Another “addition” to my collection of cool rusty things!
You should know by now that I’m addicted to all things rusty… it’s the colors,
the textures, the patina, the aged-ness… all of it is very cool to me! So when I did
the Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival a few weekends ago… I scored big!!!

It was actually part of the Silent Auction. I noticed it when I was dropping off my vase
for the auction and was instantly smitten. And then I found out that the artist’s booth
was just a couple spaces down from mine. So I looked at all of her other really cool
rusty things – but was still in love with the piece that was part of the Silent Auction…
so I had my work cut out for me! Just to clarify… it’s a rusty shovel head that has been
cut with a beautiful pattern using a plasma torch. Still not sure where it’s going to hang,
but I am sure it will have a place of honor!!!

So here’s the story. I found out that one of the top bidders was my friend Amy Taylor.
One of the nicest metalsmiths out there who does this cool “hinged” jewelry. Love it.
Anyways, she was bidding throughout the day as her booth was right across the walkway.
Mine was all the way across the art fair. So I decided to “swoop in” at the very last moment
and try to “win” the auction. All was going well… 3 minutes… 2 minutes… 1 minute…
30 seconds… and I was going to be the last & top bidder. But then…

Up walks Amy’s fianceé Tom to do her final bidding. And I had to take him down!
I literally had to hold him in a headlock while I wrote my bid down “slowly” as to be
the final bid. I also found out that Amy had a “cap” on her bidding… but I was more than
ready to go higher. I was ready to buy one for full price at the artists booth, but it was the
design and the “broken off” section that I was drawn to. So I had to get this one… and I
was willing to pay for it. Amy’s “cap” was lower than mine… so Tom finally acquiesced
and the auction closed! And now I’m the proud owner of another piece of rust!!!

Check out Denice Bizot and her wonderful rusty artwork at… www.denicebisot.com

Yesterday was a beautiful day… would it have been too much to have two days in a row?!
Apparently yes. Instead, we started the morning with a couple hours of drizzle followed
by a couple hours of strong, gusty winds. Now don’t get me wrong… I don’t like either
one of those conditions. But if I had to choose… I’d much rather have rain than wind.
With rain you might get wet, but you will dry… as will my pots! However with wind…
a strong gust can shake your nerves, shake your tent and shake your pots! Luckily,
we didn’t have any “wind related casualties” but it was a bit un-nerving for a large portion
of the day. Eventually, the sun came out, the wind died down and the swarms of dragonflies
all came back to the lake’s edge. But by the end of the day… the flowers were wilted,
the shelves were covered with a thick layer of dust and my booth neighbor’s husband Scott
was wilted as well… and tried to sneak in a quick nap before the tear-down process began.
Looks like it was a long day for all of us!

At the end of the long day, it’s another art fair done for the season. And another successful
art show in Evanston. It was a lot of fun to see so many of my friends, students and loyal
customers at the fair this weekend.  And it wasn’t quite the perfect weather weekend we
all hope for… but it wasn’t terrible either. Looking back – it could have been a LOT worse!

Next up?… Art In The Barn on September 25th & 26th in Barrington!

Oh yeah…
did I mention the best, most chocolate-iest milk shakes ever?!!! Over the course
of the two day art fair – I had three of them!!! From some small little white trailer called
“The Malt Shoppe” with the nicest “ice cream barristas” ever… they make a great shake.
Of course I had to help “train” them… chocolate milk shake with chocolate ice cream,
chocolate sauce, hot fudge, and if you think you couldn’t possibly add more chocolate – do.
There’s no such thing as too much chocolate in my shake. In fact, if they would just give me
a cup of hit fudge and a straw – I would be a happy kid. I have the palate of a 4-year old.
And even better – they also come out to Barrington in September. Something extra special
and extra chocolatey to look forward to!

Okay, so here’s a little story for you… bear with me…

Think back to Friday morning… as I was trying to pull together some art fair packing
before I needed to rush off to Summer Camp. I was down in my storage room pulling
out my booth shelves… counting to make sure I had enough to create my usual
booth layout. Number of shelves – check. Number of corners – check. Number of
semi-circle tables – check. Number of uprights – check. Number of corner posts… ONE?!
Uh oh… I need TWO to set up my booth. Two posts… not just one!

Of course, as I was now running late for Summer Camp and starting to panic,
I scanned the storage room quickly but found it nowhere. I know we’ve had a lot of
service people in the building doing some plumbing, construction and door installation.
Now I don’t want to blame anyone, but of course I feared that one of them may have taken
the post and “re-purposed it” for some other project. And now I’m out of luck.

Knowing that I had to get to Summer Camp, and knowing that I had to pack-up and
start setting up my art fair booth immediately after camp – there wasn’t much time to
resolve my dilemma. So I sent out a quick e-mail to people in my building who may have
had access, or responsible for any of the service people, to see if any of them had seen
the missing corner post. Of course, no one did. And of course… it is also quite likely that
I could have left it anywhere… at the last art fair, leaning against a tree somewhere, etc.
I wasn’t blaming anyone… I just needed to find the corner post!!! I needed it for the art fair!!!

I got to camp and was a little distracted at first – still worried about the corner post.
Still not sure what I was going to do… I guess some how rearrange the layout and somehow
jerry-rig the “corner” with two sets of shelves bungee corded together or something?!

But then… about a half hour into camp… my next door neighbor Melanie called.
She didn’t know where the post was, but the did have their construction guys there
for their bathroom remodel… and they were willing to make me a brand new post!!!
So that when I got home from camp it would be done and waiting for me – and good to go
to the art fair! Can you imaging that? What service… and what great neighbors!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Mia & Melanie!!!

When I got home from camp about 1:30pm… there it was… a brand new post
that was the same as the original post. They even drilled the holes for my shelving pegs
in the right places. And oh, but wait there’s more… they even stained it for me!!!

We tested it and then packed it into the van with everything else.
In the park, it worked just fine… and my near-disaster & Friday morning stress was gone.
All was right in the world… and my booth actually had BOTH sets of corner shelves!

I came home late Friday night after setting up and having dinner with my parents.
The art fair Saturday was great – and my new corner post worked just fine.
I got home late again Saturday night after the art fair… and another dinner with Mom & Dad.

When I got up this morning to go back to the art fair, I gathered my stuff and headed out
the back door of my condo… uh oh… there’s something in the way outside the door?!
Of course I think it is more construction stuff as our back porch has been a nightmare
for the past few months as Mia & Melanie are having their bathroom remodeled -
and everything is all over the back deck. So I opened the door carefully, hoping not to knock
anything over… and found out that somehow overnight the missing corner post was set
against my kitchen door. No note. No explanation. And will probably never know…

Glad to have it back… but still questioning where it was, who had it and who found it?!
And that’s my “Corner Post Mystery”… it all worked out fine, but still a bit strange!

It was a beautiful day today in Evanston. The weather was great. The crowd was there!
My booth is finally all set up and ready to go despite some early drama with a “missing”
corner post for my shelving units?! Issue resolved, huge thank you to Mia & Melanie!

So I was ready to go on time – and look who’s next to me…
that metalsmithing rock star Sarah Chapman!!! So it was a fun day for both of us.
It was great to see some of my favorite customers – and meet a bunch of new ones!

So my booth is all set up. My shelves are as stable as they’re going to be on the slope.
Their are lots of pots everywhere you look. The ikebana vases are all set with flowers…
and the whimsical Jack O’Lanterns are making an early seasonal appearance!

Plus, we’ve all learned that it’s not officially an art fair until the bag of Twizzlers
is opened up! And this time… a local rodent decided to join in the festivities!

Who needs a lot of loud music in the park with thousands of screaming people?
Sure, go downtown to Lollapalooza tonight to see Lady Gaga. But then, come up
to Evanston this weekend for a lot of art that you’ll really “go gaga” for!

Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival
Saturday & Sunday from 11:00-6:00pm - this weekend!
In Dawes Park on Sheridan Road at Church Street in Booth #43

Next weekend is the Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival.
It’s a beautiful show along the shore of Lake Michigan in the town of Evanston.
Just a few minutes north of Chicago along Sheridan Road at Church Street.
In Dawes Park, I will once again be in Booth #43 right next to my friend
& metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman. We both hope to see you… by the way,
we’re down at the south end of the pond, next to the lake!

38th Annual Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival
Saturday, August 7th – 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 8th – 11:00am-6:00pm

Yesterday I decided to take a little road trip and get out of the city.
And what better place than Sheboygan, Wisconsin – joust a couple hours north
of Chicago right along the lakeshore. And even better, this weekend is also the
Kohler Festival of the Arts. A nice art fair sponsored by and surrounding the
Kohler Art Museum. My friend Sarah Chapman was one of the artists, so I decided
to drive up and surprise her with a visit and a little assistance as she was doing
the weekend show all by herself! Of course, I brought Twizzlers!

Other “art fair friends” also showing at the Kohler Art Fair…
Molly Bitters : jeweler combining leather & metal
The Pottery Boys : glazed & crystal-glazed functional pottery
Glynnis Lessing : sgraffito-carved porcelain ceramics
Michael Schael : wood-fired functional pottery
And a new favorite… Susan Richter-O’Connell : metalsmith with river rocks!
…of which I know own one of her boxed-stone necklaces!

As the art fair is held at the Kohler Art Museum – of course you have to see that too.
Especially the bathrooms!!! Voted the “Best Bathrooms in America in 2004″… and
quite the spectacle they are. Keep in mind it’s Kohler… maker of fine faucets & sinks
known worldwide!!! But you’ll never find THESE sinks at Home Depot!

Even the toilets and urinals were all decked out. It actually felt a little strange
to “use” the piece of art?! Talk about “target practice”…

As the day was quite hot yesterday, and the beach was so close… I had to skip out from
the art fair and go play on the beach. Sorry Sarah… it had to be done! I was surprised
how close the beach was, and even more, how empty the beach was?! If that lakefront
beach area were in Chicago it would have been jam-packed with people!!!

It felt great to kick off the shoes, stroll on the beach, dip my toes in the cold water…
and actually take a nap on the beach! What a great way to spend a lazy Saturday…
art fair, friends AND beach time!!!

I was intrigued at the beach by all of the seashells that have been pulverized into a
wild mixture of shells, half-shells and powder. All crashing together and separating
as they retreat back into the lake on each wave. There were sections where there were
so many, that you could actually hear the tinkling sounds of the shells hitting each other.

Once the art fair concluded, I “convinced” Sarah to pack up and come join me on the beach.
Let’s just say, it didn’t take a lot of prodding. So she came down to the beach and did some
wadding in the waves to refresh her aching art fair feet. Then we went for pizza at a nice
wood-fired pizza place. Then she went back to crash at her hotel as I headed home.
Quite satisfied with my day at the Sheboygan beach… and the Kohler art fair!
Thanks for playing Sarah!!!

I just looked at my calendar… and realized that the
Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival is just one month from today!… and tomorrow!
Be sure to mark your calendar for Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th
for another wonderful weekend of art along the lakefront! I’ll be there…
in the same spot as always at the southeast end of the pond. Hope to see you there too!

We survived another day in the park… and were lucky enough to have “dodged”
some of the bad weather that was anticipated all day! We started the day with
cloudy skies and a cool breeze.  A little cloudy… a little hazy… and yet I still felt
confident that the day was going to be a lot nicer than yesterday.

Another great surprise today was a visit by a former “co-worker”… or should I say
Vice President?! Okay, let’s go with the “good VP”… NOT the one I worked for! I haven’t
seen him for several years since I left the entire “corporate world” to play in the clay!
It was a great surprise – and it felt like it was just yesterday that I was slinging
witty sarcasm his way! I’m sure he’s missed me… ha.

All in all, I think we had a really good weekend fair in Hinsdale. It turned out to be
a successful fair, and I feel very lucky to have had as much good weather as we did.
For what started out with “evacuation plans”, the weekend turned out much better
than expected. And I got an “Honorable Mention” ribbon to boot…

Let’s just say it’s never a fun day at the art fair when the organizers are spreading
the news of bad weather and actually telling you about “evacuation plans.”
Seriously… I’m not kidding… even before the art fair even begins!!!

The day started out okay. We knew that the weather wasn’t going to be perfect.
As I was driving to Hinsdale this morning, it was a little drizzly. But it stopped
before I got there. So I finished setting up and there was a buzz about the place!
Artists discussing the weather and the impending storm headed our way. Great…
All set up, just in time for a storm. Now it’s not the rain that scares me, it’s the wind.
Rain just makes things wet & miserable. But strong winds can actually cause a LOT
of damage to tents and breakable art… like pottery!

At first it was just some grumblings and a lot of hearsay. But then the organizers,
and a fleet of Hinsdale police officers, were sent around to tell us “officially” about
the radar weather report… including a huge storm with extremely strong winds.
And then they followed it up with the “evacuation plan.” Literally… they said
we would hear announcements over the PA system and be escorted to the Town Hall
building across the street, or the Police Department adjacent.
Seriously… I couldn’t make this up if I tried.

Luckily, the storm decided to dissipate a bit, and go past a little south of us. So we did
get some rain, a drop in temperature and a few breezes. Nothing too alarming…
especially after the hype and build-up. Once the rain stopped, a few customers braved
the elements to see some art… but another wave of rain was on its way. Luckily, no
mention of an “evacuation plan” the second time around.

After the second wave of rain, it actually cleared up pretty nicely. We even had some
nice sunshine for a few hours this afternoon. And some more customers coming out to
play in the park and do a little shopping. It was “almost” a nice day at the fair!

But after all the excitement early on this morning, the day wouldn’t be complete without
another blip on the radar – and more excitement. The organizers were once again alarmed
and spreading the news… and telling us that another storm, worse than the first with
even stronger winds was once again on its way. They advised us all to close shop early,
zip the tents, batton down the hatches and prepare for a beating! So we did…
Everyone closed up their tents and tried to secure everything as much as possible.

My parents and I had dinner in Hinsdale after we finished closing up. It rained during dinner.
But nothing too extreme. Just some rain. Hopefully that was it. Another storm that had
alarmed the group but never really materialized. Better safe than sorry. A couple years ago
we got hit by a huge storm at the same art fair. So the organizers of the Hinsdale Art Fair
were a lot more cautious, informative & supportive than usual. Last time there were tents
flying, ruined artwork and a LOT of unhappy artists… I’m sure they don’t want that again!

So, even though it wasn’t my best day at the art fair, it was in fact a WHOLE LOT better
than anticipated. With radars, alarms and “evacuation plans”… I had expected the worst.
It actually turned out to be an “okay” day. Hoping that there’s no huge storm tonight…
that everyone’s tents & art are safe overnight… and tomorrow is a much better day!
At this point, the forecast looks okay during the day, clouds by 3:00pm and rain by 6:00pm!
The show ends at 5:00pm… let’s hope we can get packed up before the rain sets in!!!