Well, Christmas has come and gone…
after months of planning, decorating, shopping & wrapping.
And now it’s time to enjoy some of the gifts you’ve received from friends & family.
And for me, it was a “picture-perfect” present pairing.

First off, I received a beautiful photograph from a photographer friend of mine.
I’ve been “coveting” this photograph for a few years after meeting Brad Pogatetz
as my “Art In The Barn” booth neighbor. I’ve himmed & hawed for years…
and finally, tired of me putting it off I’m sure, my parents purchased a print of it for me
at the “One Of A Kind Show.” Of course, I had no idea. Brad didn’t tell me. Even Sarah,
who was totally in on it, didn’t tell me! Regardless, I love it. Now I just need to get it
framed and find a place to hang it!

I love Brad’s work. It’s an intriguing combination of architecture, history, urbanization,
ruin, vegetation, nature’s reclaiming power, and my favorite… rusty metal.
Check out more of his work on his website, click here – Brad Pogatetz Photography.

Also… as if that weren’t enough…
my parents also gave me a brand-spankin’-new Canon PowerShot camera!
Much like the one I’ve been using for years. Hundreds of sunrises later, a couple bad falls
and few pieces of tape holding it together… I guess it was time for a new camera?!
I’m very excited to start out the New Year with a new camera.
So I can continue my quest for the perfect sunrise!

Today is “MUD & METAL”- the final Holiday Home Show of the season.
The weather is great and we’re ready for some last-minute holiday shoppers!
There’s pottery in every room of my condo, plus this time – a special guest artist!
Sarah Chapman has just finished setting up her beautiful jewelry in my dining room
and her work is literally glowing in the sunlight streaming in through the windows!

I especially love how the sun is making all of the inclusions in that amber pendant
reflect and sparkle. If no one else snags it, someday it may need to join my “collection.”
And the incredible shadows being cast across her display on some of her beautiful
wire-knotted pieces. This necklace looks incredible!

So stop on by to see Sarah’s incredible work… while the sun is still shining!

Last night I stopped by the “Ceramics Showcase” at McGaw YMCA in Evanston.
A couple of “My Talented Friends” were showing there, so I wanted to swing by before
heading back to Lillstreet for our annual Holiday Opening Party. All of the work in the
Showcase was quite nice, but of course, I’m just a little partial to my friends Cory McCrory,
Roberta Polfus & Delores Fortuna! So I just “had to” add to my collection…

First a couple new things from Cory. An adorable red hat kid which is actually a jar.
The hat comes off to reveal a bright orange interior! And you know how I love orange!

Speaking of orange… I also got another mug from Cory while I was there. I’ve always been
drawn to her sense of color & whimsy. Plus the textures & patterns ain’t too shabby either!

And then, as if I don’t already have too many ornaments on my Christmas tree, I needed to
get another one from Cory. The white bird will get added tot he tree. The black bird will
take up year-round residence elsewhere! You’ll need to come find it!

And another textured, porcelain vessel by Roberta. Such fine detail and carving! Love it.

And a groovy plate by Delores! Great pattern & design… plus a really cool “lip” or rim
of the late that curls over slightly. To help get all of those peas onto your fork!

It was another busy night of art. This Ceramics Showcase and the Lillstreet Holiday Opening.
Of you have a chance, stop by either one, or both, today or tomorrow!

Ceramics Showcase is at the McGaw YMCA at 1000 Grove Street, Evanston, Illinois
Lillstreet Art Center is at 4401 North Ravenswood (at Montrose), Chicago, Illinois

Tonight was the opening of Sarah Chapman’s Trunk Show at Lillstreet Art Center.
Stunning work as always. Click on her name in the LINKS section of my blog to see more
of her metalsmithing work. As always, her work was meticulous & inspired. Such great
design & craftsmanship throighout her collection. However…

The piece that really caught my interest was her new “tile” wall piece!
Squares of textured pieces of metal showcasing several different methods, textures and
finishes. All connected with jump rings so it can hang on the wall like a “tile” tapestry!
Here’s just a small section of the wall hanging. Love it…

And no wonder… it does look somewhat familiar to me.
Kinda like a section of my own textured tiled wall?!

I just found out from one of my faithful blog readers that my friend Sarah Chapman
is featured prominently in the new SOFA CHICAGO 2012 catalog.
Apparently, an image of her work is in the full page ad for Lillstreet Art Center on
page 254. Click below and check it out. Her work is incredible, and it’s great that she’s
getting exposure such as this. Well deserved Sarah!!!

SOFA CHICAGO 2012 Exhibition Catalog online – search for page 254

Also, as a quick heads-up… Sarah will also be having a Trunk Show at Lillstreet just in time
to kick-off the holiday shopping season. The show opening will be on Thursday,
November 17th and run through the following week with beauties like these…

A “murder” of crows has landed in my condo!
Yep, little known fact… a group of crows is called a “murder.” Who knew?

Special thanks to my talented friend Cory McCrory who created this masterpiece.
Such talented fingers and incredible creativity, all coming together in a murder!

This past weekend I went down to the Peoria area to play with my very first “art fair friends.”
I met Gerry & Rosene several years ago when I did my first art fair… err, craft fair… in
Sandwich, Illinois. That first fair was quite the learning experience for me. I had no idea
what I was doing – and luckily, Gerry & Rosene were right across the aisle ready to help.
And we’ve been friends ever since. Since then, they’ve “retired” from crafting and are now
“full-time” gardeners. With the best front & back yards ever!!!

And a special, handmade totem pole doesn’t take anything away from the plants either!
It’s a stacked totem pole with soda fired flashing & textures that I made a few years back.
As well as a fun “Green Man” smirking back when you walk past the rusted gate!
Look familiar?… well, I made that for them too! Gerry always wanted one!!! Plus a lot
of fun accent pieces scattered about… going natural, weathering, rotting, whatever!

With layers & terraces all over, they’ve staggered their gardens all the way down to the creek.
Gerry & Rosene have taken such care & effort to plant the coolest plants for their colors,
textures & novelty. Which I love. But as you know, it’s been raining since I can remember!
So it was great to see their garden this time after a little sprinkle of rain. I loved how the colors
seemed more vibrant, and the water droplets glistened on the leaves!

And not only do they have great plants… but they also have an addiction to rust!
Maybe that’s why we get along so well? Rusty trinkets, wooden pulleys, bikes, letters
and a whole lot of other fun to be found all over the garden! Or in their guest room…
which had been “prepared” for my arrival!

Over the years, they’ve “propagated” a wonderful little business in their garden!
And every year they divide bunches of their plants to sell off at their annual plant sales.
After the sales, they can’t stand to put the unsold plants back in the ground… and therefore,
I totally “score” and benefit from their generosity! And thanks to my “green-thumbed friends,”
my condo gardens are thriving with some of the coolest plants ever! And now…
I have a car-full to plant if it ever stops raining?!

While I was at Terra Incognito today, I stopped off in back to visit with one
of the studio artists there. Roberta Polfus. And there she was, tucked away back
in her little corner of the world working away on her little treasures! It’s always so much
fun to see an artist at work in their normal surroundings. Generally everyone sees their
work at an art fair, in a store, or in a gallery somewhere. Never really taking time to think
about where the work is actually being produced. I love Roberta’s space… complete with
a lot of inspirational images, knick-knacks, postcards, tools and a lot of Tupperware!

If you’re lucky enough to run across Roberta at an art fair, take some time to admire
the fine details & glazing effects. There’s a lot of work going into these tiny treasures!
For more about Roberta Polfus and her work, click on her website here.

You know I love textures. And clay. And colors. And whimsy!
Put them all together and you’ve got wonderful work by Cory McCrory!
And today was quite the day for Cory as her gallery show opened at Terra Incognito
in Oak Park, Illinois. It was wonderful to see such a wide collection of her work all
in one place. She’s a wonderful artist… and it was great to play with her today as well.

I met Cory several years ago during the Hinsdale Art Fair. We had booths fairly close
to each other and have been friends ever since. Her sense of whimsy, attention to details,
use of colors & textures… and her never-ending creativity have amazed me for years!

Some of Cory’s newest work includes there incredible wall pieces – complete with twigs,
leaves and playful, life-sized blackbirds! But they’re not all feathered… there were also
love birds, and other fun things perched on branches! All of which are handmade
& sculpted with Cory’s special blend of paper clay. With that, she gets great such great
textures and flexibility while she’s constructing her pieces.

If you can make it out to Oak Park, Cory’s show will be running in the gallery at
Terra Incognito through June 16th, 2011. For more information, click on Terra Incognito.
And if you do, make sure you add a new piece of hers to your collection… I did.

Over the years, I have frequently mentioned one of my “studio neighbors” at Lillstreet
Karen Patinkin. The two of us are frequently there – we used to play Jeopardy! over the walls
everyday at 3:30pm. Lately, we’ve been overlapping for about an hour… so as I’m coming in
she’s getting ready to leave. A metaphorical “high-five” and it’s the changing of the guard.
But tonight, she stayed a little bit later as she was working on a set of bowls for a commission.
For those that may not have seen her work, Karen makes these incredible porcelain pieces
that have a insane amount of elaborate  glaze decoration. Hours & hours of details.
Beautiful… even though these are still just a “work in progress.”
Imagine how pretty they are after the final glaze firing!

And the original “example” that she’s trying to replicate for her commission clients…

It’s good to know that I’m not the only insane one around the studio these days…