Tonight was a wonderful night under the White Big Top.
Located down in the south parking lot of Soldier Field is a temporary white tent..
and it’s HUGE!!! Much larger than the tent they had a few years back when CAVALIA
first came to Chicago. I saw the show then and was instantly mesmerized. I sadly assumed it was a one-time show… so imaging my surprise & excitement when I saw they were returning to Chicago with a new show!!!

And it’s got to be that big to house a show this HUGE!!!
You should know by now that I’m a card-carrying Cirque du Soleil geek.
And while this is NOT a Cirque show, it is definitely very reminiscent of their splendor.
Think of it as Cirque du Soleil with a herd of horses running free!!!

Click here to see the official trailer for CAVALIA’s ODYSSEO.

It’s an amazingly beautiful and mesmerizing evening. The live band and singer were captivating while each of the acts were amazing. The colors, the costumes, the complete package. The horses are amazing in all their regal glory. Somehow they “perform” just as much as the human performers. They dance, prance and turn on cue. Somehow these “wild” horses storm the stage racing at full speed… and then a moment later are gentle, clam & graceful. It’s amazing to watch how well trained the horses are. And even more touching that you can actually see how much the trainers love their horses… and even better, that you can literally see how much the horses LOVE their trainers. Seriously. You can see the bond, the trust and the love of working together among the entire cast… human and equine!!!

Sure, there are acrobatic acts much like a more traditional Cirque du Soleil show…

But then there’s also horse galloping and trick riders flying all over the place.
Oh wait, and did I mention the water?!!!

For a bit more insight about the creator and the show from behind the scenes, click here for a very insightful CAVALIA video on YouTube.

And while the show is AMAZING!!!
They also host a wide collection of horse sculptures and paintings.
A veritable art gallery… like the CAVALIA theatrical spectacle weren’t enough!!!

And you know how I LOVE rusty metal….

In addition to the metal sculpture horses,they also had a wide collection of incredible horse paintings. I loved the gestural line quality of these beauties by Sebastien Larochelle…

And my favorite painting by Lea Riviere…

Overall, an amazing night of equine beauty.
It’s all of the spectacle drama and beauty of Cirque du Soleil AND horses!!!
If you EVER have a chance to see CAVALIA live under the Big Top… by all means do!!!

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Looking for a new fun way to decorate your Easter Eggs?…
well, new to ME anyway. This technique has been around for ages!

As a potter, we’ve all worked with wax resist before. But never like this.
I watched this first video and didn’t quite know what the end result was going to be. And when she revealed her finished egg, I was hooked. So simple in concept, but I’m sure it takes YEARS to master!!! Click here for the first Pysanky Egg video by Nicole Bell.

And for those needing a quick fix… here’s a visual overview from the video…
From my understanding, you draw on the lines with beeswax.

Then you dip it into the egg coloring.

Then trace over SOME of the original lines, filling in some areas, but not all.

And then it goes back into the color another time.

Then you carefully melt & wipe off the wax resist.

To reveal your beautiful egg.
Pretty groovy, huh?! I definitely have to try this one next year!

Want to see more?… click here for a more in-depth video of the history,
meaning and techniques used to create these incredible Pysanky Colored Eggs.

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Have fun today… BE YOURSELF!!!

My students this past session LOVED challenges.
They asked for them!!! One night challenges. Long-term challenges.
So as part of our “throwing with intention” discussion… and trying to plan ahead and make what you want to make with purpose & intention… I challenged my class to a Masterpiece Challenge. I came to class with some sealed envelopes. And told my class that anyone who wanted to take on the challenge could. No details. No information. Just say yes… and you’re in. Almost everyone signed on.

Then they chose an envelope without knowing the contents.
And then I explained the game. Inside were images from random famous artists. And their challenge was to make a piece that was “inspired by, representative of, influenced by or in some other way similar to” the artist inside their envelope. I tried to choose famous artists who had a very identifiable style.

So they’ve been working on their pieces for a few weeks. Some of them made it to the final class, while others just didn’t quite make it done in time. I know there are a couple pieces still waiting to be fired. But… for the ones that finished, they were SPECTACULAR!!!

RENE’ MAGRITTE as interpreted by Catherine.
The photo doesn’t show it, but… the inside of the lidded jar top is a green apple!!!

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE as interpreted by Taylore.
Pretty literal. Pretty darn amazing!!!

ANDY WARHOL as interpreted by Taylore… double-duty, over-achiever..
From the Warhol “Legs & High Heels” collection…

GEORGE SEURAT as interpreted by Emily.
With s little pointillism with colored stains on Shaner Clear glaze.

FRANK STELLA as interpreted by Ryan.
Three different versions bringing Stella’s work to clay.

WALT DISNEY as interpreted by Stacey.
A wonderful rendition of Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” done as a chip & dip set.
Yes, the dip fits inside her belly!!! Brilliant Stacey!!!

And Melissa’s interpretation of M.C. ESCHER…
her largest and most elaborate pottery piece yet!!! Unfortunately, timing got away from her a bit and Melissa’s is still in the greenware stage, but you can tell it’s going to be AMAZING!!!

Hard to stay gray & gloomy when faced with a box full of bright, rubber duckie beach balls!!!
You’re smiling now, right?!

Some great patterns & color combinations on these painted tiles that I found
at BoHo on West Illinois Street while downtown this morning.

Might be good inspiration for some new stamps???

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So my Tuesday night class has a new “challenge” this session. They each randomly drew the name of a famous artist out of a bowl and were challenged to create a ceramic piece “inspired by, reminiscent of, similar to, influenced by” or in any other way similar to the work of their famous artist. It’s been so much fun to see how they’ve each embraced the challenge… including this one that Melissa was working on last night.

Can you guess who her famous artist is???

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Okay, so again for the record… I am not at all political.
But regardless of what your views may be, you’ve got to admit that the whole concept of “Alternative Facts” is pretty darn hysterical. I love that even Kellyanne can’t say it smoothly… notice her own hesitation before saying it for the first time. And you’ve got to love seeing a well-renowned, adult male journalist finding the humor in it all… and giggling like a twelve year old school-girl on “Meet The Press.”

Click here to see Anderson’s giggle-fest on “Meet The Press” … kinda.

Sure, it’s clear that this is edited. Kind of a mash-up to make it even funnier. Might have been footage for Anderson’s segment called “The RidicuList.” Which you have to admit this is… Alternative Facts?!!! You can’t make this sh#t up!!!… err, well apparently you can!!!

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I’m not at all political…
but for some reason I just couldn’t resist posting this today of all days!!!

I don’t know… I feel pretty darn GREAT in the morning!!!
No chance of a hangover. And always the potential of an amazing sunrise!!!