So the Lillstreet Member Show opened today… and I was quite happy to find a couple
“treasures” to add to my Terry Hogan Collection. She’s crazy obsessed – and we love her!
She makes these incredible porcelain pieces with intricate designs pressed & pierced
into them. Wonderful patterns with groovy fun textures! And she’s one of the artists who
is consistently under-pricing her work… so I snatched these for a steal. And “then” told her
that she needs to raise her prices. For the time & work, she could easily double her prices!

And as if they weren’t cool enough… here’s some close-ups to show them off even more!

Some of the students of Lillstreet Art Center are currently being featured in the gallery.
It’s always fun to see how talented the students are – and to see their work being featured.
So often, all of the work gets finished, comes out of the kiln and goes straight home.
No one ever gets to see everyone elses pieces after they’re finished. There is a lot of great
work there at great prices. I think there are a lot great prices there… and I think that many
of the students need a class in pricing their work?! If you want to snatch up some great
pieces, be sure to hurry in. However, there are also a few people in the show who have
priced their pieces on the high side?! Apparently they have a pretty high opinion of
themselves and their work?! I’m just sayin’…

Either way… the Member Show runs through the week. Hurry in today!!!

We woke up this morning with a sign on the cabin’s patio door windows! Apparently,
after we had gone to bed, my parents decided to put the signs on the window! Too cute!

And the morning kept getting better… with yet another beautiful sunrise over Moccasin Lake.

Followed by a fun birthday breakfast for Julie in Lake Tomahawk. A great way to start our day
before heading over to Amy’s for the start of the final day of ART DETOUR.

So we finally made it to Pigeon Road… and set up our booths pretty quickly. Then, before
the customers began to arrive, Wendy, Julie and I decided to go out on a quick “field trip”
to see more of the Northwoods and do a little GeoCaching at the same time! Neither of
them had done it before – but both were eager to try! So I checked my iPhone app and saw
that there was a GeoCache hidden somewhere near the boat landing of Horsehead Lake.

We followed the hints & compass on my phone and it lead us towards this tree. Upon closer
examination, I found the GeoCache tucked neatly in the crook of the tree. So we opened it up,
signed to log scroll and left behind one of Amy’s new buttons! It may have been their first
GeoCache find… but now both Julie & Wendy are hooked!!!

We made it back to Pigeon Road Pottery before any of the customers got there for
ART DETOUR. You know how Sundays are always a slow start at the art fairs.
What with church, brunch, hangovers, whatever…

It was another long day playing outside with customers. Two of my new favorites actually
returned with a homemade peach cobbler to keep us warm! Thank you Jean & Tony!!!

The end of the day, and the end of ART DETOUR, was signaled by the Oktoberfest clapper!
And Wendy was all to excited to get her tent taken down, get all packed up and finished with
yet another art fair. A huge sigh of relief for all of us!

Welcome to the Wisconsin Northwoods!!!
Sure it’s only the first weekend of October… but we woke up to SNOW!!!

So quiet up in the Northwoods… and even quieter when there’s snow!!!
The perfect morning for Sarah to take a quick stroll before we head back to ART DETOUR.

Well, it’s official. My first art fair EVER in the snow!!! Luckily, the snow didn’t
stick for long. But it was still cold. And we were “treated” to even more snow showers,
snow flurries, and more snow throughout the day! There was a lot of huddling around
the campfire, making s’mores or “chilling out” in someone’s tent trying to stay warm.
In an odd way, it was kind of fun. I think we bonded and played together because we
were “stuck” outside freezing for the day.

Sure it was cold. Sure there was snow. Sure we were freezing our butts off.
At least Wendy’s sunflowers gave us a small glimmer of summer warmth!

For those who might not make it to the ART DETOUR… here are the artists…

AMY HIGGASON – Not only was Amy our host for the weekend, she’s also a wonderful
potter who does a lot of carving & illustrative work. Originally from the Chicagoland area,
Amy moved from Lillstreet Art Center up to the Northwoods about eight years ago!

KATLYN KOESTER – Katlyn is a recent college graduate who is now starting out on her
ceramic career. She’s been mentored by Amy for several years and is now well on her way
to becoming a self-supporting artist on her own!

SARAH CHAPMAN -Some of the coolest jewelry ever!!! Made by one of the coolest
metalsmiths ever. Sarah has been in Chicago forever, but just recently moved to Minneapolis.
She’s still making cool jewelry… but we do miss her in Chicago!!!

WENDY POWALISZ – Another artist from the Northwoods, Wendy paints some
wonderful watercolor paintings with a wonderful color palette. She’s also living the true
Northwoods life… in a wonderfully rustic log cabin made by her husband Lance.

And of course, me… GARY JACKSON… functional, textural, whimsical, etc…
I’m assuming that if you’re already here ready my blog, you probably already know
what my work looks like. Just in case… here’s a few more images…

After a dark drive up to the cabin, it was nice to see the beauty of the Northwoods
this morning… and to be greeted by a stunning sunrise over Moccasin Lake.

After the beautiful sunrise, Sarah, Julie & I drove back to Lake Tomahawk for the start
of ART DETOUR! Our tents were up, but we still needed to put out all of our products.
So there was a flurry of activity as we got ready for the start of Day One!

My booth full of fun pots… and some fun textures on the slab vases!

Little did we know then… but this was the position we would find ourselves in MANY times
over the course of the weekend. Wrapped up & huddled by the fire!

And yes, Julie was “supposed to be” doing her grad school homework. Glad we could be
a fun diversion for her! Bring on the marshmallows!!!

Mental note to self… take off the gloves BEFORE you get a gooey s’more in your hands!

While others were a bit more serious with their s’mores… not to mention any names…
Katlyn Koester & Kathy Furda!

In between selling pots, it was always fun to walk around and enjoy the Fall scenery.
And thanks to Amy’s cousin Rob’s wife Kirsten, we were also treated to some wonderful
homemade treats. Sure we were making s’mores…but not just regular s’mores. Oh no.
We were making gourmet s’mores! Kirsten made us homemade marshmallows, chocolate
mocha marshmallows & peppermint chocolate marshmallows… plus, homemade plain &
chocolate graham crackers!!! And we had a wide range of chocolate options to boot!!!

Sometimes all we could do is stand there and shiver… luckily, the campfire was always
going! A central warming place for the four of us stuck outside. Put another log on the
fire… pull up a chair…make a gourmet s’more… and try to stay warm!!!

After a full day outside in the cold… you can always count on another warm s’more. Cheers!

If you’re looking for something artsy to do today, I’ll be working
in my studio all day as part of the Ravenswood Artwalk 2012.
Many artist studios & galleries all along Ravenswood Avenue are open today
& tomorrow. Start your tour by stopping in my studio on the second floor of
Lillstreet Art Center – then follow the maps & signs for a full day of art fun!
I won’t be there tomorrow… ‘cuz it’s the Apple Cider Century!!!

Click here for more information – Ravenswood Artwalk 2012.

I’m counting the days until ART DETOUR.
I will be heading up to the Wisconsin Northwoods a couple days early
to set-up and soak in the incredible Fall colors. Maybe even a hike or two?!
Sadly, no bike as my car will be full of pottery… and s’more supplies!!!

C’mon up to the Wisconsin Northwoods next weekend!
The colors will be gorgeous in all of their Fall splendor… and s’mores too!!!
Plus, there’s a huge art tour going on with a lot of open studios & galleries
where you can see some great art and meet the artists. My friend Amy Higgason
lives up there and will once again be hosting a few of her talented friends!
She’s not longer part of the “official” art tour. That’s why we’re the DETOUR!!!

Five Artists. Five Friends. Just off the map!!!
I will be joining Amy at her place, along with metalsmith Sarah Chapman,
watercolor painter Wendy Powalisz, and potter Katlyn Koester.

So mark your calendar to come up for the long Columbus Day Weekend.
And stop by to see us in the yard of Pigeon Road Pottery.

Pigeon Road Pottery
7744 Pigeon Road, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin – (715) 277-5099

And be sure to follow ART DETOUR on Facebook for more details!

In the booth across, and a little kitty-corner, from my booth was Robin Kittleson.
She’s a glass artist from Geneva, Illinois… who coincidentally also teaches at
Lillstreet Art Center. Robin makes these incredible fused glass platters, bowls and more!
I was especially taken by this square platter as the sun hit it at just the right time…
illuminating it so I could see it shining all the way from my booth!
Stunning colors, layers & patterns. Beautiful work.

For more about Robin Kittleson’s work, click on her website – http://www.robinkittleson.com