So if a handbuilding classroom suddenly gets a couple pottery wheels… is it still called a HANDBUILDING room?! More changes happening at Lillstreet as we prepare for more social-distancing when we re-open soon!

While the clouds roll through today, it was a beautifully sunny day yesterday… perfect for a bike ride up to where the “path ends” and back again. Such a pretty day pedaling north to the Great Lakes Naval Base, through Fort Sheridan, Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Chicago River North Branch Trail.

Great fun to find my friends Allison & Terry at Openlands…
while he was busy trying to balance more rocks along the lakefront!

A couple mugs enjoying their new homes for another MUGSHOT MONDAY! So much fun seeing them in their new environments… with cookies, flowers, whatever!!! Keep sending me the photos… I love seeing my work actually being used in people’s homes!!!

Just loving how those cherry tomatoes are making the bright blue glaze really POP!!! A nice blue set being used in the kitchen… berry bowl & spoon rest! Thanks Jeannine for the photo… glad your Mom is diggin’ her new pottery!!!

AND WE’RE BACK!!! So the Chicago Lakefront Bike Trail finally reopened today!!!
And it was AMAZING to pedal down to the City again after three months of lockdown! Oddly, exactly the same as we had left it… no improvements, still with sections closed down due to erosion and poor path conditions. But I didn’t care too much… I was just excited to be out there this morning!!!

Sure, the Evanston Lakeshore has been a nice diversion… but it felt AMAZING to be back on the Chicago Lakefront!!! Thank You to the Mayor and my pottery student Dr. Allison Arwady for allowing us to get back on the lakefront. I just hope a bunch of “idiots” don’t ruin it for the rest of us who are willing to play within the restrictions & guidelines!

So good to see all of these hand sanitizer dispensers “popping up” in every classroom at Lillstreet Art Center as we prepare to re-open in a couple weeks!!! So excited to go back, to start teaching again, to see everyone again… and to see that we’re going to be following all of the guidelines to keep everyone safe!!!

Some say diversion, some say productive…
either way, tonight found myself adding some inlaid tenmoku glaze
to my latest batch of wheelthrown & stamped ornaments for no apparent reason.

Did I need to do them tonight?… NO.
Did I enjoy the random tangent… of course!
It’s never too early to make Christmas ornaments, right?

Blending up a batch of garlic scape pesto for lunch… which smells AMAZING!!! I didn’t know this was a thing. But thanks to Matt who suggested I try making some. And for those who still don’t know… a garlic scape is the squiggle-curly-stemmy portion of the garlic plant that usually gets thrown away. Who knew?!... just blend it with some olive oil & parmesan cheese… I got a bit crazy and added a little bit of spinach to make it even greener! Can’t wait to dig in… and then to smell like garlic for the rest of the day!

My morning ride was hot & sweaty along the lakefront headed north. Still a beautiful ride… made even more beautiful by this collection of painted rocks along the Northwestern University campus. Most are just painted… some are just cute… but someone has some real talent out there!

On a hot & steamy day like today, wouldn’t it be nice to be swimming in a pool?!
Well, since none of them are open…

Here’s this week’s installment from Cirque du Soleil – this time featuring the show “O”. It’s the fantastic aquatic show in Las Vegas where the stage is actually a HUGE swimming pool!!! This video shows you some behind-the-scenes footage… including “under-the-water” footage!!! The part you never get to see when you see the show in person… but have always wondered how they do it!!! I’ve seen the this show twice – and still don’t quite know how they do all of the magic. The traditional Cirque acrobatics are still there… just now they’re in the water, on top of the water & flying above the water!!!

Click here to watch the video on Facebook!

So that’s the part you see when you’re there… but the video shows you some of the cool parts UNDER the water that you don’t get to see during the show. It’s got to be a controlled chaos of scuba gear, air tanks & tubes and hydraulic gears moving the stage parts! And this is your first glimpse of that…