Well, look who’s ready to greet everyone who comes to my place this weekend for my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW. It’s the “King Of The Raccoons” from the “The Animal King-dom Exhibition.” Amazing animal sculptures by my friend Deana Bada Maloney… each with a sense of whimsy… and you know hoe I LOVE whimsy!!! This little cutie came home with me from ART IN THE BARN this summer… and is anxiously waiting for his big debut next weekend!

Check out more of Deana’s amazing work – https://thebadacreative.com/

Another beautiful morning with plenty of clouds & plenty of color to go around! Started a bit dark, dreary. & windy.. but it sure made up for that with another amazing skyshow!

I’ve enjoyed seeing these rusty sculptures in a few different locations around the City over the past couple years. In the summer there are usually vining flowers growing up as the “skirt.” Good to see them again… in what might be their new permanent installation space out on Northerly Island.

Forever the “tourist” even in my own City… I always get excited when I see the large Picasso sculpture in Daley Center downtown. Sure, I was to there for Jury Duty… but why not appreciate your surroundings a bit too?!

And here’s a cool fact… did you know that if you look at the famous Picasso sculpture from the correct back-side angle, you actually get a woman’s profile!!! Scroll to the last photo to see for yourself!!!

A beautiful evening for stroll along the Chicago River… before heading back to the studio for the night. Blue skies, wispy clouds & warm temps… gotta get outside to play once & awhile!!!

After an hour of sculpting time, my THROWDOWN students had finished their first cereal mascot sculptures. Only to find out that they weren’t done yet… and that they had to do a second one in just 45 minutes!!! They could have traded mascots… but instead, all decided to go with a new cast of cereal characters!!! It was so much fun watching them make these amazing sculptures… watching the parts & pieces come together in the final minutes!!!

This week in my GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, I challenged them all with a sculpture challenge! Most of them had never done a three-dimensional sculpture before. And what better way to celebrate NATIONAL CEREAL DAY than by sculpting some of the famous cereal mascots!!! They may have been new to sculptures… but “They’re Grrr..rreat!!!

Rusty metal & mossy cement sculptures… what’s not to like on another gray & gloomy day?!

A bit of a hazy start to the day. Looks a little “foggy” over the skyline… shrouded before the sunrise. And a quick glimpse at the large blue sculpture at Diversey Harbor. You may not know the artist who made it… but my Summer Campers sure do… first AND last name!!!

And the answer?… the sculptor of this sculpture?… JOHN HENRY.

Looking over the shoulder… the Chicago Picasso from a less well-known vantage point! And the view that I think “explains” a lot. Notice the profile silhouette that lines-up if you pay attention as you walk around it. Brilliant… and I love that so many people have never seen this!!!