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!

Headed out for the St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour… under cover of darkness!
I’ll be driving up overnight so I can make it there for the kick-off at Bob Briscoe’s studio.
Then it’s on to the rest of the locations. A full weekend of pottery, shopping,
schmoozing and hanging out with friends!

For more information on the tour, click here… Minnesota Pottery Tour.

And nobody likes ‘eh’… enough said!

While we’ve had a kinda “crazy” Spring here in Chicago… too early, too warm, too fast…
It’s good to know that there are some Spring “traditions” going on around the world.
Even if our local tulips came & went in March?!!!

The fields of northern Holland explode into a colorful springtime display.
Their dazzling colors are thanks to the years in the 17th century when Tulip-mania
swept the globe and the more eye-catching specimens changed hands for a small fortune.
But, like a rainbow, this colorful rainbow is a short-lived phenomenon. When the flowers
are gone, the land will be cultivated for a rather more mundane crop of vegetables!

Plus, a view of the tulips from a more common eye-level vantage point…

Just eight weeks from today!
The premier pottery event in the Midwest!

20th Annual St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour
Friday, May 11, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Saturday, May 12, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 13, 2012 – 10:00am-5:00pm

Mark your calendars and plan a weekend get-away to surround yourself with incredible
pottery at every turn. There are seven studio stops on the tour, with 49 incredible potters
along the way! Each one better than the next. Each one with a distinctive style. Each with
years of experience. Each with incredible pots!!! So hard to narrow it down… so I’ve picked
out the Top Ten Potters that I’m looking forward to seeing. Some are perennial favorites,
some are friends, and others are new… and may just “need” to join my collection?!

Bob Briscoe – Always the first stop of my tour! Bob’s studio location is beautiful as it
overlooks a quaint pond & woods. Then, to make it even cooler, he puts up several large
white tents and fills them with a LOT of incredible pots and potters! Bob makes these
incredibly funtional; pots with great glazes & textures. Nothing too fancy. Just a great pot.
In fact, I have a set of bowls that Bob made that are perfect for my Thai food addiction!

Matt Metz – One of the favorites on my tour. Luckily, he’s one of the guest potters
at Bob Briscoe’s studio. So when I start my day at Bob’s, I can “have my pick” of all Matt’s
treasures before they get snatched up. I’ve acquired quite a collection of his work…
including this platter which I got last year!

Simon Levin – Guest potter at Guillermo’s place, Simon gets these incredible flashing effects.
Generally I’m not a huge fan of wood-fired pottery. But Simon Levin is the exception!

Steven Hill – I’ve known Steven for several years now, and enjoy seeing him whenever I get
the chance. His glazing effects are stunning. With glazes running, dripping, crystalizing and
working it out all over every pot! Over the past few years, Steven has switched from cone 10
reduction firing to cone 6 oxidation… all the while keeping the integrity of his glazing
techniques. Can’t wait to see him up in Minneapolis. To laugh with him & see his new pots!
Maybe he’ll finally have some dinnerware ready for me?! Yep… I’m waiting Steven…

Delores Fortuna – I’ve know Delores now for several years, but definitely getting to
know her better over the past couple. Delores is an occasional teacher at Lillstreet Art
Center so I get to see her when she comes around. Unfortunately, her class is typically
on Tuesday night… which is the same night as my class! So I can never take her class?!!!

Ellen Shankin – Beautiful forms with sweet glaze combinations. When I first started taking
pottery classes, Ellen had some pots in the Lillstreet Gallery. Even back then, I was still drawn
to her pots. Now that I have more experience & clay knowledge… I still appreciate her work.

Silvie Granatelli – Textures, patterns & colorful glazes that accentuate the details.
If you want to get some of her work, you need to get to the Tour early… her “good stuff”
gets snatched up quickly!

Mary Barringer – Somehow, I have yet to get a Mary Barringer piece?!
How has that happened? I love her subtle textures, and minimal pop of color.

Suze Lindsay – Whimsical illustrations, forms and designs… and soda fired to boot!
I appreciate her simple brush techniques – how deliberate her work is, and yet still very
spontaneous looking. Suze’s style is one of those I “appreciate” but know that I would never
be able to duplicate! I think I’m just a bit too tightly wound… some say anal-retentive!

Josh DeWeese – I first met Josh DeWeese at the old Lillstreet Art Center. He stopped by
several years ago for a weekend workshop. I was still pretty young in my ceramics career.
So it will be interesting to see his work again now that I know more, and appreciate more!

Well, that’s just ten of the 49 incredible potters that will be part of the annual tour!
Of course, there are always a couple surprises along the way. New potters to the tour
who catch your fancy. Or artists who may have new work that catches your eye. Of course,
there a few “missing” from the tour that I was looking forward to seeing. What happened to
Ryan Greenheck & Laurie Shaman?! I got my first Ryan Greenheck pieces last year and
LOVE ‘EM!!! I was definitely looking forward to more of Ryan’s “perfectly” glazed pieces!!!
What the heck?… no Greenheck?!

Mark your calendar and make plans to see a lot of beautiful pottery. Start saving your money
because you’re going to need it… unless you have more restraint than I do! Even if you’re not
planning on purchasing any pots, it’s still a great adventure. So many beautiful things. That
region of Minnesota is beautiful. And the artists are all there and willing to chat. Last year,
we had a great conversation with Bob Briscoe & Suze Lindsay. Hope to talk with them
again this year!

Check their website for complete details, dates, maps & artist information…
www.minnesotapotters.com

Today is Leap Year Day!
Once every four years we get this wonderful FREEBIE kind of day!
Celebrate this bonus day – go out, get excited and make something fun!

This weekend was a two-day workshop with Julia Galloway.
Let me just say, this was my third two-day workshop with Julia Galloway!

Each time I’ve seen her working, I’ve been at a different stage in my own ceramic career. She was also my first workshop ever – just a few sessions into my wheelthrowing classes. My second workshop with Julia was a few years later when I was addicted to clay, but not really sure where to take it from there. This weekend was another experience – now as a working potter with a whole new perspective. And quite possibly, ready to actually “hear” all of the tips she’s so good at putting out there.

First off, her three word artist statement du jour : domesticity, conversation, beauty. And that’s what she makes. Pots that can be used for nourishment, that create a conversation and are inherently beautiful. Sounds like a good plan to me!

We started with Julia doing some quick throwing. In Julia’s studio, she throws for two days on the weekend & then spends rest of the week decorating those pots. In a condensed workshop like this, she had to make pots quickly to have something to work on later.

As the pieces began to set up, she then started to alter the forms by pressing, billowing & squaring the forms. In her mind, she had a plan for each piece. And she explained to us that many of her “plans” are created by a “predicament.” A conflict that needs to be resolved. A hurdle that needs to jumped. A limitation that needs to be pushed. It wasn’t always clear to us where she was going with the demos… but the exploration & discovery was part of the fun. Many “ah-ha” moments as they came together.

Not only are Julia’s pots very gestural & animated, but so is she. Her ability to be informative & approachable at the same time is refreshing. She has so much information to dispense that it could easily be overwhelming. But instead, she instills so much humor & passion into her presentation. She’s one of those people that I find so endearing & engaging… so much so,
that this is my third workshop with her. Sure, her work is incredible. But I could just listen to her talk. Seriously. Give her a topic and let her go. She’s thoughtful, insightful and giving. Always willing to share. But I digress. Enough gushing. Back to the workshop…

An added bonus… she also showed us a few new, groovy handle making techniques. Handles with textures?!… I loved ’em… and watch for me to be “appropriating” them soon!

Day Two… back for a second day of too much information flying our way…
and she’s still making beautiful things. Even more beautiful as things come together!

As her pieces are now leatherhard, she started attaching, stacking, cutting & combining pieces. Creating some of her signature pieces… also making pieces that will accentuate her surface decorations! And all the while, she’s talking. And talking. Sharing stores. Sharing insights. Sharing her path. Again… I could just listen to Julia talk. And I did. I’m impressed by people who can express themselves verbally & eloquently. And yet never condescending or demeaning. Always willing to answer a question. Always willing to share concepts, tips, secrets & opinions. Everything you want in an educator. Everything I want to be as a teacher.

In between the demonstrations, giving the clay some time to stiffen up, Julia took time to share some art history with us. She brought her PowerPoint collection of pottery through history. To give us a basis of understanding, to offer up historical reference on how pottery had evolved and changed along with the world. How surface decoration is as old as pottery itself. It was somewhat amazing to how pottery has remained the same, and yet so
completely different over the centuries. When I was in college, art history was all about painting & sculpture. We never talked pottery. Who knew how much it was all connected?!

Then, as she started decorating her pots, she also explained how ALL surface decoration can be summarized into four categories. And since we had just seen centuries of surface decoration, it was fairly obvious… yet great to have it pointed out clearly. Here they are…
1. dots.     2. lines.     3. floral representation.     4. pictorial imagery

So, starting her own surface decoration, she wanted to show how “easy” it can be… and that sometimes you just need to dive in and do it. No hesitation. Don’t overthink it. So her pitcher slip demo is just that… dots, then lines, then floral, then object imagery.

And then it was on to some of her signature styles in surface decoration.
With a lot of slip painting, slip trailing, incising, wax resist, slip inlay, shaving, layering and more! All the time talking. Talking about styles. Talking about techniques. Talking about how you need to make a lot of pots. How you need to try a lot of different things. Try, try, try again.
How you need to commit to the techniques when you start. Don’t be timid. Don’t be hesitant. All suggestions I give my own class of beginners… don’t be wishy-washy… commit… it’s just clay!

As the workshop began to draw to a close, we had a much larger vocabulary of techniques, as well as a lot of historical reference to draw from. We looked at some of her pots from the gallery – now understanding exactly how they were made, as she explained some of the steps of how she made them.

As we all found out, so much of Julia’s work is about making beautiful things. Beautiful forms & shapes. Beautiful lines & details. Beautiful layers of patterns & shapes. Her quest for beauty is admirable. Her willingness to share is impressive.

With the workshop encapsulated above, I still feel as though I haven’t covered it all. It’s her dynamic personality, her passion for clay, her willingness to share everything, and her eloquent turn-of-phrase that does it for me. It’s impossible to grasp that in a blog.
And I do think that the third time was the charm. I feel at this point in my ceramic career, I was ready to “hear” what Julia had to say. And now confident enough in my own skills to now stat trying more of her techniques. The trick will be making it happen. I can’t wait to
see what happens, and how I can incorporate her tricks into my own styles. I don’t want to make “Julia Galloway Pots.” But I am looking forward to seeing how she influences my work.

Thank you Julia Galloway for another wonderful workshop.
I know that everyone in the room was as enchanted as I was, and learned a lot along the way. Everyone in there has their own path that they’re on, and I’m sure we all got something different and yet equally important out of the two days we spent with you.

For more information on Julia Galloway, check out her website in my “Links” section. As well as the “Link” to Montana Clay which highlights her surrounding ceramic community.