Always excited to start my day off with waffles & peanut butter… again!
Plus a nice discussion with potter George Lowe, his wife, and then some potter
friends from Lillstreet. After a lot of “pottery-talk”, it was time to get going.
First up… back to Bob Briscoe’s studio.

Sundays are always slower, quieter and more relaxed on the Tour. Most of the
“real” shoppers & collectors come early on Friday. By the time Sunday rolls around,
there are a LOT fewer pots, and the artists are slowing down. It’s been a long weekend
for them too. Lucky for us, we had plenty of time to talk with Matt Metz, Suze Lindsay,
Kent McLaughlin and Bob Briscoe. After a couple hours, it was time to say our goodbyes
and move on to our last stop.

Back at Guillermo’s location, we stopped by to chat with Delores Fortuna & Roberta
Polfus. It was a lot quieter there too… so they had some time to sit and talk with us.
While we were sitting chatting, Clary Illian stopped by to join our conversation.
Nice to talk to a ceramic “legend”… but all too soon it was time to get back on the road
for the long drive home.

All in all, another successful Pottery Tour. So much fun to be surrounded by so much
fine ceramic work. And have access to so many talented potters so you can chat and
get to know them. It’s also encouraging to see so many people coming out for the Tour
to encourage & support the arts. And to buy some pots!!!

So, mark your calendars for next year’s St. Croix RIver Valley Pottery Tour.
It’s always the Friday, Saturday & Sunday of Mother’s Day Weekend.
Luckily, my Mom understands and we celebrate a week early so I can go to the Tour!

It was a very long drive. Luckily, it’s pretty much a straight shot to Minneapolis!
I got into town fairly early, so I swung past my cousin’s place in White Bear Lake
to drop off some “surprise presents” on their front porch! Remember back to
“the incident” and the projects the kids were working on? Well, I finished them off
for the kids, glazed ‘em & fired ‘em. So I dropped off their planters… plus my
demo planter with a colorful arrangement of succulent plants.

Then I drove further on towards Bob Briscoe’s studio – always the first stop in my
annual Pottery Tour. I got there a bit early so I squeezed in a few moments of shut-eye.
The tour “officially” starts at 10:00am, but who am I to play by the rules when others
were getting a head-start?! So I began my Tour fun about 9:45am!!!

Straight to the Matt Metz collection… of course, I needed to add to my Metz collection!
I quickly snatched up to adorable lidded jars. Then headed on to see more…

After setting down my new Matt Metz jars on the “hold” shelves, I was quickly greeted
by Suze Lindsay with a hug and a great discussion. It was still early in the morning and
the hoarding masses hadn’t arrived yet, so she was free to chat for awhile. My friend
Amy arrived and we continued our shopping. As we were admiring, shopping, resisting
and being inspired, Amy’s friend Debbie showed up to join our adventure. Before we left
Bob’s place, I did snatch up a new Suze Lindsay tumbler!

After a long visit at Bob Briscoe’s we finally moved on towards Connee Mayeron’s
studio which is not the closest one… but it is the studio with two of the artists that
Amy was anxious to see… and shop! There we found Jenny Mendes and the work
of Shoko Teruyama. Both make these insanely detailed & meticulous pieces with
incredible illustrations. While Amy & Debbie were fawning over their work, I was
quickly distracted by the s’mores at the campfire!

We then moved on just south to Guillermo Cuellar’s studio. Hundreds of pots scattered
all over the tables around his yard. Our friend Delores Fortuna shows her work here,
and her Tour assistant Roberta Polfus was there to play with us for awhile! While there,
the beautiful blue skies clouded over, the temperature dropped and the winds picked up…
it felt like a storm might be rolling in.

We made a quick stop off for a picnic lunch overlooking the river. Unfortunately, it was
getting chilly… and the picnic table only had one side?! So we didn’t linger too long…
and we had more studios to see!

Moving along the Tour, we went to Will Swanson’s place – which had expanded from last year.
More big tents in the backyard gave more room for more great pots. Tom Turner was one
of the “new” potters on the Tour. He’s been making pots for a long time, and has created
some wonderful crystalline glazes. I was lucky to snatch up a small tumbler to add to my
mug collection… okay, not quite a mug, but close enough!

We did a quick stop at the studio of Jeff Oestreich, and saw some pieces by Josh DeWeese.
I had taken a workshop with him years ago, and it was great to see a collection of his work.

Next we went to Linda Christianson’s studio. A beautiful, wooded area with plenty of
trillium blooming and a beautiful pile of wood next to the kiln shed. While there, we
also met Michael Hunt & Naomi Dalglish on the Tour. It’s a husband & wife working
together to create their pieces. Apparently, Naomi went to Earlham College with my potter
friend Emily Murphy. So I just “needed” to pick up a couple plates…

Moving on, we went to Richard Vincent’s studio for some more great pots… and some
quality time playing with & making fun of my potter friend Steven Hill. I’ve known
Steven for a few years during his time here in Illinois. He has since moved back to
Missouri… and still not made my set of dinnerware?! It’s only been a few years…
but I’m still waiting… and not letting him off the hook!

By this time… it was already past 6:00pm. So officially they were closed!
Begrudgingly, we finished up and headed back to the hotel.
Day One almost done.

Gotta get some sleep tonight – as tomorrow is going to be another busy day!

Welcome to Chadwick’s World!
And what a crazy little world it is… all inside Martin’s head!                         And I love it!!!

So tonight was a beautiful opening reception for Martin Chadwick.  An amazingly
talented friend of mine who has work showing in Chicago for the next two months!
In the front lobby of The Belmont – located at 3170 North Sheridan at Belmont, Chicago.
If you have a chance to go, it’s on the southwest corner of Belmont & Sheridan. I went with
my friend Pam JH who knows Martin, but had never seen his work other than on his
website. It was fun to see the awe & amazement in her eyes as she saw them in person!

I met Martin several years ago when he started taking my pottery class with his wife Christi.
You could tell right away that he had more talents than he was showing on the wheel. After
getting to know him better, I found out that he was working as an architectural  model maker.
Then, I found out he was also an incredible painter – a hidden talent. So I posted it here on
my blog awhile back. But after tonight’s art showing, I knew I had to show him off again!
So welcome to Chadwick’s World… fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride…

The next pen & ink drawing was Pam’s favorite in the show…

His pen & ink drawings are incredible. Such detail, such depth, all done with a fine
tip ink pen. When you see the detail, it’s hard to image how fine that pen stylus must be?!
Crazy when you see the textures, the details and the shading! Closeups from above…

And then you switch to his paintings… just stunning!!!
This first one was in his living room when I first found out that he was a painter. It was
partially done, siting on an easel, with paints & palettes all around. So great to see it all
done now and hanging on a gallery wall. Love the colors. The details. The whimsy.
Seriously… you really need to see them in person to really get close!

This next one is his ode to America… as seen through his English eyes!
Combining “all things American” into his American homage.

Then we move on to Lewis Carroll’s house. A beautiful British home… possibly where he
wrote the classic “Alice In Wonderland.” And you can see why… we have Alice entering
through the gate, with chess piece topiaries, flamingoes on the sidewalk, and a brick wall
morphing into a rolling script of text. Below you see other Alice references… the Mad Hatter,
the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and so much more. The longer you stand there and
look at it, the more you’ll see. His paintings literally draw you into the crazy world he’s
creating on the canvas!

This one is his newest piece… and my personal favorite!!!
I love the simplicity. The balance. The colors. And somehow it took me right back
to third grade when we sat there in school watching the classic “The Red Balloon.”
A favorite short film by Albert Lamorisse about a small school boy who befriends
a red balloon and their touching adventures that follow. Very touching. Still a favorite.
And somehow this painting took me right back.

For more about Martin Chadwick… and a free ticket into Chadwick’s World….
click on his website in my LINKS section to the right.

Plus, click here for more about my favorite 3rd Grade movie - “The Red Balloon.”

Today I joined my family for Easter Sunday Brunch out at Pheasant Run Resort
in St. Charles. It was one of those huge ballrooms full of people and buffet tables.
Trying hard to pace yourself, plate after plate, trying to get your money’s worth.
Which is hard to do… but I gave it my best shot! Hello, dessert table!

After Brunch, we walked around the Resort and found that my painter-friend
Cheryl Holz has an exhibition of her work currently in the Bourbon Street Gallery.
It’s this great little section of Pheasant Run  that they’ve done up to look like this
little old cobblestone street. Sadly, the actual Gallery was closed as it is Easter!
But that didn’t stop me from peeking inside, snapping a few photos and finding
a few more beauties in the hallway! Even from a distance… beautiful!

Cheryl grew up in the country, collecting moss, bugs, leaves and to her mother’s chagrin,
snakes and salamanders. Her rural upbringing had a big influence on her aesthetic
sensibility, and most of her work today is an homage to nature’s strength, beauty and
diversity. She emulates natural aging processes by building up and wearing away paint
and plaster to hollow wooden panels. Anything from dragonfly wings to prairie grasses
are embedded at various points of the process. The symbolic implications of the methods
and materials are as important as the imagery.

I met Cheryl a few years back at Art In The Barn in Barrington…
pretty much right above me! I’m in the Lower Barn, and she’s in the Upper Barn.
But the first time I went up to see her work, I was immediately enamored.
The colors. The textures. The layers. The typography. Love it all.
Since then, we’ve done some “art fair trading” and I have one of her prints in my bedroom.
In case you can’t make it to Pheasant Run Resort… here’s a few more pictures…

And my favorite of the ones I could actually get close enough to really see…

Cheryl Holz : On exhibit now through May 2, 2012 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles.
Closing Reception on Saturday, April 14th from 5:00pm-7:00pm.

Or, you can check out more of Cheryl’s work at www.CherylHolz.com

I was sent this photo from my good friend Kelly to show off her lilacs in one of my vases.
The bouquet of lilacs is quite impressive. Apparently the town trucks were out doing a big
Spring trimming of all the trees & bushes – and they cut off HUGE chunks of her lilac bushes.
Luckily, Kelly had a chance to throw them in a vase so they could enjoy them for a few
well-scented days! But really?… it looks like Kelly might need a bigger vase?!

However… it’s the beautiful Rosie who really steals the show! What lilacs? What vase?
Who even notices them when you have such a precious little beauty sitting beside them?
Even better?… today is Rosie’s big day! HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY ROSIE!!!

Yesterday I spent the day with my cousin Michael from Minnesota and his family.
They came down to Chicago for Spring Break and we had planned a full day of clay fun
at the studio. We started making terra cotta planters with textures – everyone working
on their own planter. They all learned the basics… and set off to work…

And then, unfortunately… the day took a turn!
As we were about halfway done with our planters, I started feeling a little light-headed.
A little dizzy… and the next thing I knew, I was down for the count. Literally. Down.
Drama. Embarrassment. Paramedics. And a trip to the hospital to get checked out.

Apparently, I was dehydrated and my body wasn’t happy with that. They checked my vitals
and everything was fine. Except for the back of my head where it “met” the wedging table
on the way down. So I now have four staples on the back of my head. Yeah, souvenirs!

The doctor said I should get plenty of liquids and bring up my blood sugar level…
so we all went for a wonderful dinner at my favorite restaurant Rose Angeli’s.
And I had plenty of HOT caramel sauce for medicinal purposes!

Tonight was week #9 of my beginning wheelthrowing class. Only one more week!
They have all of the basic skills and are busy working & making pots!

So tonight I thought it would be great to surprise them all with a wonderful surface
decoration demonstration by my friend & potter Amy Higgason. Amy has been in town
for the weekend, and after her Trunk Show on Friday, we thought it would be fun for her
to do a demo for my class. So Amy threw a few pots last Friday, trimmed ‘em today
and set off carving them tonight! A special treat for my students.

Amy started her demo with a discussion of the tools she uses… a few simple tools
that make a wide range of textures & patterns. Some of them actual ceramic tools,
while others are found items like a broken TV antennae! She then started in on her
demonstration of how she decorates a simple bowl.
Yeah, well it started out simple anyway…

Suddenly, not so simple of a bowl any more!!!

Then she moved on to a small creamer pitcher. A quick trick of cutting a vase shape to make
the spout. A little wetting, sponging, finessing and shaping to create the spout. After the spout
is formed, she then set in to the carving & decorating of this piece.

Amy then showed my class how she makes her leaf-shaped handles out of a slab.

And then in Amy World, a pitcher can’t be just a pitcher… it needs a saucer to sit on too!
And not just any saucer, but an over-the-top, decoratively carved plate!!!

And then to close out the evening, I surprised Amy with a birthday cake
to help celebrate her big day. Nothing says birthday like a big chocolate cake!!!

So let me send out a quick Thank You again to Amy Higgason for sharing her talents
& creativity with us. I’m sure my students were inspired and will be incorporating some of
her techniques into their work. I know I enjoyed Amy’s time here this weekend,
and I hope she had some fun with us celebrating her big birthday!

You know how I love texture… and repetitive patterns… and excess creativity!
Well, apparently so does my friend Northwoods potter friend Amy Higgason…
and here are a few detail shots of her incredible pieces! See what I mean?…

Tonight was Amy Higgason’s “unofficial” Trunk Show in my studio at Lillstreet Art Center.
She drove down from the Wisconsin Northwoods yesterday, escaping three feet of snow!!!
Today she made it to the my studio and we quickly got to converting my display shelves
and work areas to be “The Amy Show”. It’s been several years since Amy had a studio at
Lillstreet, so it was kind of a return to her roots. She brought a lot of her latest work, many
fresh out of the kiln, to show off in my studio for her Trunk Show. Special thanks to everyone
who braved the elements to come and see Amy and her work.

You can tell from Amy’s work that she is quite an illustrator, as well as potter.
Many of her pots are more like visual “paintings” on clay. So much work and so many hours
go into every pot she creates. With a multitude of textures, patterns & colors, Amy’s work
draws you in and makes you want to touch every piece!

A friend of ours has made a keen observation about both of our styles. Pat Howe decided that
Amy’s work is “feathery” and my work is “footprinty.” At first we all laughed… but in hindsight,
he was oddly insightful and onto something. Amy and I are definitely working with some of the
same aesthetics, yet using our own techniques developed over the years.

I think that Amy had a good time tonight showing her work in the Chicago area after 8 years.
Seeing some familiar faces around Lillstreet. Getting away from her frozen tundra at home!!!

I always think it’s important to support and help promote your friends. Making your way
as a full-time artist is a tough road. And everyone needs a little help now and again.
So I was pleased to give Amy the exposure she deserves in my studio tonight! She makes
incredible ceramic works but is somewhat “isolated” by living up in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
While her home & studio are located in the middle of Nature’s beauty, there’s also not a lot of
“pottery shopper” traffic. Hopefully, she made some contacts tonight, and exposed her work to
people who may never had seen her if she never made it out of the Northwoods…
especially with the recent snowstorm that almost cancelled her trip simply because
she almost couldn’t get out of her own driveway!!!

I’ve always said that I love having “Talented Friends.” Not only in their artistic endeavors,
but also in their ability to express themselves, share their ideas and inspire others.
Our pottery community is a lot smaller than people would expect. And I think it’s important
for each of us to support each other, educate people about pottery, and promote handmade
crafts   & small businesses whenever given the chance. Enough preaching to the choir…
you get it.

If you didn’t get a chance to see Amy tonight, her work will continue to be on display
in my studio space through Tuesday night, March 6th.

Mark your calendar for this Friday night!
As my friend & potter Amy Higgason is “returning to her roots” back at Lillstreet
for a special one-night Trunk Show. She’ll be setting up her beautiful pottery in my
studio space. It’s been over eight years since Amy moved up to the Wisconsin Northwoods.
So it will be a great chance to stop by and see Amy and her work while she’s in town.
As you may recall, the last time I got to play with Amy is when I went up to the Northwoods
for ART DETOUR last Fall. Since she’s coming down to Chicago for a smaller show,
I’m jokingly referring to it as ART DETOUR LITE.

Amy Higgason Trunk Show – Friday, March 2nd from 5:00-9:00pm.
Lillstreet Studio 205 West – on the second floor of Lillstreet Art Center.