So far the LILLSTREET THROWDOWN has been mostly focused on wheelthrowing projects… but this week it took a turn into handbuilding!!! To ease our way in, we started with a few smaller challenges!

CHALLENGE #1 –
The were challenged to cut-off two “perfect” one-pound balls of clay. They could not use a scale, just their gut for weighing them blindly. Tougher than it sounds. After they each “thought” they had the one-pound balls… we went to actually weight hem with a digital scale! For most of them, they over-estimated the amount of clay. But we had two people who were shockingly spot-on!!! Tracy & Jacob were a tiny but under on one ball, and an equally tiny bit over on the other ball of clay… evening out to two “perfect” balls when averaged out.

CHALLENGE #2 –
The next challenge was to take those one-pound balls of clay and do a bit of coil-rolling. Some of my students had surprisingly never really rolled coils, so I did a quick demo for them. They then rolled coils trying to get them as long as they could in three minutes. The catch was, that if their coil broke at any point they could not put it back together… and their challenge was over as we would measure their longest segment. We had four “winners” in this challenge… one from each table… with Jacob, Taylor, Stacey & Dana. But they weren’t done yet…

CHALLENGE #3 –
The four “semi-finalists” carried on for another coil challenge! This time we doubled the amount of clay, and doubled the amount of time… and cut the number of hands in half!!! Yes, they could only use ONE HAND to roll the longest single coil that they could in six minutes!

But it was Dana who literally “rolled over” her competition…
and practically took over the entire table with her one-handed coil.

CHALLENGE #4 –
After coiling, we moved on to slab throwing. Again, we started with a quick demo… and then they started pulling their slabs. No slab rollers. No rolling pins. Just throwing them by hand!!! The goal was to get the largest continuous rectangle of clay… no folding over edges, no patching of holes, no fixing of tears… just one big solid rectangle.

After they pulled the clay as far as they thought they could,
I trimmed off the raggedy edges to reveal their inner-rectangle for measuring!

THE HOMEWORK CHALLENGE –
So now that they’ve warmed-up their handbuilding skills… it was time to give heir their next THROWDOWN CHALLENGE… and their first handbuilding challenge!!! For next week’s class, they need to construct a handbuilt flower brick. Keeping in mind their structure, stability, functionality and creativity! I showed them some examples of various flower bricks to inspire & get their creative juices flowing… and I also offered up my STODOLA textured rolling pins in case they wanted to use them?!

I can’ t wait to see what they come up with for our next class!

Now if only we had a little more snow…
I could totally get outside to make one of these “tasty” snow sculptures! HA!!!
Thanks to Snow Art Zone for the inspiration!

Okay, so who else remembers these?!… or maybe it’s just a Chicago-thing???
Automatic plastic molded sculptures while you wait!!! Who doesn’t want that?!

The sound of the machine cranking.
The clear bubble to let you see it working.
The smell of the molten plastic.
Pulling them out of the slot while they’re still hot.
Having to carry them upside-down while the plastic cools & solidifies!!!
Whenever we went to the Zoo or a Museum, we would get to choose which ONE of these little statues we wanted as a souvenir.

And every time I smell that melted plastic… I’m eight years old again!!!

For even more about the MOLD-A-RAMA… click here!

I’d like to add a little side note… maybe a little bit of a “Spoiler Alert”???

While I was in the Primate House, the Mold-A-Rama technician was there cleaning the machine and putting any of the errant plastic back into the reservoir. I mentioned how much I loved the Mold-A-Rama as a kid… and how the smell was such a childhood flashback. Then he mentioned that they’ve been working on trying to make a candle that actually has that classic Mold-A-Rama scent!!! Yes, please!!!

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Always a fun surprise when the CTA Holiday Train with Santa aboard turns the corner while you’re waiting on the platform. Suddenly flooded with a festive feeling… even though we were on the wrong side going the wrong direction to get on the train! Dang.

And then imagine my surprise when the very next train was the Elves’ Workshop Train!!! Still so fun & festive!!!!

Here’s “THE SHIP OF TOLERANCE” by Ilya & Emilia Kabakov that has been “docked” down on Navy Pier for the past month or so as part of EXPO Chicago. A wonderful art installation that utilizes a sail hand-painted by local schoolkids to highlight tolerance & inclusiveness. A wonderful concept for the kids to discuss & embrace. Sadly, today is the final day of the Ship’s tour of Chicago… as it will now sail off to its next destination.

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Words to live by… and some dark chocolate purely for “medicinal” purposes.
Dark chocolate is good for me, right?!!!

RIP : TUESDAY, AUGUST 6th, 2019.
It was early on that Tuesday morning I was already at Lillstreet getting ready for my Summer Campers to arrive. My phone rang early and I saw that it was my Dad calling. He never calls in the morning. He’s more of a later in the evening phone call kind of guy. I immediately had the sinking feeling that I knew what the call was going to be. The phone call we had all been waiting for. The phone call we had all been dreading. The inevitable phone call to let me know tat Mom had passed.

I stepped outside to take the phone call from the privacy of my car. I knew I didn’t want to hear “the news” with everyone around. And yes, it was the news we had all been expecting… that my Mom had passed early that morning. Quiet. Serene. Just as we would have wanted it to be. I asked my Dad if he needed me to do anything. To find a quick sub for camp… to leave Lillstreet and come out to their house… stuff like that. He said “no” that he was okay, and oddly relieved, and that my sister & brother were coming over to help out with everything. He said I should continue my day at Summer Camp as best I could.

And then… as I was walking back into Lillstreet, right there on the corner of Lillstreet there was a single stalk of milkweed with the tiniest of baby birds there chirping & chirping like crazy. Just a baby bird that had lost his Mom.

Now I know the feeling.
And it was a little too coincidental… a little too ironic.

Another sign from Mom… I got it. Slapped upside the head one more time!!!

baby bird without his Mom

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A few weeks back I had received some fresh-grown rhubarb from my friends down in Peoria. I intended to make a yummy sheet dessert that my Mom used to make with it. Kind of a shortbread crust, custard filling and rhubarb baked into the top. I looked all over for the recipe, but couldn’t find it. So I put the rhubarb in the freezer… hoping to find the recipe when I got back from vacation.

As we were driving, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, I told Chris the same story about Mom’s recipe… as we had many touching discussions about my Mom and her situation during our drive. I had kind of forgotten about those discussions, and that rhubarb recipe, until we stopped off in Amish-land Indiana. As were were looking around to buy a yummy pie for me to share with my pottery class that night.

And there it was…. an Amish pie version of the exact same rhubarb dessert I had been telling Chris all about. The same recipe I had been searching for. Done. Made. And ready for us to eat. Another “sweet” sign from Mom?! I think so.

While hanging out in Lake Placid getting accustomed to the town, prepping, eating & relaxing… Chris and I decided to go see a matinee movie in town. Luckily the theater was playing the new “live action” version of THE LION KING. Of course I was excited as I love the original animated version. But don’t think that the symbolism was lost on me…

That the movie is all about losing a parent figure
and then needing to step up and make the best of yourself moving forward.
To discover who you are, grow and never forget who has passed before you.

Thanks Mom… I got the message!
Hakuna Matata!

Lion King

losing a parent

Hakuna Matata

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