Tonight’s class demo is always one of my favorites – basic bowls on purpose!
Not a cylinder gone bad… and oops, there it is… voila’… a bowl?!!!
Instead, a bowl made intentionally from the start, with a plan, on purpose.

So I started with a quick demo of how to make the basic bowl.
And then continued to show the class how you can simply & quickly alter the rims
of the bowls to make them a little less basic… and a little more style, a little more fun!
Some simple twisting, torquing, slipping, stamping, swirling, etc. A little time
drying, then I can do a little stamping… and look, we have a bunch of new bowls!!!

Tonight was the first night of my Beginning Wheelthrowing Class for the Fall Session
at Lillstreet Art Center. It’s always fun to find out who my new students are going to be.
And once again, we have a full class of eighteen students… to fill the room’s 18 wheels!
The class is designed for brand new beginners, as well as “advanced beginners”… or
“repeat beginners” as I like to call them. As it turns out, I have a lot of “repeat beginners”
this time – but many are returning after 10-15 years of not touching clay!

So we started with introductions & discussions about their clay experience and expectations
of this class. I found out that quite a few of them “did a little throwing” back in high school
or college. But now they’re lawyers, nurses, authors, and other corporate muckity-mucks
ready to come back and get dirty in the clay!

So it looks like this session will be a lot of “beginning” demo’s in an attempt at getting
everyone “back up to speed” so we can tackle a few tougher projects. During our group
discussion, people asked to learn how to make plates, larger bowls, taller vases, lidded jars
and the “challenge” for this session?… Hannukah menorahs!!! While I’m still thinking
that we need to work on wedging, centering, cylinders, the basics.  Wish me luck. Oy vey…

We’re just a few days away from the start of the new Fall Session at Lillstreet.
I will once again be teaching a Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class
on Tuesday nights from 7:00-10:00pm starting on Tuesday, September 14th.

So whether you’ve never touched clay or at least know the basics, you’re more than
ready to join my class for 10-weeks of fun & open studio time. You’ll learn the
basics of wedging, centering & throwing, as well as refinements like trimming,
surface decoration and glazing. And just in time for the holiday gift giving season!
But sign up soon – only thee spaces left in my class!

Plus, you know I’m always up for a challenge… and there’s been discussion amongst
some of my returning students that they want to see me make a Menorah?!
If they do request it… I guess I’ll need to start figuring it out in my head, huh?!

Well, we’re in the final stretch. Tomorrow is the last day of Chess Camp.
And fittingly, today the kids had some big deadlines to meet… and they did.
Our mission for today was for the kids to finish constructing all of their
chess pieces. They’ll be drying overnight so we can “finish them off” tomorrow!

The other part of “the big deadline” was that they each had to paint their thematic
chess boards. They too are drying overnight and tomorrow we’ll give them a little
shine with a protective coat of Mod Podge… and I love that memorable smell.

Tomorrow we will finish off another wonderful week of camp by painting
all of their pieces with colorful underglaze to really bring their pieces to life!
This has been a great week with a bunch of really great kids!

Just so you know, registration is now open for the Fall Session of classes
at Lillstreet Art Center. I will once again be teaching my adult Beginning &
Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class on Tuesday nights from 7:00-10:00pm.
The 10-week session of classes begins on Tuesday, September 14th.
And since this is the Fall Session I can almost guarantee that my class will
once again fill up very quickly. As Fall sets in, people are looking for something
to do… and a fun way to make some holiday presents for their loved ones!

Stop by to register, call Lillstreet Art Center or register online.
www.lillstreet.com

And for you “Dilberts” in the world… or those of you married to a “Dilbert”…
I can guarantee that in the 10-weeks, you’ll make some nice mugs, bowls & more…
and not a single spoon whittled in class! Guaranteed…

Another week back at Summer Camp… and it’s a very special camp!
So exciting that we have a completely full class, plus kids on the waiting list to get in!

It’s my annual collaboration camp where we combine clay & metal in one week.
I co-teach with metalsmith Pam Robinson – I oversee the clay, she does the metal…
and then on Friday we both get to enjoy the Feast Finale. So it’s three times the fun!
Fire... as the clay will be fired in the kiln.
Forge… as the metal will be made into silverware.
Feast... as in a great potluck lunch on Friday!

So the way this week’s camp works, on Monday & Tuesday the kids make thematic
dinnerware sets out of terra cotta. The goal is for each kid to make a plate, bowl and cup,
as well as ceramic handles for their silverware. Then on Wednesday & Thursday,
we shift to the metals room where the kids now make their own metal knives, forks & spoons.
On Friday, we will combine their silverware in their ceramic handles. And then we get
to Feast. And celebrate our fun week with a potluck lunch using the dinnerware sets
they’ve each made this week.

And oh, but wait there’s more… as an extra special bonus, we’ve challenged the kids
with one more task! Fun for them… and extra fun for Pam and I. Tomorrow we’re hosting the
2nd Annual Camp Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off. Any of the kids who want to participate
will be bringing in homemade chocolate cookies. Everyone in class will taste the cookies
and vote on their favorite. And yes, I will be supplying the milk!

Well, the official unveiling was yesterday…
“Lillstreet Mandala” celebrates 35 years of Lillstreet history…
and all of the arts & crafts taught and explored there over the years.
From clay to metal, from textiles to mosaics and screenprinting to photography
and so much more. Interspersed throughout the bricolage are hundreds of pieces
& tools from each of the different mediums. Many thanks to Corinne D. Peterson
and her “talented team” for creating this beautiful & commemorative work of art.
I’m honored to be one of the artists represented on the wall forever…
with one of the largest pieces… a full-size vase… just down to the right of center!!!

Stop by and see the new bricolage on the front of Lillstreet Art Center.
On the northeast corner of Ravenswood & Montrose in Chicago.
While you’re there… check out my studio on the second floor – Studio 205 West.

Tonight we kicked off the Summer Session of classes at Lillstreet Art Center.
Once again with a completely full class, I started with getting to know my students
and where they are in “their clay career.” This time, I have quite a few new beginners –
a lot of them with the “I did it once a LONG time ago and want to get back into
throwing.” Which might also translate into ‘there may be a lot of bad habits to fix’?!
Then we moved on to the basics of wedging, centering and throwing… assessing their
skill level at the same time. It was a very quick night – kicking off the 8-week session
of Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class.

Currently under construction…
a new piece of art coming to the corner of Montrose & Ravenswood in Chicago!
Something special to “jazz up” the red brick walls of Lillstreet Art Center.

Under the supervision & creative tutelage of artist, teacher & sculptor Corinne D. Peterson,
the mosaic bricolage is being adhered to the front facade of Lillstreet Art Center to
commemorate its 35th Anniversary! Thirty-five years of sharing art with the community
through classes, studios & gallery. Corinne and her team have been creating tiles, collecting
objects and art from all around Lillstreet. The design has been influenced by all of the
different art departments within Lillstreet. Not just clay, but also metals, fabric, glass,
painting, drawing, photography & more!

In the blazing sun, the team has been out there for several days working endlessly.
First, they “tuckpointed” to fill in the brick where the mosaic was going to be adhered.
They then attached the hundreds of pieces & objects to the wall, filled it in with grout
and have now been “cleaning” the grout off the tiles for days! In the blazing sun, trying
to block the sun with tarps and “headwraps” soaked in cold water! Anything to not
wither way in the summer heat! Today was over 100-degrees – hot, hot, hot.

And, lucky for me… one of my stamped vases has made it into the bricolage…
right there smack dab in the middle! It’s a good feeling to be part of a commemorative
installation piece that will live on the walls of Lillstreet for years to come!

More photos when the bricolage is completed!… coming soon…

Registration is currently open.. and spots are filling quickly – only 7 spaces left!!!
I will be once again teaching my Beginner & Advance Beginner Wheelthrowing class
on Tuesday nights from 7:00-10:00pm. The summer session will be eight weeks long
beginning on Tuesday, July 13th. It’s the perfect class for anyone who has always wanted
to try wheelthrowing for the first time, return to the wheel… or refine their current skills
and push themselves a bit further. And if you want to see my hyped up on sugar and
“post-day-at-summer-camp-kid’s-adrenaline”… this is the session for you!
Kids camp all day. Adult class at night… guaranteed fun for everyone!

Sign-up today. Call Lillstreet Art Center or register online at www.lillstreet.com