I’ve got a severe case of the Cory’s!!!
No really… I’ve got a full case of Cory McCrory’s tiles for our ART IN THE GARDEN collaboration project. Can’t wait to dig in and see what we sort of brilliant genius we have here!!!

Now I’ve got to start putting it all together. The “Big Reveal” will be this
weekend at ART IN THE GARDEN in Glenview. Gotta love a good collaboration!

My glaze kiln is finished, cooled & unpacked… LOTS of tiles!!!
693 to be exact… I dropped one!

Now I just need to start assembling my pieces with Cory McCrory’s wonderfully whimsical works to create our special collaboration pieces for this weekend’s ART IN THE GARDEN in Glenview!!!

Yep, that about sums it up.

A little pre-glazing fun from my partner-in-collaboration Cory McCrory!
Can’t wait to see these fired, glazed, shaded and fired again!!!

Luckily, Cory has been busy working on “our” collaboration too.
So far it looks like a lot of squares that are now popping in fun colors!!!

I love when a plan comes together! We’ve got just a week to pull it all together before the Big Reveal at ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend in Glenview!

Layers of clay… and layers of fun are coming out of Cory McCrory’s studio…
More teaser photos of the collaboration we’re working on for ART IN THE GARDEN.

We’re just a week away from ART IN THE GARDEN… and it looks like
“My Talented Friends” metalsmith Amy Taylor & ceramic artist Cory McCrory
are working together on something special. Can’t wait to see the Big Reveal next weekend!

ART IN THE GARDEN : Saturday, September 12th & Sunday, September 13th.

Looks like my friend Cory McCrory has been at it again. Busy working on her part of our collaboration pieces for our upcoming “Art In The Garden” show. We’re less than two weeks away… and even I can’t wait to see this all come together!!!

The newest addition to “Art In The Garden” is my friend Martin Chadwick. He started taking my Beginning Wheelthrowing pottery class with his wife Christi. It wasn’t until I went to their house for dinner one night that I got a real insight into his wonderful world. All I had seen from him was round pots on the wheel. All fine & good, but c’mon… not when there’s THIS kind of talent being hidden under there somewhere!!! Bring it out. Show it off. And now he is… welcome to “Art In The Garden” Martin. Cheers mate!!!

According to Martin…
“I am a self taught Artist. Born in England, I started work as an apprentice architectural model maker at 16, with now over thirty years experience. My profession has given me many exciting opportunities and experiences, including meeting many famous architects, working with crazy model makers, and the chance to travel. I spent five years living in Hong Kong, and I was there for the hand-over in 1997! Then I moved on to Chicago, where I still live.”

In addition to his fantastic paintings, Martin has continued working in clay. His wheelthrowing adventures have been derailed just a bit to experiment and pursue more sculptural endeavors. It’s been so much fun to watch Martin’s world grow, evolve and expand through clay. His surrealist worlds have leapt off the canvas and taken on lives of their own. This will be Martin’s very first “art fair”… so it will be interesting to see what he shows us in the Garden. I’m hoping that it’s a LOT of all things wonderful!!!

For more information or visual insights into the
“Wacky & Wonderful World of Martin Chadwick”… click here for his website.

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One of my best friends in the ceramic world, and an occasional partner-in-crime, Cory McCrory is definitely one of My Talented Feriends. We’ve been buddies for several years now having met during the Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival. Our booths were an aisle away, but close enough to see the wonders she was hawking. And I fell victim $$$… repeatedly!!! I now have more Cory McCrory pieces than I need… and have quite the “collection” set up at my place. Some have even referred to it as the Cory McCrory Shrine. And here’s why… her work is incredible, always with a wonderful sense of whimsy, a little off-center, with colors, textures and patterns… and SHE’s great too!!!

Last year we worked on some collaboration pieces for “Art In The Garden.”
And there’s a good chance it may happen again… hint, hint…

According to Cory…
It comes from the everyday. How little control we have over life and the way we deal with its challenges.  In my pots I try to poke a little fun, while where it comes from can be very deep and thought provoking. My work is made with paper stoneware, multi-fired oxidation to cone 7. I use slips, underglazes, terrasig and glaze.  I prefer a brown stoneware over white clays as I feel it better represents my subject. The beauty of a handmade pot is in the sensory driven exchange a person can have with it. It pleases me to make you smile.”

For more details or to see more of Cory’s whimsical work, click here for her website.

And a quick shot of one of my favorites… notice I said MINE!!!
Yep, this beauty is part of my own Cory McCrory Collection. So needless to say, this specific teapot will not be for sale at the show, but she might have others similar if you’re as lucky as me!!!

Click here for updates, photos and to follow “Art In The Garden” on Facebook.

The mastermind and gracious host for our Grassroots Art Fair is my friend Amy Taylor. I’ve known Amy for several years and have quite the collection of her pieces that I wear on a regular basis. You may have met her already on the art fair circuit… or as a Guest Artist at one of my December Holiday Home Shows. Her work is simple & clean, well-designed.. and often with a sense of whimsy! She has a tendency to work with some unique materials which I LOVE!!! I have two necklaces that are made out of vintage bowling balls. I have another one that is made out of the layers of old paint scraped off the floor at a car manufacturing plant. Crazy cool. Okay, sure… she also makes these beautiful, refined and elegant pieces as well. She’s got it all covered. Something beautiful for everyone!!!

According to Amy…
“My jewelry: is made of 14k and 18k gold and sterling silver. It is completely constructed (no cast elements) with an emphasis on unique hinge work, gemstone color juxtapostions, as well as found objects such as beach glass and rock. My influences are primarily architecture and nature, and my work is clean and simply executed.”

For more information or to see more of Amy’s work, click here for her website.

Click here for updates, photos and to follow “Art In The Garden” on Facebook.