On my ride home from the 57th Street Art Fair, I found these wonderful sculptures along the lakefront bike trail. Three large pieces by sculptor Alice Aycock. Fun sculptures are always a great addition to an already beautiful lakefront.

Today was a fun day down at the 57th Street Art Fair. I think it’s always fun to visit some of “My Talented Friends” at their art fairs on weekends when I’m free. Great art to see, and a fun time to show your support. We all know how long those art fair days can be… and a few minutes of “fun friend diversion” can make all the difference. So today I pedaled my bike down to Hyde Park for the fair. The tailwind getting there was fantastic… the return ride home wasn’t quite so much fun. A better workout though.

Sarah Chapman made her return to Chicago in style with her beautiful jewelry designs… and a fancy new award ribbon for her collection. Now based in Minneapolis, my friend Sarah has quite the following of loyal customers here in Chicago all seeking out her beautiful jewelry. Some of “us” have quite the collection of her work… and by “us” I mean ME.

Roberta Polfus was there with her beautiful “mini” carved vases, vessels and pods. All with such wonderful textures and glaze effects… and some really sweet flowers from her garden!

Metalsmith Amy Taylor specialized in sterling silver jewelry that incorporates hinges!!! Beautiful metal work and stunning stones come together for some pretty wonderful jewelry.

Delores Fortuna comes in from Galena for the show – along with her beautiful porcelain pottery.

And Nancy Gardner with her whimsically painted pieces with such a rich & wonderful color palette.

Today was a wonderful day. So much fun seeing all of my friends… and hanging out with Sarah & Jules. Nice weather too… but the prediction for tomorrow is not so good. The art fair organizers actually offered up an option to the artists to stay late on Saturday, and then pack-up early to avoid the storms. Unheard of. We’ll see what tomorrow brings… and how many of them decide to stick it out and how many decide to go home tonight?! Glad I went down there today…

Love when you find a random monster hanging out on the Student Show-Off Shelves
at Lillstreet. And the late afternoon lighting made it even better.
Scary & silly all at the same time!!!

The back staircase bricolage project is moving forward. Turns out it is the handiwork of Rochelle Borrett who is the Program Director for Lillstreet’s ArtReach Program. Methinks this will be a collaborative effort for a lot of ArtReach groups! Can’t wait to see it progress…

About three weeks ago, I went up for the St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour.
It’s the biggest & best pottery tour of the entire year. So many great potters all assembled in one place. With a magnificent number of amazing pots to admire, caress, fondle and potentially purchase!!! Large white tents all over filled with pottery!!! What’s not to like?! Seven different studio locations hosting over fifty talented ceramic artists. Again this year, I did the tour with my friend & favorite metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman. She’s a pottery-lover too… so we tackled the Tour with reckless abandon!!!

So the question out there was….

Which three plates did I come home with?
I showed you fourteen different plate options and the challenge was to pick which three came home with me. Okay, so I said three… I guess I “forgot” to tell you it was TWO of each!!! My bad… oops!

And here are the Winners…

Beautifully slip-patterned & glazed plates by Ryan Greenheck.

And then we found these amazing plates during the stop at Will Swanson’s studio.
They are not only beautiful & stunning… but also incredibly crafted by the twosome of Ikuzi Teraki & Jeanne Bisson. The weight of the plates is amazing, the geometry, the simplicity, the texture, the feel, the color, the everything!!!

And I couldn’t stop at one set… because these ones were calling my name as well. Another amazing set of porcelain plates by Ikuzi Teraki & Jeanne Bisson.

So there are the winners in my little Plate Challenge.
Greenheck…     Teraki-Bisson…    and Teraki-Bisson.

Sure I should have stopped there. No need to get greedy… but c’mon…
With so much incredible pottery all over the place, how could I be expected to stop?!
So I also “had” to have these beauties as well…

Another set of bowl-plates by Bob Briscoe. I already have three sets of these and I use them almost every single day. I love them… I have three different colors & patterns, so what’s one more?

Plus, I “needed” to add another piece to my already-too-large” collection of Matt Metz pieces. He’s been working with a slightly new style with some new colors… including this buttery yellow.

I also got a set of tumblers by Shoko Teruyama… destined to be a beautiful new addition to my Mug Collection. Sure, they’re not mugs, but c’mon… they’re beautiful.

And who could resist a one-eyed panda?! Not me apparently!

The little add-on, unexpected purchase was this mask by Jenny Mendes. I was kind of hoping to get a mug for the “collection”… but Jenny doesn’t make mugs apparently?! Plus this rabbit-eared face was so much cooler, and so typically Jenny.

Another annual stop during the Minnesota Pottery Tour is a visit with The Rogue Potters. A fun group of wood-firing potters who aren’t really part of the “official” tour… but with a little grassroots marketing & signage, they’ve created a fun “addition” to the Tour. While there, I picked up this mug by Randal Anderson.

So there’s the recap. Another wonderful Pottery Tour up in the St. Croix area of Minnesota. So many potters. So many pots. So much fun. And so inspiring & rejuvenating… I need to make some more pots!!!

C’mon now… Look at the cutest little cup ever!
One of students has been making a lot of these precious mini-cups.
They’re adorable. Way to go Megan!!!

As always, the Minnesota Pottery Tour was a great time.
A lot of wonderful pots made by a lot of talented artists.
And as always, I did a little admiring… AND a lot of shopping!!!
So here’s where our little online game comes in…

Which three plates did I come home with?
Of the fourteen plates below, I came home with three of them.
You’ve read my blog, seen my pottery & seen my influences.
So how well do you think you know me?… can you pick which three came home with me?

Bob Briscoe                                                    Delores Fortuna

Suze Lindsay                                                 Mary Barringer

Ikuzi Teraki & Jeanne Bisson                    Sarah Jaeger

Mary Barringer                                            Simon Levin

Ryan Greenheck                                            Matt Krousley

Matthew Metz                                               Ikuzi Teraki & Jeanne Bisson

Matt Krousely                                                Suze Lindsay

So there they are… the fourteen plate contenders. Once again, the contest…
Which three plates did I come home with?

Place your guesses in the Comments section… and I’ll reveal the results in a week or two!

I hope you’ve made your plans for some great pottery fun this weekend!
C’mon… make it a fun road-trip weekend to Minnesota and play with the rest of us. I’ll be there mingling, admiring, networking, shopping, collecting and hanging out with the rest of the cool kids! You should be one of them too!!! There will be a TON of great pottery up there made by some wonderful potters.

Sadly, I’m not one of them… yet. Dare to dream, right?!

Click here for more information, directions and potter profiles!

Today I had a chance to go to a local metal manufacturing plant. We were there to get some simple, galvanized steel sheets. Not nearly as exciting as these large copper architectural pieces that they also manufacture there. Next time I need to take the tour to see these being made!!!… if they even offer a tour?!

We’re just one month away from the “official” kick-off of my Summer Art Fair schedule.
Mark your calendars now.

I still have a lot to make, glaze, fire and prep for these hectic times.
But I’m really looking forward to getting back out there to see everyone again, show off some new pottery… and to make a few new customers & friends along the way!

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 23rd, 2015 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 24th, 2015 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center
201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 13th, 2015 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, June 14th, 2015 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Burlington Park on Chicago Avenue between Washington & Garfield Streets
in Hinsdale, Illinois

Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, August 1st, 2015 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Along Lake Michigan’s shores at Dawes Park on Sheridan Road at Clark Street
in Evanston, Illinois

Art In The Garden : A Grassroots Art Fair
Saturday, September 12, 2015 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, September 13th, 2015 – 10:00am-5:00pm
1205 Hutchings Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025
One block west of Waukegan Road, between Lake Street and Glenview Road.
It’s a special weekend to play with some of My Talented Friends!!!
We’re at the home of metalsmith Amy Taylor, with our other artist friends…
including paper clay artist Cory McCrory, glass bead jeweler Donna Sauers,
and stained glass by Alison Fox.

Okay, at this point it’s pretty much Fall… but here’s a few more shows…

Art In The Barn
Saturday, September 26th, 2014 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, September 27th, 2014 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Located on the grounds (and in the barns) of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
on Route 22 in Barrington, Illinois – Lower Barn E4 & E6

Then a couple to get you through the holidays with some wonderful handmade gifts!

“My Home For The Holidays” Home Show
Saturday, November 21st, 2015 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, November 22nd, 2015 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Contact me for invitations & complete address information…

My Second Holiday Home Show
Another Home Show opportunity for those who need some last-minute gifts!
Saturday, December 12th, 2015 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Contact me via e-mail for invitations & complete address information…