Three hundreds posts – and still going strong!!!
Now if I could just manage to get those abs too…

167 posts… 69 comments… and my rambling blog is now one year old!!!
Lots of pots… lots of thoughts… a few summer camps… plenty of biking adventures!
Thanks for sticking with me… I’ve had a lot of fun!
And they said it would never last…

So she’s starting a new chapter… leaving Chicago… leaving Lillstreet…
and beginning the next phase of her “dream plan” up in Minneapolis!
And she will be greatly missed… as a friend, as a potter, as my studio neighbor!

Today was Emily’s official moving date – from Chicago to Minneapolis.
She’s moving up north – along with her boyfriend Ian, sister Nora and her two
little boys. They’ve purchased an old duplex, done some extensive renovations
and are now ready to move in. Unfortunately, her new studio & kiln have not been
built yet… so we’re not quite sure when she’ll be up & running.

Over the past few years, Emily has been “just around the corner” of my studio…
for clay advice, design opinions, business methods, and more. She has been a full-time
potter for several years – and always supportive of my choice to go the same route!
She also taught the soda firing classes at Lillstreet, as well as coordinating the program.
So she was quite influential in my soda-firing adventures. Our emphasis on functional pots
is much the same – but our styles have always been quite different. Emily prefers natural
soda flashings, colored slips layered to create crackling & textures and sprayed glazes.
She has a more painterly style, emphasizing brush strokes & geometric designs.

Emily was also the one who championed the whole “you need a website”
project – and forced, err, “encouraged” me to start this blog. Her own blog has become
quite popular in the pottery circles… and she knew that starting a blog would be right
up my alley. Sharing photos, sharing stories, all about me, me, me!!!

So thanks for checking out MY blog… and thanks to Emily for getting me started…
and now you can check out her blog to see where it all began!!! And see where her
new adventure takes her as she re-establishes herself in the Twin Cities!
www.potteryblog.com

The pots are being fired… the new business cards just arrived…
and the white tent is being dusted off to kick off the new season.
It’s time to start getting ready for this summer’s tour of art fairs!!!
Starting next weekend…

Schaumburg Prairie Arts Festival
Saturday, May 23rd & Sunday, May 24th – Memorial Day Weekend
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 13th & Sunday, June 14th
Burlington Park on Chicago Avenue between Washington
& Garfield Streets in Hinsdale

Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, August 1st & Sunday, August 2nd
At the southeast end of Dawes Park on Sheridan Road at Church Street
along Lake Michigan in Evanston

Art In The Barn: Barrington
Saturday, September 26th & Sunday, September 27th
On the grounds (and in the barns) of Good Shepherd Hospital on Route 22 in Barrington

And new this summer – “online-only-web-offers” for my faithful Blog Readers!!!
Check back sometime during the week before each art fair to receive a special offer
valid only at each of the summer art fairs! A different offer for each fair!
Information & coupons to come…

It seems like I just started this blog a few short months ago…
much due to the suggestion & urging of my friend & fellow potter Emily Murphy.
She has been blogging for years – and thought it was past time for me to jump on
the blogging bandwagon. So now I’m in… and posting away.

At first I thought it would be a hassle. Nothing to say. Nothing to share.
What was I going to talk about that would make it worthwhile & interesting?
It has kind of become my own personal ramblings on my life as an artist.
What I like. What I see. What I make… and anything else I think is fun.
It’s been a great chance to share my life as a potter, a designer, a photographer…
and an avid bicyclist!

With one hundred posts now under my belt…
I hope you’ve been reading along – and enjoying them as my journey continues!

Okay, I must admit that I have been dragging my feet on the whole website thing.

I’ve owned my domain name now for several years. Tried starting it a couple times… then stopped. I even had a friend who volunteered to build it for me while she was pregnant and then home with her newborn… because she was “going to have so much extra time on her hands.” Well, Jimmy is now four and a half… and still no website. I keep telling people that I am spending too much time making pots – and not enough time making websites. They seemed to understand… while I was obviously rationalizing.

So truth be told… as blogs have become more popular, I’ve been intrigued by the ongoing dialog that it allows – instead of a website that pretty much just sits there. I like the idea of being able to share my ideas, my artwork, my inspirations, and parts of my life. So I had been preparing to start my blog… yep, “preparing” for quite a while with no results. It wasn’t until my friend & fellow potter Emily Murphy started a little friendly nudging to get me started. She’s been blogging now for over four years and has a very substantial blog following. So when she offered to help get me started, and ponied-up the help of her partner Ian’s tech skills… I decided to bite the bullet and get started. Surprisingly… it was a lot easier than I expected. Who knew?

So now I have a blog… which is also doing double-duty as my website. There are pages you can open with the standard website stuff. But the ongoing dialog & photos will be in the blog. I hope that you find my ramblings somewhat interesting, and that you return frequently to see what’s going on in my world. Whether it’s my ongoing musings & inspirations, pottery production, art fair schedule or random things that strike me as interesting.

Besides, all the cool kids are doing it…