Looks like we might have a little “infestation” of fun!!! Amy Taylor has been working on these little cuties to work along with my little cutie-patooties! Our ART IN THE GARDEN collaboration looks like it’s coming along nicely!!!

Pieces & parts… looks like Amy has a great start on her part of our collaboration project for ART IN THE GARDEN!!! Remember my mini cutie-patooties?… well this little handful of metal will somehow work together with them??? Can’t wait to see where she’s going with these…

Looks like the uber-talented Mary Foster has a great start on some new mini paintings for ART IN THE GARDEN… now if only they had some great ceramic frames to go with them?! Oh wait… sounds like another collaboration in the making?! I think there’s a “pretty good chance” you might see the final collaborations in two weeks at ART IN THE GARDEN. Just a hunch…

So in the creative world of collaboration projects… I gave these tiny stamped & soda-fired “cutie-patooties” to metalsmith extraordinaire Amy Taylor a little while back… with the anticipation that she’ll do something really cool with them!!! I have a clue… but can’t wait to see them in-person at ART IN THE GARDEN on September 10th & 11th in Glenview!

What a wonderful surprise last weekend at the GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR. On Sunday, at the end of the fair, I was gifted this wonderful “impressionist” painting done by Meredith Anderson. If you look closely, that’s one of MY mugs in the still life study! Turns out Meredith is the talented daughter of my uber-talented friend Deb Anderson… apparently the “impressionist” apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree! Thank you for sharing your artwork with me Meredith… I LOVE IT!!!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Randal, Fred and the rest of The Rogue Potters on getting a new sign… now looking so “legit” and official. Hard to believe it’s already twelve years since I met the “merry band of Rogue Potters” during the Minnesota Pottery Tour… not an official tour stop, but a great add-on with clever signage on the highway! A talented group of potters… so glad I’ve been able to be part of their journey! The sign looks great guys!!!

Over the course of the week, my Summer Campers also memorized over 50 famous artists & sculptors… first AND last names!!! Sure, we’ve all seen the bronze lions in front of the Art Institute… but who made them??? The Bean? The Statue of Liberty? My campers know them all!!!

So on Friday we did a big game of “Memory” using my famous artist flashcards… 130 cards to match-up with their new art history knowledge all in the guise of a fun game!!!

I love when your “friend-worlds” collide! Like earlier today when my good college friend Kelly & her mom Mimi met up with my pottery friend Cory McCrory during an art fair at the Vrooman Mansion in Bloomington! I know Kelly has been an online “fan” of Cory’s work for several years… so this “friends-collision” makes me very happy! Plus, it looks like a few purchases were made too… which also makes me happy!!! Fun pottery for everyone!

A few years ago, I went to Colfax with friends to meet sculptor Robert Cumpston at his home & tour his workshop. That was when I was “introduced” to his work… basically building life-sized animals out of rusty farm machinery parts & pieces… and you know how I LOVE rusty metal. \

While I now have quite a Cumpston collection at home, I thought I would pedal through “downtown” Colfax (one street, maybe a dozen buildings?) to see more of his work as I had heard that after his passing, a few of his pieces were donated to the town of Colfax to honor one of their most talented residents. I was hoping for more… as I only found a giraffe and a greyhound!

I “behaved” the whole weekend… until I saw Kenyon’s cups and I just had to have one!!! I think I must have touched them all at least twelve times… narrowing it down slowly… until I finally decided that THIS ONE was the one that “had to” come home with me! Crazy cool design, patterns, glazes & soda-fired effects. Well done Kenyon… and THANK YOU!!! It was great hanging with you guys all weekend in Sandwich!