Well, today was the big day. After months of planning, the ART DETOUR
is finally here. Pots are made. Signs are painted. Luggage is packed.

So I spent the morning getting ready and packing my car. A little different this time
packing my own car… instead of having my “assistants” and their van at the ready,
I had to try and pack as much as I possibly could into my own RAV4. Something new
for me. How many shelves will fit? How many crates will fit? Tent on the roof???

Just after noon, I finally got in the car and started the trek north. It’s a beautiful
drive up to Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Especially once you get past Madison
and the Wisconsin Dells area. And as luck would have it, the sun was setting
just as I arrived in the Northwoods. Perfect scenery… perfect timing…

Amy was already hard at work setting up her studio. As the host of ART DETOUR,
she was setting up her studio space getting ready to show off Pigeon Road Pottery
and her “invited guest artists” for the weekend. So we took a break and went out for dinner…
including some wonderful fried cheese. We’re in Wisconsin after all…

With signs like these, there’s no way you’ll be able to miss us
if you’re up in the Northwoods this weekend! Sarah, Julie & I painted all night tonight.
The paint is still drying… almost ready to pack-up for our weekend show at ART DETOUR.

Be sure to follow us this weekend on Facebook – www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

If you’re coming up to the Wisconsin Northwoods this coming weekend
for the ART DETOUR… and I definitely hope you are… watch for our bright orange signs
along the way!!! You’ll see ’em… you know, “detour orange”… kinda like this…

Yep… the paint is still drying! Tomorrow I need to do some lettering…

Less than a week away… Three days of fun up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin!
I hope you’ve made plans to come play up North with us… to enjoy some art,
fun with friends, beautiful Fall colors and some gourmet s’mores!

For more details & updates… check us out on Facebook!
ART DETOUR – www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

So my day started out a little better today than yesterday.
Not quite as early. No kiln to unload. No rush to set things up when I got there.
Regardless… I was still a little tired after a late night of glazing & loading.

The fun continued today with more customers, more friends, more family.
And more chocolate shakes!!! Part of the “food court” area of the art fair
is this wonderful trailer from The Malt Shoppe. And over the years I have “trained”
them to make the best chocolate shakes ever! It starts with chocolate ice cream
and chocolate sauce. They mix it up into a shake, add more chocolate and mix again.
And then, just when they think it can’t get any chocolatey-er… I have them mix in
some hot fudge!!! I want the shake to be brown!. I want it to scream “chocolate”!!!
And over the years, they’ve been doing a great job… and this art fair was no exception!
Yesterday I only had one. But today I made up for lost time with three!!!
But who’s counting?!

At the end of the fair, it’s always an “adventure” to pack everything up and drive home.
Somehow even after selling a lot of pots all weekend long, it amazes me every time how
there’s not more empty space in the van?! Still packed. Still full. How does that happen?!

Yet again… after a full day at the art fair, then packing & shlepping it home…
it was back to the studio tonight for more glazing & kiln loading. There was and empty
shelf on the top of my back stack of the kiln. Plus, Corinne said that I could do another
layer or two on the front stack before she puts her sculptures in. So… despite my exhaustion,
I glazed more & loaded more. Until I couldn’t glaze no more…

Today was a Two-Ribbon Day!
And who doesn’t like getting a ribbon?

Ribbon #1 was to designate me as one of the Top 10 Sellers at “Art In The Barn”
last summer. Which I found out while applying for the show earlier this year.
And the best perk… you don’t need to jury in AND they give you a free double booth
as your prize!!! So I not only sold a LOT of pottery last summer at The Barn…
and the hospital got a huge donation from the 20% of my sales!

Ribbon #2 was a huge surprise! I was lucky enough to be awarded the prize for
“Best Of Ceramics 2011” at the art fair. So I got a nice white ribbon, a little special attention,
and who doesn’t like to be told they’re the best?!

Well… today was the first day of “Art In The Barn.” And I’m exhausted.
The last few nights I’ve been frantically making monsters, painting & glazing…
let alone pricing, packing and setting up my art fair booth. But it was all worthwhile
when today’s day at the art fair… great day, great sales, great fun!

Part of the fun is being in the Barn. It’s nice to be “protected” from the elements.
Plus I had a double-booth again this year, so I have plenty of space to spread out.
Which is a nice perk, but also a lot more work. A lot more shelves to shlepp out.
A lot more pots to make, price & pack. A lot more needed to fill the double space!
And it’s always so fun to see my latest pieces all set out & ready to go!

But after all of our hard work, my parents and I finally had the space all put together…
and ready for the onslaught of customers today! The weather turned out to be great.
Just a couple raindrops, but not enough to get wet. Dark clouds, but no storms!
Which turned out to be great shopping weather for those who came out to the Barn!

Another benefit of “Art In The Barn” is that I look at it as the official kick-off of my Fall season.
Now don’t get me wrong… I love Fall. But I also love Summer, and have a really tough time
admitting to myself that Summer may be coming to an end. The hospital folks who organize
“Art In The Barn” do such a great job decorating the place with hay bales, corn stalks,
pumpkins, gourds & mums that you can’t help but realize that it is indeed Fall.
It makes my work look pretty sweet too! I love the Fall color palette… and monsters too!

Special thanks to everyone who came out to “Art In The Barn” today. It was great to see
so many familiar faces… friends, family and loyal fans. Including my sister & her husband
who brought my niece Taylor. She loves coming to the art fairs, helping out wherever she
can, and this time, sporting a vibrant new hairstyle left-over from a “rock & roll” themed
birthday party the night before! She was surely rockin’ her new look much to the chagrin
of Mom & Dad. At the fair all day, as well as our family dinner that followed.

I had wonderful day in Barrington.
And look forward to another one tomorrow…

So last night, I stopped by the studio after setting up my Barrington art fair booth.
I knew that my electric kiln full of monsters would still be warm from firing
overnight. And it was still just over 800-degrees. To hot to open… but I just had to!
So I cracked it open about a 1/4-inch with a thin shard. And went home for a quick sleep!

Then this morning, I stopped in on my was out to Barrington for the start of the fair.
When I got in, the kiln was still about 200-degrees hot. Warmer than I would like…
but I didn’t really ave any choice. I had to take them out. I had to take them to the fair.
So there I was, with a thick pair of gloves, carefully unloading another hot kiln!!!
Luckily, they all turned out great… so I pulled out, tried to cool them quickly so I could
pack them out without the foam sheets melting!!! Then it was off to the fair…
with a new collection of festive monsters in tow!

And the newest member in the tribe…

ART DETOUR is just one month from today!
Three days of art, friends & fun up in the Wisconsin Northwoods!
Mark your calendar now for a wonderful Fall weekend getaway. C’mon up North!!!

I will be there with my tent full of pottery, along with some of my friends and their beautiful
artworks as well. We will all be setting up at Pigeon Road Pottery… home & studio of my
friend Amy Higgason. Stop by to see her studio full of incredible pottery, plus jewelry,
paintings, glass beads & fine metalsmithing by Sarah Chapman, Kathy Furda & Wendy Powalisz.

ART DETOUR will be located in Lake Tomahawk – between Rhinelander & Minocqua.
Surrounded by beautiful woods, lots of lakes and plenty of natural beauty!!! Especially in Fall.

Plus, during that same weekend, “allegedly” there is another studio art tour going on
around the Northwoods. We’re not “officially” part of the tour… we’re the Detour!!!
“Alledgedly” there will be a lot of other studios & artists to see, but we’ll be more fun…
and we’ll have s’mores! With a campfire going all weekend to toast your marshmallows!!!

Remember you can follow all of the artists, activities & fun on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

Summer Camp is over… the Chicago Triathlon is over…
and now I’m back in the studio getting ready for my Fall shows!
Making more work to fill two upcoming kiln firings. Gotta make more for…

Art In The Barn – September 24th & 25th in Barrington, Illinois
Art Detour – October 7th, 8th & 9th in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

So now I’m making new items with that special Northwoods influence…
exclusively for the folks on the Art Detour… a teaser of things to come…