Well, today is officially the first day of summer!
It seems like it has really been a very long time coming! But it’s actually here!

And it’s also time to start thinking about your summer plans…
so why not sign-up today for a pottery class at Lillstreet Art Center?
Come play with me every Tuesday night this summer!

You’ll get to play in the mud, make cool pieces and take advantage of Lillstreet’s
very generous open studio time. In addition to your 3-hour weekly class, you’ll
also get access to the studio to practice seven days a week from 10:00am-10:00pm.
Which is great… especially in the summer as Lillstreet is air conditioned!!!

Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing
Tuesday nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm
8-week session beginning on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011.

My classes have a tendency to fill up quickly, so sign up soon.
You can stop by Lillstreet, call or click here to register online.

So my campers are working fast & furious to finish their totem poles!
After kicking off camp Monday with large terra cotta planters, we moved on
top large mosaic totem poles. With some basic plans, acrylic paint, some tile
breaking, a lot of adhesive and more grout tomorrow… they’re almost done!
Each kid came up with their own theme, and have designed their own totem
creation… each on their own course, each on their own path… all coming
to the same conclusion – hopefully by the end of camp tomorrow?!!!

So here they are… stacking, connecting, gluing, making plans & sketches…
We have totem themed flowers, weather, pets, treasures, emotions and so much more!

And breaking up their own tiles… safety goggles required!!!
A lot of focus, a little determination, some muscles… and some occasional assistance.

Then the fun of gluing them all onto their totem poles…
Trying to keep the adhesive on the tiles & totems – and not their fingers!!!

And by the end of today… we were close to finishing!!!

At this point… we need some finishing grout work, a little touch-up paint, some
finishing touches and some drying time. Then they’re off to their new homes & gardens!
And it appears as though they’re still having a lot of fun!!!

Hard to believe that another 10-week session has come and gone.
It’s so much fun to see my brand new beginners come in and struggle so much
at the beginning of the session. Then just a few weeks later, they’ve figured out
how to center, how to throw a cylinder, trim, glaze and all of the other basic skills.
By the end of the 10-week class, they’ve moved on from the basics and are now well
on their way… making the pots they want to make! And celebrate, we always end the
session with a class potluck. And if I’ve “trained” them well… we end up with more
than enough desserts!!! Including my own contribution of a homemade cheesecake
with triple berry sauce! Even tastier when served on a handmade platter…

Okay… it seems like Summer must be SO far away as we’re still waiting for the warmth
of Spring to get here?! Go figure. But in reality, Lillstreet Summer Camps are starting
again in just a few weeks. It’s not too late to start planning your summer and enroll your
kids in Summer Camp at Lillstreet. The following list is my schedule for the summer.
I typically only teacher the older group of kids – 8-12 years old. Some classes are geared
towards a slightly older group (aged 10-14) due to the amount of focus, creativity and
enthusiasm I’ll expect the kids to bring in. I like to push the kids to make real projects…
not just a pile of scraps, glitter & glue! So sign up soon…

June 13th – 17th – Garden Camp
It’s a full week of art projects designed to decorate your family’s garden.
Flower pots, birdhouses, lawn ornaments, totem poles and so much more!
Full-day camp from 9:00am-3:30pm

June 27th – July 1st – Wild Things!
It’s all animals, all the time! The kids will get to explore their “Wild Side” in art!
With a clay project on Monday followed by the Zoo on Tuesday – more fun all week!
Morning camp from 9:00am-1:00pm with a Field Trip to Lincoln Park Zoo on Tuesday.

July 11th – July 15th – Clay & Multimedia Camps
It’s a week of fun and assorted art projects. With clay on Monday, the rest of the week is
developed to help teach the kids new mediums & encourage them to express themselves.
Morning Session from 9:00am-1:00pm… and Afternoon Session from 1:00pm-3:30pm.

July 18th – July 22nd – Chess Camp
This camp is a LOT of work, but also a LOT of fun!
With only five days, each kid will create an entire thematic Chess Set of their own in clay!
It’s a lot of planning, creating, handbuilding & painting to make their own perfect Chess Set.
Full-day camp from 9:00am-3:30pm

July 25th – July 29th – Clay & Multimedia Camps
Another week of assorted art projects. Clay on Monday… other projects throughout the week.
It’s up to the kids to help decide on what we’re making – and always a chance of tie-dye!
Morning Session from 9:00am-1:00pm… and Afternoon Session from 1:00pm-3:30pm.

August 1st – August 5th – Forge, Fire & Feast
It’s a combination week of clay & metal. The kids will design their own dinnerware sets,
and then set about to create it during the week. Monday & Tuesday are for clay plates, bowls,
cups & more. Wednesday & Thursday are focused on metal for knives, forks & spoons.
Friday it all comes together and we celebrate with a big potluck lunch using their newly
created dinnerware sets! It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun & accomplishment… plus, we’ll
all get to play with Pam Robinson who run the Lillstreet Metals Program!
Full-day camp from 9:00am-3:30pm

August 8th – August 12th – Chess Camp
For those who couldn’t make it for the first week of Chess Camp… here’s another opportunity.
Same exciting projects… new kids, new themes. Always an exciting week of kids & creativity.
Full-day camp from 9:00am-3:30pm

August 15th – August 19th – Masters Camp
New this year, we’re expanding on of my favorite topics to a full-day camp. We’ll spend the
week focusing on famous artists. The kids will learn a little art history along the way, and
create their art “in the style of” assorted famous artists. This camp also includes a Field Trip
to the Chicago Art Institute… and hopefully a gallery show at the end of the week.
Full-day camp from 9:00am-3:30pm

Registration is already open for all Summer Camps. Sign up early before my camps fill up!
It’s going to be a fun summer for everyone.. lots of art, fun & laughter!
Stop in at Lillstreet Art Center – or register online at www.lillstreet.com

Registration is currently open for the Early Summer & Summer Sessions.
Confusing, huh? Well, let me explain it quickly for you. We’re currently in the Spring
session. Then, we have a 4-week session during June. Followed by an 8-week session
in July & August. Sign up now… in person, by phone or online at www.lillstreet.com.

And just a quick FYI… my classes will typically fill up quickly. Don’t put it off too long
and then find you can’t get in. Join the fun… sign up today!

Early Summer: Surface Decoration for Advanced Beginners
Take a four-week creative adventure to add style, design, and personalization to your
basic pots and transform them into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.  The assumption is
that you have basic throwing skills, so the focus each week is on different decorative
techniques, including stamping and springs, slip painting and sgraffito, as well as
altering, carving and making attachments and handles.
June 7th-June 28th – 4-weeks – Tuesday Nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm

Summer Session: Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing
Explore the mystery of the potter’s wheel as you develop the fundamental techniques
of throwing a pot. Learn to center, throw, and trim a variety of functional forms
including cups, bowls, and plates.  Returning students will continue to refine techniques
and create more complex forms. And I’m always up for a challenge!
July 12th- August 30th – 8-weeks – Tuesday Nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm

So while I was frustrated & panicked about my kiln in shut-down mode…
I noticed a student’s pot sitting on the red “Reject Shelf.” Never a good place
to find your prized possession. Typically there’s a reason it’s there.
The staff kiln loaders have pulled it out before going into the kiln.
Some for a very obvious reason, others need a closer look. But today I saw
this pot sitting on the “Reject Shelf” and I found it oddly prophetic…
especially with my current kiln firing dilemma!

Each year, Lillstreet Art Center brings in a couple people for their Artist In Residence Program.
Tonight I stopped into the metalsmithing room on my way out since I heard people talking
and I heard Sarah Chapman’s voice. While there, the current metalsmithing Resident Artist
was chatting… and Sarah suggested that she show me her latest piece. WHICH IS CRAZY!!!

Apparently, Michelle has a lot time on her hands… which “puzzles” me. But in a good way.
I love crazy, eccentric artists. So she etched the brass and handcut each of the puzzle pieces.
Twenty pieces down one side, by 17 pieces the other way… that’s 340 puzzle pieces to make
her handmade, etched map of the Chicago Transit system. Keep in mind that this entire
puzzle is made out of a single sheet of metal and measures only 6-1/2″ x 8″.

So glad I decided to stop into the Metals Room… otherwise I would have missed out on
seeing Michelle’s latest puzzle masterpiece. Such patience. Such precision.
To see more of Michelle’s work, click on – www.michellesallemi.com

Yikes… and pay no attention to my overly dried out finger tips from a long night
of throwing bowls. Looks like a little lotion is needed… but still, that’s a small puzzle piece!

Well, it’s Week #4 of the Spring Session at Lillstreet Art Center.
And most of my beginners are doing great… and those who aren’t,
are at least doing good and having a great time! So that counts for something, right?!

Tonight was “bowl night” in class and I demo’d how to make bowls on purpose
instead of a cylinder-gone-bad-and-oops-there-it-is-now-a-bowl. As we make the bowls,
I also encourage my students to design, alter & be creative with their bowls. Sure,
they need to make the typical round bowl. But I also like to open their eyes to some
of the other possibilities. There are a LOT of round bowls out there… why not express
yourself a bit to make that round bowl something special?! So, as part of the demo,
I threw ten “practically identical” bowls and then showed them how to do some quick
alterations, and introduced them to the world of colored slips! By the end of the demo,
the ten bowls were each very DIFFERENT bowls… and quick too!

Bowl #1: Plain — Bowl #2: Fluted rim edges

Bowl #3: Flared flange — Bowl #4: Flared & fluted flange

Bowl #5: Split rim & pinched — Bowl #6: Split rim, pinched & squared

Bowl #7: Flower impression — Bowl #8: White slip spiral

Bowl #9: White slip squiggles & line — Bowl #10: White slip chattered

Every time I do the bowls demo, for some reason every one is impressed by the ease and
simplicity of the little flower impression in the bottom of this bowl. A lot of people assume
that it’s a stamp… but instead, it a few impressions with a simple metal tool to create the
flower. I think I got the tool for a couple bucks at Chinese Clay Art. It always makes a
great “surprise” for someone eating out of the bowl when they get down to the bottom!

So there they are… bunches of bowls ready to set-up for the night, dry to leather-hard,
maybe some stamping, then some trimming before they head off to a bisque kiln.

So we’re in the third week of our new Spring Classes at Lillstreet Art Center.
And my “beginners” are progressing nicely. They’ve tackled the basics of wedging
and centering, basic cylinders and trimming. So tonight we pushed on a little further.
With their new “cylinders with shape,” we trimmed and then learned how to pull
and add handles to make mugs. They’re first mugs ever!!! And it’s only Week Three!

Plus, you know I like stamps… so why not encourage my students to make their own?!
And they did… we sat around the table and discussed stamps, textures, patterns and the
importance of “making their own mark” in the pottery. More fun to come once they’re bisqued.

And snacks… did I mention snacks? We may not have the professional pastry chefs
this session, but we do have some fine snack-makers! Last week we had some brownies
with cheesecake & peanut butter chunks in it from Hanna, plus a wonderful bag of
Garrett’s Chicago Mix Popcorn! My favorite… and SO addicting!!! Tonight we had a
wonderful Strawberry Margarita Frozen Pie Concoction from Sido & Will. So in between
making mugs & stamps… there’s always time for a few snacks!!!

So tonight was the first night of the new Spring Session at Lillstreet Art Center.
I’ve got another great group of wheelthrowing beginners… and some returning students!
Sadly, not a single pastry chef in the bunch. I think I got spoiled last session with so many
great treats every week. I threw out the “treats challenge” tonight…
we’ll see if they got the hint.

Oh, but wait… mid-way through class, Sido “ratted-out” her friend Cate by telling me that
Cate’s first job was making French pastries. Wait?… back it up. Okay, so maybe she’s not a
“working chef”… but who cares if she can make good treats? Sido told me all about some
incredibly decadent chocolate layer cake concoction that Cate has made before. Yummy…
Something about chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mouse, caramel,
hazelnuts, cake, more layers, more chocolate, ganache, more mousse, more, more, more…
all wrapped in chocolate ganache and coated with some kind of yumminess crumble.

I’m in.
Maybe I need to be less subtle next week?…