And speaking of hints…
my co-collaborator Cory McCrory has revealed a “sneak-peek” in color!!!
She’s such a tease!!!

With “Art In The Garden” just about a month away, Cory McCrory and I are busy working on a few “Limited Edition” collaboration pieces. Here’s a quick insight (and a few hints) into our visual inspiration… courtesy of Mother Nature!

The lighting was just right when I got home from my morning ride. While watering the balcony plants, I saw the red caladium light up with the sun shining through. Every vein. Every texture. Every color.

A hazy, humid Sunday morning.
Low flying clouds shrouding the city.
Tranquil waters. Quiet.
Sunrise shimmering upon the glassy surface.

It’s official. We even have REAL postcards!!!
“Art In The Garden” coming soon to Glenview, Illinois.
Mark your calendars for August 30th & 31st to play with five talented friends.
More details to come…

In the backyard garden of my metalsmith friend Amy Taylor.
“Art In The Garden” : A Grassroots Art Fair
1205 Hutchings Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025
Saturday, August 30th – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, August 31st – 10:00am-5:00pm

My friend Cory McCrory has “released” two more glimpses into the collaboration project we’re working on. So much fun to see our “plan” coming together… with more to be revealed over the next few days!!!

And yes, my Campers learned some “valuable” lessons on how fragile dried terra cotta can be. And that painting “too hard” can break things. Of course, I also had to point out a few times how “I was right” when I told them to score & slip everything… and that “just squishing it together” won’t work!!! Luckily, they had time to rebuild a few pieces as needed.

Today was the last day of Chess Camp. With the deadline looming, the kids did a wonderful job staying on task all week. They created all of their Chess pieces, painted them with underglazes & painted a chess board with acrylic paint. It was a great week for me with great Summer Campers!!! I just wish I knew more about the video games their chess sets were based on… whew, I must be old?!!!

It’s always so fun to watch the kids paint their pieces. To see them really come to life. And more “apparent” as to what character they are in their themes. Of course I’m still struggling with some of these video game characters!!!

By the end of the day we had quite a few pieces all lined up. Worksheets checked off. Pieces labeled with initials. A few “spares” made. And ready to go!!!

Rows & rows of little “soldiers” ready to go into battle…

And now all of the pieces are “safely” set aside on a rolling kiln cart… waiting for a sprayed coating of clear glaze and a trip through the kiln!

Yesterday my Summer Campers “finished” building all of their Chess pieces. Today they’re going to paint them all with underglazes to bring them to life with colors & details. At this stage, they’re incredibly fragile… so I hope we don’t need to re-make too many if they “paint too hard” today?!!!

A wonderful “teaser two-fer” from Cory McCrory today!!!