Special thanks to everyone who came over this past Saturday for “Mud & Metal.”
It’s always fun to see so many friends, family, groupies & Facebook Fans all in one place!!
And thanks to Amy Taylor for sharing the day and her incredible work with us too!!!

You know I love textures. And clay. And colors. And whimsy!
Put them all together and you’ve got wonderful work by Cory McCrory!
And today was quite the day for Cory as her gallery show opened at Terra Incognito
in Oak Park, Illinois. It was wonderful to see such a wide collection of her work all
in one place. She’s a wonderful artist… and it was great to play with her today as well.

I met Cory several years ago during the Hinsdale Art Fair. We had booths fairly close
to each other and have been friends ever since. Her sense of whimsy, attention to details,
use of colors & textures… and her never-ending creativity have amazed me for years!

Some of Cory’s newest work includes there incredible wall pieces – complete with twigs,
leaves and playful, life-sized blackbirds! But they’re not all feathered… there were also
love birds, and other fun things perched on branches! All of which are handmade
& sculpted with Cory’s special blend of paper clay. With that, she gets great such great
textures and flexibility while she’s constructing her pieces.

If you can make it out to Oak Park, Cory’s show will be running in the gallery at
Terra Incognito through June 16th, 2011. For more information, click on Terra Incognito.
And if you do, make sure you add a new piece of hers to your collection… I did.

Also at The Pier… interspersed in the Stained Glass Museum,
there is currently an exhibit of contemporary mosaics. Now generally I’m not
a huge fan of mosaics. But after seeing this exhibit, I may need to reconsider.
I was especially enamored by the mosaics of Laura Rendlen of Glen Ellyn
who does these intricate, almost “photo-realistic” mosaics with teenie-tiny pieces!

Plus a few others, like this incredible portrait of “Indian Prayers”…
not to be outdone by the whimsically crazy birds mosaic!

Thanks to the Chicago Mosaic School for bringing these out for all of us to see!

While “hanging out in the garden” today on Navy Pier, I also took time downstairs
to stroll through the Stained Glass Museum. It’s a wonderful collection of stained
glass artists through the years. Including beautiful works by Tiffany and his
contemporaries. Many people people make it straight from the parking garages
and up to Festival Hall for the special exhibits without ever seeing the beautiful
artwork that is housed at Navy Pier all year long! Here’s a glimpse…

Today I packed up and sent off over fifty new pieces to Louisville, Kentucky!
One of the galleries that sells my work was looking for more… and luckily for me,
one of their people were visiting Chicago and they offered to come and pick up my work!
So I didn’t even need to ship anything?! Could it be any easier?

Gallery Janjobe is located in the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center in
Lousiville, Kentucky. They’re mission is “Offering Art With Attitude”… and I’m pleased
to have my work on display there. I’ve been part of their gallery now for four years…
and looking to continue for many years to come! I love giving them “art with my attitude”!
So if you’re ever in Louisville, be sure to stop by!

Gallery Janjobe
1860 Mellwood Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40206
(502) 899-9293  *  www.galleryjanjobe.com

Also next Saturday…
I have been invited by Steven Hill to participate in his Holiday Open House
at Center Street Clay in Sandwich, Illinois. It’s an honor to be invited…
sadly, I will not be there in person as I will be hosting my own Holiday Home Show.

Holiday Open House and Sale
Open House – Saturday, November 22nd – 12:00pm-9:00pm
Holiday show continues through December 21st
Gallery Hours on Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm-4:00pm
and by appointment. Take a drive out west and visit the quaint town of Sandwich.

Center Street Clay
218 West Center Street, Sandwich, Illinois 60548
(815) 570-2030  -  www.CenterStreetClay.com

Steven Hill is a well-known potter who recently moved to Illinois and established
Center Street Clay in Sandwich. This will be his second holiday season here and they’re
kicking it off with a great Holiday Open House.

Steven Hill

Invited Artists…

Kenyon Hansen

Lindsey Heiden

Doug Jeppesen

Cory McCrory

Sarah Mizanin

CJ Niehaus

Phyllis Pischl

…and me too!!!

Yes… I’ve been red-dotted!

One of my collaboration pieces from “Collective Conversations In Clay”
has been purchased… and therefore… I’ve been red-dotted. The first red-dot of the show.
The traditional indication in a gallery show that a piece has been sold.
The red dot.

Last night was the Opening Reception of “Collective Conversations In Clay” at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago. The show is a collaborative effort of ten ceramic artists. Artists were paired up with a partner to collaborate on their pieces for the exhibition. Each artist was to create a piece in their own style – as well as finishing a piece of their partner’s in their style as well. So it’s a matter of applying your style to someone else’s form.

The collaborating pairs were:
Emily Murphy & Gary Jackson… yep, that’s me!
Jay Strommen & Debra Fritts
Joanna Kramer & Dustin Yager
Gina Hutchings & Sarah Hicks
Shane Grimes & Nancy Pirri

Emily Murphy and I were collaborating partners. We’ve worked together for years with our studios near each other – but never collaborating on actual pieces! So it was a nice challenge for both of us. I decided to create my totem pole form. Stamping & glazing mine… and giving her a set so she could do her thing.

And she created two sets if her “signature” dinnerware. One of them she finished herself, the other set she gave to me when it was leather hard to finish in my style. She added slipped, I stamped. We both sprayed some glaze and soda-fired our dinnerware sets.

The Opening Reception was also the kick-off of Chicago Artist’s Month in Chicago. Which also coincides with the Ravenswood Artwalk this weekend. So there was a lot of traffic flowing through Lillstreet – stopping in to see the show and visit the studios. The gallery show continues through October 31, 2008.

“Collective Conversations In Clay” •    beingtobeing.com
Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 769-4226  •  lillstreet.com

Just two weeks from today…
The gallery opening of “Collective Conversations In Clay” at Lillstreet Art Center.
A collaborative show where five sets of ceramic artists create their own piece for the show – as well as finishing a piece of their collaborative partner. Emily Murphy and I are right on schedule with two weeks to go. My pieces are stamped. My collaboration/traded pieces are stamped… just waiting to be glazed, fired and installed in the gallery.
Here’s a sneak peek…

Collective Conversations In Clay
Opening Reception – Saturday, October 4th, 2008 – 4:00-7:00pm
Lillstreet Art Center Gallery – 4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago

For more information:   beingtobeing.com

Hope to see you there…

With just one month to go… it’s time for a little “conversation in clay.”

Eight ceramic artists will be working together to have a long “conversation.”
Five artists invited five other artists to collaborate with them in the project.
Each pair of artists will have their own “conversation” and work together to finish their pieces.

So here’s how it works… each artist will create two similar pieces. The artist will finish one of them in their own signature style. The second one goes to their collaborating “partner” who will finish that piece in their signature style. Emily Murphy and I will be working together to create our own “conversation in clay.” So I will finish one of my one pieces and one of her pieces… while she will finish one of her’s and one of mine!

Opening Reception at Lillstreet Art Center Gallery – Saturday, October 4th.
4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois – lillstreet.com

More details to come… and “conversations” to be had…