With ART IN THE GARDEN just one week away, I thought it might be nice to show off some of the fine artists who will be joining me. Like master metalsmith Amy Taylor who will be hosting the event in her backyard. Amazing jewelry with beautiful stones and whimsical hinges… and her garden ain’t too shabby either!!! Be sure to stop by Glenview next weekend.

For more about Amy Taylor and her amazing metalwork, click here.

We’re just a week away from ART IN THE GARDEN.
A great grassroots art fair in Glenview, Illinois. A merry band of artists & talented friends pulling together to put on their own show in the backyard of master metalsmith Amy Taylor. It’s a beautiful setting for a cozy, intimate art experience where you really get a chance to see some great artwork, talk with the artists and relax in the garden. Plus, it’s the perfect chance for some of the artists to collaborate on a few projects together!!!

Mark your calendars… next weekend September 19th & 20th, 2017.

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ART IN THE GARDEN is right around the corner…
and some fun collaborations are in the works again this year!
My talented friend Cory McCrory and I are “spicing things up” and working on a new collaboration for the folks who come to the Garden!!! More to come…

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If you were to look at your calendar, you might realize that this coming weekend has traditionally been the Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival. But not THIS year!!! After 35 years, the City of Evanston has chosen to cancel their own show. No reason. No explanation.

So instead, you can come up to Glenview in two weeks for ART IN THE GARDEN
for your Fire When Ready Pottery hook-up!!! More to come…

Some fun graffiti art under the bridge at Lake Shore Drive and Illinois… just as you’re leaving Navy Pier! A fun mix of street art, spray paint and Chicago sport team pride!

Contemporary quilts in the Lillstreet Gallery Annex.
Abstract pattern by Sarah Nishiura… and gridded & printed by Jordana Robinson.

So I got an email from one of my Facebook Fans… Kate Chenok, a potter from the San Francisco area. She told me she was traveling for business and would LOVE to stop by my studio to meet me. She gave me her travel schedule and it aligned with the classes I teach on Mondays & Tuesdays. She suggested I check out her website to see her work… so I did. And I saw these wonderful little “folded mugs” on her website. And a plan started to develop…

Sure, she could easily stop by the studio and sit-in one of my classes while my students were working during Week #9. But I had a better plan… I figured it might be fun if Kate Chenok stopped by and then do a quick demo for my students! Perfect timing. Perfect plan!

So I asked her to swing by the studio on a Tuesday night. We’re in Week #9 of the ten-week session, and I thought my Beginner’s might like a little handbuilding “break” from the wheel. Kate got here a t little late… so we did a quick tour of my studio and Lillstreet… and then it was right into my classroom. Quick introduction and she was on for the demo.

We threw some quick slabs, and she showed how she adds texture using assorted texture forms, vinyl placemats, corrugated cardboard and more.

She then shared the patterns she uses to cut our a shape from the slab. Carefully aligning her textured design with the shape of the cut-out pattern.

And then that cut-out shape was carefully rolled and seamed together with angled edges… carefully seaming the seam with as little fudging & smudging as possible. The cutout darted sections are also scored, slipped and stuck together. Basically folding in the bottom of the cup.

After the darts are connected, she took a second to smooth out the interior and double-checking the security of the seam. All the while trying to keep the exterior pattern as clean and smudge-less as possible.

The square bottom “hole” that is created by the folding in of the darts needs to be filled. Another small piece of textured slab is scored and slipped into place.

After securing the bottom, a little refining of the rim is in order.

And then there’s the question of the seam. Is it smooth enough? Does it need to blend in better? Or should it be made more apparent?… or even decorated with little stamped buttons?!

After Kate finished her demo, we encouraged my students to step up and give it a go. Some of them were very excited… you could see it on their faces during the demo. So they pulled out their slabs and texture tools  and dove right in!!!

Kate was great… so sharing with her knowledge and time. Helping my students through every step of the process.

Such focus and determination by Carmina and Grace…

And here’s one of the “finished” pieces… a very sweet little pitcher that Grace made. She’s become quite the master of texture… and even added a bit of slip detail on top of the textured surface!!!

Huge thanks once again to Kate for stopping by and playing with my students. We all had a great time and learned a lot from her.

To see more about Kate Chenok and her work,
including her wonderful folded mugs, click here for her website.

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Just hanging out in Old Town this afternoon while my bike gets it’s 30-ride tune-up!

Murals making walls better in Old Town.

And some of the best… some organic and some architectural.

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A potter friend of mine up in Minnesota announced on Instagram today that he had a not-so-“little” kiln incident. Everyone is okay… the pots not so much. It could have been so much worse. A good lesson in kiln safety for us all to remember. If you’re headed up to Minneapolis this weekend, be sure to stop by the Rogue Potters to offer some support. Just don’t expect any “new” pots from Randal. Sorry buddy!

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