary. No utensils required. So I bought a bag of huge marshmallows on my way into the “glitter gig” so I would be able to zip out quickly at the end of work. Little did I know it was going to get so hot today?!

So I had been driving for about two hours when I decided it was time for a snack. So I reached over to open the bag. I reached in to pull out a jumbo marshmallow… and all I got was goo!

Who knew that marshmallows would melt in a hot car?!

So there I was with a finger full of gooey marshmallow. As I sat there wondering what to do… I had to have another finger full. And another… and another! But then it started to get messy. I needed a new plan. So here’s my thought… when the temperature goes back down, or if I turn the air conditioning on, will the marshmallows solidify again?!

Well, I couldn’t wait that long.

New plan… with a corner already ripped open in the bag, I figured I could squeeze the bag and have marshmallow goo squeezing out like a pastry bag. Well, not so smooth. Since the marshmallow is kind of sticky, it didn’t come out so easily. It kind of “bulged” out in a big white blob. So there I was trying to carefully bite off mouthfuls of marshmallow goo while not making too huge of a mess. Oh yeah, and driving at the same time!!!

Needless to say, the marshmallows tasted incredible!!!
Soft & gooey. Smooth & sweet. Yet sticky & messy everywhere.
So much so that I didn’t feel like I could set the bag down.

So I had to keep eating.
Before I knew it… the whole bag of goo was gone!!!

Sure, I could have pulled over to buy a new bag.
Sure, I could have pulled over and had a real meal instead of marshmallows.
Sure, I could have done a million other things.
But no, instead I squeezed all the goo into my mouth.

Yes, I have the palate of a four year old.