So… “Art In The Barn” had a special category of artist this year: The Emerging Artist!
Okay, so there was only one artist in that category… and he was in the booth next
to mine – we’ll just call in Booth E-3.5. There he was cranking out the work…
competing for the same dollar I was. Oh the quandry… to but some more pottery?…
or but a piece of original art by this new, young, fresh Emerging Artist?

My long-time friend and able-bodied Art Fair Assistant, Nancy, brought her
five year old son Jimmy with on Saturday to help out at the fair. In his fluorescent green
soccer uniform, he was a beacon for all to see. While there, he started coloring and
was “discovered” by one of the other artists down the way! Right on the spot, the artist
“commissioned” Jimmy for an original crayon drawing! So he drew the picture
and made his first sale. The artist proudly posted Jimmy’s artwork in his booth for the
remainder of the art fair.

Meanwhile, not to let a good thing go, Jimmy decided that if he drew more,
he would sell more. And he did. Quite the entrepreneur, Jimmy posted his artwork,
made signage to promote his body of work, hawked his product like the best of
carnival barkers… and earned himself a whopping $3.75 !!! Quite a bonus for a young
artist such as Jimmy. I think he has quite the future… great… more competition!!!

Once again, Art In The Barn is right around the corner…
I will be in the same booth space as usual. One of the perks of being in the same booth
space is I get to be next to my metalsmith friend Molly Bitters again! She makes these
incredible pieces that combine metal work, with etched copper and hand-dyed &
pressed leather. Part of what makes them so cool, is that she not only etches the
patterns, and presses the leather to create the leather, but then combines pieces
of both “processes” into one piece!!! Love it.

In addition to these great “intaglio” pieces, she also makes a line of silver work with
animals, trees, rain clouds and more – with colorful leather backgrounds. She also
makes a line of fire-polished copper combined with leather. I’m definitely looking
forward to spending the weekend in the booth next to her –
and adding more of her beautiful work to my collection!!!

I’m sure we’ll be sharing many laughs, cookies, customers and stories over the weekend.
Check out more of her work on her website -  www.macabistudios.com

With jewelry that is pretty, bright & shiny – and a personality to match…
Rebecca Zemans is an “up & coming” metalsmith to watch out for!
She first hit my radar last year as the Resident Artist at Lillstreet Art Center.
She then made her “debut” as one of the Emerging Artists at the annual
“One Of A Kind Show” in Chicago. She makes beautiful work…
and will always bring a smile to your face!

Rebecca and I were neighbors this weekend at the Hinsdale Fine Arts Fair.
It was her first “outdoor” art fair… and she successfully survived! Including
a not-so-wonderful Saturday due to the rain! While the weather was a little
dismal – Rebecca’s attitude still shined through! As did her work…

Rebecca works her magic with metals & stones in her studio at Lillstreet Art Center.
She also teaches classes – as well as kid’s summer camp! So check her out…
www.RebeccaZemans.com

Tonight was the opening of my friend Sarah Chapman‘s Trunk Show
at Lillstreet Art Center. It was a fun night to chat with friends and see some
of Sarah’s latest metal creations! I just love her work… the textures, the movement,
the different metals, the inclusions of beads, shells, rocks & m0re!
Can’t wait to add to my collection!

Her work will be on exhibit in the Lillstreet Gallery through the month of May.
Check out her website for details: www.ChapmanMetals.com
Or Lillstreet Art Center’s website: www.Lillstreet.com

Another bike ride, another “treasure” on the Lakefront…
Apparently, at some point during the fall last year, there was some roof repair work
done on the terra cotta tile roof at Promontory Point along the lakefront.
But what a nice surprise to see that someone had a “vision” and decided to create
some art instead of just throwing away the old shingles?! So cool to find random surprises
like this along the lake. And even cooler that no one has messed with it, taken it or ruined it!
Kinda restores your faith in humanity… and creativity, no?

Another talented friend to add to the list…
Amy Higgason of Pigeon Road Pottery.
Always smiling. Always laughing. Always good to see!

I just got a new plate from Amy – and I love it!!!

Amy used to be a studio member at Lillstreet Art Center back when I was
just starting to take classes. Her work has always been very detailed & precise.
Something I greatly admire – as we both come from the same graphic design
background! She also has a wonderful painterly style showing off her
wonderful illustration skills.

She’s very much into patterns & textures – two of my favorite things!
Many of her pots have this wonderful “sprigging” technique – which is kind of the
opposite of my stamping technique. Instead of pressing the pattern into the pot,
she’s making a textured “applique” piece to attach to the surface of the pot.
Below you can see how she carves out sections around the perimeter – and then
adds an eclectic grouping of shaped, textured & glazed sprigs to decorate the center.

So Amy now resides up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. She has set up her own
“little piece of pottery heaven” up in the woods. With a cute little studio just steps
away from her cabin, she’s busy pumping out wonderful pieces of pottery.
Check out her work at www.pigeonroadpottery.blogspot.com

After another good day at the freelance special events gig… and some very successful
“dumpster diving”… I scored a lot of flowers that had just returned from another event.
So before they were trashed, I pulled them aside to give them a few more days of life!

And who better to share flowers with than a bunch of potters who already have
a lot of vases on hand… all of them handmade! So several of my studio friends were
the beneficiary of today’s “floral reclaim process”… and may not find their floral
“surprises” until their next visit to their studios!

Pictured left to right: Karen Patinkin, Emily Murphy & Lisa Harris.

I often tell people that it is great to have talented friends!!!
And here’s another one…

I met Sarah Chapman at Lillstreet Art Center. She’s a wonderful artist & metalsmith.
Although she works mostly with sterling silver, she has a heart of gold!
Over the years we have become good friends and love to share our work, our ideas
and our business experiences. We have often discussed that we have very similar
business philosophies and experiences… both of us trying to find our way as
full-time, self-employed artists. We have frequently discussed how we seem to be on the
same path, kind of at the same business experience level, making the same decisions…
only she’s using metal instead of clay!!! I won’t hold that against her… especially now
as she is currently getting dirty in my Tuesday night wheelthrowing class!!!

Sarah’s work is a wonderful combination of materials, textures & patterns.
In fact, the necklaces above are great as seen… but they are also reversible with a different
pattern and different metal on the other side – two looks for the price of one. Brilliant.
No wonder I love her work!!! Over the years, I have gathered quite the collection
of her work… including two bracelets that are my favorites!!! I love having those
“one-of-a-kind-just-for-me” pieces that she makes!

Watch for her out there on the art fair circuit. She does several shows in and around
the Chicago area, as well as several shows out-of-state. I can frequently be found hanging
out & helping in her booth if I’m doing the same art fair! If you don’t find her early on
this summer, she’s usually just two booths south of me at the Evanston Lakeshore
Fine Arts Festival. Be sure to stop by and say hello to both of us!!!

And if you can’t wait until summer…   www.chapmanmetals.com

I met Cory McCrory a few years back at the Hinsdale Fine Art Fair.
She was a row over, and I could barely see her booth from mine… but the little
I could see definitely piqued my interest. She had clay fish swimming in her tent!
It was love at first sight… the colors, the patterns, the textures, the whimsy…
oh, and she was really nice too!!! Since our initial infatuation with each others work,
we’ve become good friends over the years. We shared ideas, fears, inspirations and meals.
We are both working our way through the world as self-employed ceramic artists…
both trying to carve out our own niché… both playing with textures!

Cory McCrory Workshop at Terra Incognito
Last weekend, Cory was the “headliner” at a ceramic workshop at Terra Incognito
in LaGrange, Illinois. As the supportive friend and Cory-enthusiast, I had to go.
It’s not every day that one of your friends is presenting a workshop!

She worked her way through the day presenting her techniques, making a couple pieces
and sharing her thoughts, inspirations & passions along the way. Cory’s work is more
sculptural in nature, filled with a wonderful sense of whimsy, yet often functional
at the same time. Tough to get all three to work in balance like that. She also works with
“paper clay” which affords her more time to “work the clay” as though it were more like fabric.
Paper clay is regular stoneware clay that has a large percentage of hydrated paper pulp
mixed into it. The result is a lighter clay body that retains moisture longer so it extends the
“workable” time before it dries out. She has also had great results with re-working pieces
even after they’ve dried to greenware. Apparently the paper pulp helps with dry attachments?!

As with a lot of my friends, I have quite a collection of Cory’s work… and always want more!
I do here graphic design for her… postcards, business cards, etc… in exchange for more.
I have a teapot, bottles, whistles and an entire school of her clay fish. And more to come.
There’s never enough whimsy in the world… and Cory just keeps adding more!

I’ve often told people that “I love having talented friends.”
So in the months to come, I’m going to feature some of them here.
Letting you see for yourself just how talented some of my friends are.

Several of them are friends from my time at Lillstreet Art Center. There are so many
talented people going through the doors there. It’s a wonderful community of artists
at all different levels working in different mediums.

Others are artists I’ve come to know through the art fair circuit. Traveling from show
to show, working side by side with fellow artists all trying to sell their wares.
Making new friends at the art fairs has made the shows so much more enjoyable.
It’s always fun to have friends in the booths surrounding you. It’s good to see them,
good to share your customers, good to promote each others work, and good to know
that there is someone there to help out if you ever need it.

And a special side perk… talented friends are usually up for a good trade now & again!
I have quite the collection of artwork at home through trades and gifts. And there is
nothing better than filling your world with art made by your friends!

I love having talented friends.