05.31.2017
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.
05.25.2017
Groovy new mural on the West Side. Great style & colors…
a nice splash of whimsy on Hoyne Street. Thanks #brownwalls !
“El Corazon de la Bestia” / Heart of the Beast
Environments have defined us as humans and individuals. The experiences in these environments shape us internally. Because of this, we are busy building masks for society and we don’t always show or share who we really are at our core. We judge people by these masks, and not for who and what makes up the Beast inside them. Good or Bad we all have a Beast within us. Our Heart shows who it is.
– mural artist Roco Drilo
05.08.2017
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!
05.05.2017
And counting the days until the big Minnesota pottery tour. It’s the 25th anniversary so I can’t wait to see everyone, covet all the pots and “quite possibly” add a piece or “two” to the already-overflowing collection!
05.03.2017
There’s a new “inhabitant” looming along the lakefront. A large bronze sculpture by Thomas Houseago between Foster & Bryn Mawr. A little eerie this early in the morning…
And that’s quite some “vertebrae” of rebar armature on the backside!
04.30.2017
Another day done at the “One Of A Kind Show” with my friend & master metalsmith Sarah Chapman. This is one of her sterling silver rings with embossed texture, oxidation and an amazing piece of turquoise.
And a beautiful necklace with beads & stones clustered in a sterling silver “boat.”
04.29.2017
Fun day playing with my friend & amazing metalsmith Sarah Chapman at the “One Of A Kind Show” today. She has such amazing pieces in her booth #2120… and another fun day tomorrow from 10:00am-5:00pm. C’mon down to the Merchandise Mart!!!
04.25.2017
Always fun to find new artworks dotting the Lakefront Bike Trail. Like this whimsically enormous guy gazing up to the skies down on the South Side clad in stainless steel of all kinds. If you look closely, you’ll find cookie sheets, muffin tins and so many more wonderful finds!!! Well done Tom Friedman!
03.30.2017
Categories: artists, creativity
As a potter who loves great design… classic pottery… and a contact wearer…
I was excited when I first saw this on my Instagram feed this morning!
At first I thought it was just some sort of advertisement for new contact lenses.
I almost scrolled right past them.
Until I saw and recognized the Instagram user name.
From #potsinaction on Instagram…
Only having eyes for pottery isn’t new for some of us, but these contact lenses etched with a pattern from a Delft plaque take it to a whole new leverl! Collaborative duo, architect Ali Soltani and artist Francine LeClercq, are finalists for the 2017 Rijksstudio Award from the Rijks Museum with this incredible piece. From their website, “Based on the design of XVII century plaques in the museum collection, our entry DELFT BLUE EYES consists of non-prescriptive contact lenses whose hydrogel surface has been printed with Delft Blue pattern. While drawing on a distinct cultural heritage of Dutch Delftware, the direct juxtaposition of a perceived work and its viewing subject is a nod to Marcel Duchamp’s critique on retinal art through the selective process of “Readymades.” Today, in an era enmeshed by trajectories of prying eyes, the perceiving subject itself is the tentative Readymade the moment it is caught viewing its prey, here the enameled tine-glaze of Delft under a glassy gaze.”
So take a look closer… they’re not just colored contacts.
They change your eye color into a classic Delft china pattern!!! AMAZING!!!
And more importantly, where & when can I buy them???
So these incredible contacts and the images produced are finalists in the museum’s contest. Click here to vote for your favorite of the Top Ten Finalists. Voting is open until April 20, 2017.
03.25.2017
Hard to believe that we’re already planning and scheduling Summer Camps!!!
Winter is finally ending, and I’m just looking forward to Spring.
But these adorable kids make me even more excited to see Summer get here!
The following is my schedule for teaching Summer Camps at Lillstreet Art Center.
I work with the older group of kids who constantly amaze, inspire and entertain me.
Summer camp is a wonderful experience for the kids and teachers who work together on all of the wonderful art projects… and good for the parents who get a few hours off! You can stop by the Front Desk at Lillstreet Art Center, call them or register online for Summer Camps. Registration is already open and filling fast. Click here for online information & registration.
Week C, June 19th-23rd – Wheelthrowing – 9:00am-1:00pm
Five days of fun where we start at the very beginning with wedging, centering & throwing. Kids will learn all of the basics, practice everyday and finish with glazing on Friday.
Week F, July 10th-14th – Chess Camp – 9:00am-3:30pm
Kids will make their own complete chess set out of clay in just five short days. Thematic sets are encouraged, no ordinary Kings, Queens & Rooks here! Actual chess experience is not mandatory… we’ll all learn a bit more along the way! Check?
Week H, July 24th-28th – Fire, Forge & Feast – 9:00am-3:30pm
Admittedly the biggest & most fun camp of the whole Summer!!! But enough about me…
In this camp, the kids get to play with me and my friend Pam who teaches the metalsmithing portions. In the five-day camp, kids will design and create a full dinnerware place setting out of clay and metal. A lot of creative design & brainstorming to come up with their amazing themes. Two days of clay, two days of metals, and a lot of Friday fun finishing place settings and celebrating with a class Potluck Lunch!!!
Week I, July 31st-August 4th – Wheelthrowing – 9:00am-1:00pm
More mud spinning & flinging as the kids learn how to wheelthrow from beginning to end. From wedging to glazing and every “muddy” step along the way!
Week J, August 7th-11th – Sculptures Big to Small – 9:00am-3:30pm
In this camp the kids will each build their own sculptures after being inspired during a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. A dash of art history will serve them well as they work on their own large-scale masterpieces!
Week K, August 14th-18th – Handbuilding & Wheelthrowing – 9:00am-1:00pm
At this point in the summer, many campers have already taken a couple camps. Some of them have already thrown on the wheel, some of them have handbuilt pieces with clay. This week we’re going to do both – working to incorporate all of their skills into their pieces.
Week L, August 21st-25th – Wheelthrowing – 9:00am-1:00pm
My last week of Summer Camp will be another fun week of wheelthrowing. Spinning, centering, wedging and laughing… maybe an occasional joke along the way?! A great way to end my summer camp “tour of duty.”
If you’re interested in sending your kids to Summer Camp at Lillstreet, click here for their website. And then sign the kids up fast…. spaces are filling quickly!!!
It’s a “shame” that kid’s don’t like playing with clay?!!! Ha!!!
WE ALL LOVE SUMMER CAMP!!!