So, like I mentioned in the last post, my Mom & I labeled my pottery collection.
Yep, we placed the name of each artist on the bottom to identify them.
Surprisingly, not every artist signs their work with an “identifiable” marking?!
I knew most, remembered a few, had to do some online searching for others…
but still can’t identify this one?! Any ideas of who this artist is?

Seems pretty easy… seems like the signature is pretty easy to read…
but I can’t find any confirmation anywhere. A friend of mine bought it for me.
Good use of sgraffito for the carved design. Nice grid… nice textures… kinda like my tiles!

As many of you know, I have been collecting mugs for several years now.
All handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic masterpieces!!! Never been used…
Yes, sad, I know… but it makes for a fun collection. And for the word “mug”…
I use a loose interpretation that includes, cups & saucers, teabowls, tumblers, etc.
I’m not a mug snob… any one can play!

During my recent bathroom remodeling project, my mom and I took some time
to clean & organize the kitchen… which includes the mug collection shelves.
So we went through, dusted the shelves, washed the mugs… and labeled them all too!

Mugs made by my “talented friends.” Mugs by former teachers & studio mates.
Mugs from workshops I’ve attended. Some I’ve just purchased because I loved ’em!

From top to bottom, left to right…
Amy Higgason, Julia Galloway (2), Jeff Oestreich, Kathleen Guss & Stephen Robison,
Steve Lee, Kristen Kieffer, Christa Asaad (2), Suze Lindsay, Allison McGowan, Matt Metz,
Allegheny Meadows (2), Autumn Cipala, Julie Johnson, Shannon Blakey, Ellen Shankin,
Michael Corney, Margaret Bohls, Aaron Nelson, Simon Levin, Matt Metz, Jeff Oestreich,
Ellen Shankin, Katie Biderbost, Xiaosheng Bi, Steven Hill, Sam Clarkson, Cynthia Siegel,
Steve Lee, Cheryl & Ron Husby, Ernest Miller and Malcolm Davis.

Now don’t get me wrong… this is by no means the entire collection!
For those of you who have been to my place, you know that there are lots of “things”
everywhere to see. Things here… things there… a collection here… a collection there..
I have hopes of some day soon installing a new shelving system in my living room
that would hold around a hundred mugs. Until then, some mugs have been “displaced”
and forced to “live” somewhere else… over doorframes, fireplace mantle shelves, etc.
And still… there’s always room for more!!!

Tonight I had dinner with “long-lost-potter” Emily Murphy!
Over the past year, she purchased a home in Minneapolis, made tons of renovations,
packed up “her Chicago life,” cleaned out her studio at Lillstreet, moved north…
and seemingly disappeared from the pottery world?!

No new pots… no new blog posts… gone missing…

Well… it’s good to know that she’s back in action… almost.
She’s all moved into her renovated home – and is now focusing on building her
studio space. Based on a lot of dreams & lessons learned from previous studio spaces!
If you’re interested, there’s a lot of great information & pictures of her progress
& decisions on her blog – which she has finally updated and gotten back in action!!!
Check out her progress at www.PotteryBlog.com.

So soon enough, she’ll be back in production and I can’t wait to see her new work.
She said that she’s still without a kiln, hoping to build a new soda kiln at some point.
But there’s a good chance she’ll be doing new work in her electric kiln in the meantime.

It was great to see Emily again… after far too long of an absence!
Both here in Chicago… as well as on her blog!

So as I was running out to grab some dinner tonight, I ran into my friend
& fellow studio mate Katie Biderbost. She mentioned that she reads my blog frequently –
and was surprised that I update it so frequently. I told her that there’s nothing that bugs
me more than a blog that hasn’t been updated for months… or years!!! And then I realized…
I’ve never featured Katie as one of My Talented Friends… so here goes…

I’ve known Katie for many years… practically my entire pottery career!!!
Katie has been involved at Lillstreet Art Center for many years, both as a teacher
and studio member. She has come & gone, but her focus has always remained strong.
Her grad-school-hiatus took her down to Indiana… but she luckily returned to Lillstreet.
Katie now works in Lake Forest, Illinois running a clay program up there. Yet she returns
to Lillstreet for some quiet studio time away from her workplace!

Katie’s work has evolved over the years, and she has several mugs in my “mug collection.”
During the Lillstreet Holiday Opening, I treated myself to a set of Katie’s plates…
I’ve been coveting them for awhile and finally decided that they had to be mine.
Her current body of work is painstakingly decorated with slip to create an intricate
“woven” pattern that almost looks as though it were knit. The glaze is a beautiful teal
blue that is accentuated in the soda kiln to create and incredible depth & range of color.

Not only did I get the plates… I also got another mug for “the collection”!!!
Merry Christmas to me!!!

Another wonderful show… always fun since I’m not an exhibitor!!!
It takes the pressure off… no pottery to shlep… no shelves to set up…
Instead I get to hang out and help my friend & metalsmith Sarah Chapman in her booth.
I get to chat with her customers. Sell people on her wonderful work. And enjoy the
excitement on people’s faces when they decide to buy their first piece of Chapman-wear!

The One-Of-A-Kind Show is a big deal… four days, long hours, hundreds of booths!
And luckily, thousands of shoppers! The show is held annually here in Chicago at the
Merchandise Mart. It fill the entire 8th floor with artists from all over the country.
Sarah Chapman being the best metalsmith there… at least she gets my vote!

So not only did I get to help out my friend Sarah, but I also got a chance to see some
other artist friends – and make a few new ones!

Rebecca Zemans – Another great metalsmith with a lot of great silver & stones!
She’s another Lillstreet studio artist – and she’s adorable. Always fun, always busy.
Every time I tried to stop by and chat… she was busy talking with customers!
Good for her, bad for me…  at least we’ll get to play back at the studios!

Melissa Banks – Rapt In Maille – Melissa is a rock star in the chain maille world.
I have quite a collection of her stainless steel work. She makes incredible designs
by weaving together assorted sizes & styles of simple, round jump rings.

Pflipsen Olivova Studios – We met this great couple last year… and purchased a few
of their incredible Christmas ornaments. I was excited to see that Steve & Katia
of River Falls, Wisconsin were back again. I had to add to my collection. He blows
the glass and she does the metal work. Together, they make wonderful work. And since
their ornaments are too nice to pack away after Christmas, my ever-expanding collection
has now taken up residence on the chandelier in my dining room! And a special thanks
to Sarah… for helping to “feed” my ornament addiction!!!

Kevin Lahvic – Kevin’s paintings are guaranteed to make you smile. He has a wonderful
sense of color blended with a fantastic sense of whimsy. And I LOVE whimsy!!!
Over the past two years, I have collected a few of his small “portraits” which make me
smile every morning as they’re staring back at me from the wall right next to my closet.

Marzena Gabrel – I didn’t meet Marzena “officially” until the end of the show. But once
I stopped in her booth to admire her fiber work, we quickly recognized each other from
“somewhere” on the art fair circuit. We couldn’t figure out where… but I could easily
figure out that she’s a wonderful person who makes beautiful layered & textured
fiber pieces. Great depth & color in her felted pieces.

Scot Schmidt – Scot makes sculptures in limestone resin… similar to tiles, but each one
is handcarved. My parents have seen his work at a number of art fairs, and this time finally
decided to purchase some of his work. They’ve been trying to fill a large wall space in their
living room – and Scot’s work will soon fill the bill. After my parents made their purchase on
Saturday, Scot and I had a chance to talk about them and their “shopping style” on Sunday.

So… guess what showed up in my mail today?!
My wonderful “bowleragate” pendants from “My Talented Friend” Amy Taylor…
she sent me two custom made pendants to choose from. The rust one? The blue one?
And remember the “coolness” factor.. they’re made out of vintage bowling bowls!!!

Too tough to choose… I think I need them both!!!

Another entry in my seemingly never-ending list of Talented Friends!!!
I met Amy a couple years ago on the summer art fair circuit. Her work is stunning
and beautiful in its own right… but it’s her personality, energy & spirit that
really makes her special. She’s a shining star at every art fair.

Her work is very clever. Everything has a hinge worked into it… or two.. or three…
Some of them are obvious. Some of them need a little closer look to figure out.
She has a wonderful sense of color & design, and uses a lot of wonderful stones
in her finely polished silver & gold metal work.

Over the past few fairs, we’ve become very friendly – sharing stories, jokes, cookies
and more. At our most recent fair, we shared our chocolate chip cookies on Saturday…
and she came back on Sunday with a tray of Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
with Chocolate Chips to share! See why we get along so well?

And oh, but wait there’s more… NEW THIS SEASON at the Barrington Art Fair…
Amy had these really groovy pieces that had an incredible semi-precious “stone”
with incredible chatoyancy!!! Big word, huh? That’s this really cool “shimmer” effect
of reflected light caused by aligned inclusions… kind of like the sheen on some great silk.
The luminous streak of reflected light is always perpendicular to the direction of the fibers.
Kinda technical… but trust me, it’s cool. Think tiger’s eye, think moonstone… and more!
Anyway… so after a lot of ooh-ing & aahh-ing… she finally told us it wasn’t even a stone!
It was indeed “semi-precious”… but it was slice of a vintage bowling bowl!!! Get out.
And with that… I needed one! So she’s making a “Bowleragate” necklace just for me!!!
I love having Talented Friends!!!

Welcome to October.
Welcome to Chicago Artist Month.

October is a special month every year that celebrates the local artists in Chicago
who make cool stuff around town. There will be lots of studios, galleries & stores
celebrating throughout the month with shows, openings & artist receptions.

To kick-off the month, this weekend is the annual Ravenswood Art Walk.
It’s a great chance to stroll up & down Ravenswood to see all of the galleries and
studios that will be open to the public. Lillstreet Art Center is a great place to
park and start your tour. My studio is on the second floor in 205 West.
You can stop in and see “where the magic happens.” I will be there all day
Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm to greet the people strolling by… and trying
to get some clay work done at the same time?! Then start your tour using the maps that
will be available at Lillstreet. If you stop by every place on the list, it could take all day!

Lillstreet Art Center – studio 205 west.
4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago… on the northeast corner at Montrose!
Seriously, just a few steps east of the Montrose stop on the Brown Line El.
Stop by for a tour, participate in some free workshops, have a piece of pie
at the First Slice Café or just hang out in my studio!

And to kick-off the month of art…
here’s a quick picture of a great new bricolage mural that was completed this summer
on Foster Street at the Lake Shore Drive underpass. Gotta love it…

So just let me just vent for a second…
while many art fairs work long & hard to invite quality artists to their events.
There are jury processes in place to choose who will participate each year.
The understanding is that everything displayed at the art fair was to have been
made by the artist. And for the most part I believe that to be true.

However… I do believe that there are some people who are riding on the fringe
of that rule. Some that are selling wholesale items under the guise of their own.
Photographers who buy stock photography instead of shooting their own.
Artists who do “some” of the work, but not all. Artists who are selling artwork
that just doesn’t “seem” right?!

Like the artist that was next to me this weekend… no, not Molly. The other side.
She was an Asian artist with embroidered “paintings” with thousands of perfect stitches.
Photo realism done with embroidery threads. So impressive, and somewhat
unbelievable, that she not only won “Best of Fiber” – but also “Best of Show.”

Now don’t get me wrong, the artwork was incredibly beautiful. But a little “too”
beautiful for the price. What I believe to be “too elaborate” and “too detailed”
for the quantity of pieces and the price points. Now keep in mind, I’m not sure.
But you know when you have “a feeling” that it’s too good to be true?… that there’s
no way she can be making all of this?… the fact that the work is too precise to be
handmade – although it’s all claimed to be? Prices a little off the mark… silk wine bags
with supposedly hand-embroidered patches sewn on to them… being sold at
five for $20. That’s only $4 each!!! Not possible. Not even to mention the perfectly
sized & sealed plastic bag that each wine bag came in?! Curious…

And then the rumors begin… other artists who claim to see this same “booth of artwork”
at other fairs with a different “artist.” That the work is being imported from China.
The the images are being created by computer. That any image can be scanned in
and the embroidery kicked-out by the computer. That the “artist” is just a sales rep.

So here’s my word of warning… be careful when shopping at art fairs.
Please be sure that the artist is indeed the artist. Don’t just assume it’s all on the up & up.
If you think it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Ask questions. Double-check. Listen.
Make sure that the artist can explain their process. Hear their story. Feel their passion.

Support individual artists for their talents.
And not some mass-merchant who is infiltrating the art fair scene!

So this past weekend was my last outdoor art fair of the season!
Art In The Barn in Barrington is always a fun show. Well organized. Festive. Fun.
The weather wasn’t all that great on Saturday, but it was much better on Sunday.
Coincidentally, customer attendance wasn’t all that great on Saturday either.
Luckily there were more people out shopping on Sunday. For those of you who
stopped by, it was great to see you as always!

This weekend is typically my “official” kick-off of Fall. I’m one of those who grasps
on to summer as long as possible… not willing to acknowledge that summer may
be ending! So even though Fall is actually my favorite season, I have trouble letting go
of summer. But once I do… I’m “all in” for Fall. And this weekend at Art In The Barn
generally does it for me. The cool, crisp weather. The bales of hay. The mums.
The pumpkins. The gourds. So now it’s fall… and I’m ready!!!

Back to the art fair…
As if selling pots wasn’t enough fun… it’s also seeing my customers love a pot.
I thoroughly enjoy seeing someone pick up a pot to see it better and then start feeling
the textures… which suddenly turns into caressing… and sometimes even purring!
I love seeing my customers find a new piece. Seeing a new texture.  Admiring a glaze.
Over the years I have benefited from some wonderful customers who have become
good friends over the years. It’s always good to see them just to have a laugh or two!

Another benefit is the group of friends I’ve made over the years on the art fair circuit.
It’s great to see them again from fair to fair… to share stories… to share work ideas.
And this year was no different… with just a few of My Talented Friends…

Molly Bitters
One of my favorite metalsmiths and a great booth neighbor! And congratulations
to Molly for winning the “Best of Jewelry” award this weekend. And even better…
we traded work and I got this beautiful intaglio pendant. And I love it!!!
Check out more of Molly’s work at www.macabistudios.com

Cheryl Holz
Cheryl has this great ability to combine colors & textures on a canvas.
Suggestive of nature, maps, legends, scrapbooks and other recognizable
forms, her paintings are layers of brilliance in color. And I’m proud to have
one of her prints hanging in my bedroom… another great art fair trade!
Check out more of Cheryl’s work at www.CherylHolz.com

Brad Pogatetz
I had the pleasure of meeting Brad last year as he was my booth neighbor.
This year his booth was in another building with much better lighting & wall space
to display his incredible photography. Brad’s images are spectacular as they focus
on the beauty of run down buildings, rust & deterioration… frequently juxtaposed
with natural elements or the simple geometry of it all. You know how I love rust!!!
Check out more of Brad’s work at www.BradPogatetz.com

Amy Taylor
Amy is known for making beautiful hinged jewelry. She makes beautiful silver pieces
with beautiful stones and other things. I’ve been a fan of Amy’s work for a few years…
as well as her energy, enthusiasm and passion. This weekend I was admiring her work
when she showed me a new piece with this incredible “stone” inside it. It was beautiful.
Shades of orange & red, pearlescent, lots of depth, lots of chatoyancy. But then she
told me it wasn’t a stone… but instead, a piece of a bowling ball. Get out!!! Too cool.
So, by the end of the fair, we had worked out a deal and she’s making me a custom
bowling ball necklace! I can’t wait to see it…
Check out more of Amy’s work at www.amytaylorjewelry.com

Anne Gilna
I first met Anne as my neighbor at the Hinsdale Art Fair. She does beautiful
watercolor paintings – a lot of birds, flowers and other scenes from nature.
Her images are colorful & clean, generally on a simple white background.
We liked them so much, that my parents have purchased a few of her pieces!
Check out more of Anne’s work at www.ArtByAnneGilna.com

Dorothy Hughes
One of the sweetest ladies you’ll ever meet, Dorothy is a great artist and supporter
of other artists. I’ve known Dorothy for many years since my early years at Lillstreet
Art Center.  Known in many of the Chicago “art circles,” Dorothy has always been
very positive & supportive of my work. She’s the nicest…
Check out more of Dorothy’s work at www.DorothyHughes.com