Well, tonight was the final night of the 10-week Winter Session of my Tuesday night
Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing Class at Lillstreet Art Center.
We all had a wonderful time making pots and sharing our clay experiences.
Everyone had a great time, lots of demos, lots of laughs, and a LOT of great pots!
Tonight we capped it off with a potluck dinner, informal critique & discussion…
and the ever-popular “bowl exchange.” Where everyone contributes one bowl (or mug?)
that they’ve made, and then we do a secret, White Elephant sort of random drawing & trading
game to exchange bowls (or mugs?) so everyone goes home with someone else’s treasure!

And oh, but wait there’s more…
I also found out tonight that my class for the Spring Session if already full.
More than two weeks before the session is scheduled to start may be an actual record?!
Sorry if you were planning in signing up, but waited too long. I tried to warn you
that the class fills up fast. I know at least a handful of this session’s students are returning,
but the rest are going to be newbies joining in on the fun! Sorry if you didn’t make the cut.
I think there’s a waiting list, but no guarantee that you’ll get in. Check it out at Lillstreet!!!

Although we still have two more weeks of the Winter Session…
Spring Classes will be starting soon… and registration is already open!

Don’t wait too long to sign-up. My Tuesday night Beginning Wheelthrowing Class
typically fills up, and I would hate to have you end up on the waiting list.
The class is for brand new beginners who want to get dirty and play in the clay…
as well as returning Beginners who still need to brush up on some basics and
refine their skills. You can sign-up in person at Lillstreet, or register on the
Lillstreet website. Either way… sign up today!

Once again this year, Lillstreet is holding a special benefit to help fight hunger.
“Empty Bowls” benefits are held across the country with potters of all levels donating
their work to raise money for local hunger-fighting organizations. At our benefit,
people will be able to choose form hundreds of handmade ceramic bowls for a suggested
donation of $20. Not only do you get to keep the bowl, but it will also be filled with soup
and a piece of bread courtesy of First Slice Cafe. One hundred percent of the proceeds
will be given to First Slice Cafe so they may continue to create healthy meals for local
organizations whose mission includes helping those who are hungry and/or homeless.
Last year’s event raised over $19,000 for First Slice Cafe. We’re hoping to top that this year…
and several of my handmade bowls will be in the mix!

Empty Bowls Fundraiser
Friday, March 5th   -  5:00pm-8:00pm

Lillstreet Art Center
4401 North Ravenswood at Montrose, Chicago, Illinois 60640

Tonight’s demonstration in class was how to make bowls on purpose.
Not just a cylinder gone bad… and whoops, look at that, it’s a bowl?!
So my beginners were very excited… and very attentive.

So I made several bowls and demonstrated how to make them each different.
By turning “the same 2-pound” bowl into different shapes & styles.

We also introduced slip as a decorative tool. Nothing too elaborate.
Just a basic primer of what slip is, how to use it, and how it can quickly change a pot.
We painted a solid inside, then dragged a spiral, squiggled through it and chattered!!!
Voila’ – a decorative bowl. Easy. Simple. Any beginner can do it.

Tonight’s class ended with one of my favorite projects… STAMPS!
A lot of my students have taken an interest in textures & stamping… go figure.
So tonight we made stamps that will be bisqued fired and then they can start using them!

So as I was running out to grab some dinner tonight, I ran into my friend
& fellow studio mate Katie Biderbost. She mentioned that she reads my blog frequently -
and was surprised that I update it so frequently. I told her that there’s nothing that bugs
me more than a blog that hasn’t been updated for months… or years!!! And then I realized…
I’ve never featured Katie as one of My Talented Friends… so here goes…

I’ve known Katie for many years… practically my entire pottery career!!!
Katie has been involved at Lillstreet Art Center for many years, both as a teacher
and studio member. She has come & gone, but her focus has always remained strong.
Her grad-school-hiatus took her down to Indiana… but she luckily returned to Lillstreet.
Katie now works in Lake Forest, Illinois running a clay program up there. Yet she returns
to Lillstreet for some quiet studio time away from her workplace!

Katie’s work has evolved over the years, and she has several mugs in my “mug collection.”
During the Lillstreet Holiday Opening, I treated myself to a set of Katie’s plates…
I’ve been coveting them for awhile and finally decided that they had to be mine.
Her current body of work is painstakingly decorated with slip to create an intricate
“woven” pattern that almost looks as though it were knit. The glaze is a beautiful teal
blue that is accentuated in the soda kiln to create and incredible depth & range of color.

Not only did I get the plates… I also got another mug for “the collection”!!!
Merry Christmas to me!!!

So our ceramic classes have started up again at Lillstreet Art Center.
Again this session, I am teaching wheelthrowing class for beginners & “advanced” beginners
on Tuesday nights.  Also, again this session, my class is full… with a waiting list!!!

uh oh… what am I going to do when “LOST” starts up on Tuesday nights?…
can you say TiVO?!!!

My class is filled with a great mix of energetic potters-to-be… some brand new to clay,
some brand new to Lillstreet, and some returning for “another tour of duty” in clay.
I have quite a few returning students which is always fun for me… continuing with them
from where we left off last session. We also have a few students “crossing over” and
joining my class from other previous classes. The new ones are in for an adventure…
it’s only Week #2, but they’re already having a great time getting dirty!!!

Next week, in addition to “throwing taller”… we’re also making STAMPS!!!

‘Tis the season to be shopping… and my studio is all decked out & ready to go!
With mugs & bowls, oil lamps & vases and oh so much more. Plus some fun, festive
holiday décor to set the mood – I’m ready for a fun night at the Lillstreet Holiday
Open House tonight!

Kick-off your holiday shopping season with some handmade artwork by local artisans.
The Lillstreet Studio Artists will be around throughout the month of December to
meet & greet people as they visit the studios. The group of artists in my studio area
will be open every weekend leading up to Christmas – so stop by soon!

The Lillstreet Art Center Holiday Open House is coming quickly…
and it’s the perfect time to spruce up the joint a bit. ‘Tis the season.
In fact, the Opening Reception is this Friday night from 6:00pm-10:00pm!!!
And I’ve completed my self-imposed remodeling just in time!

I decided to “take one for the team” and tackle the common area hallway.
We’ve had a bit of artist turnover in the studios, the bios were out-of-date,
and the place was looking a little beat up. Not so inviting… so it’s time for a change.
A couple coats of fresh paint. Some updated artists biographies & signage.
Voila’… whole new look to kick off the holiday shopping season!

A couple masks to greet our holiday shoppers. Always  friendly. Always perky…
with shifty glass eyeballs to bring a smile to the kid inside everyone!

As well as some tiled wall pieces in hallway in different sizes, colors & styles!

Another beautiful morning… another beautiful sunrise…
only made better because I was on my bike…