When a vase finally gets flowers… it’s like some kind of destiny fulfilled! Thank you Sarah for sharing your beautiful roses in my stamped & soda-fired vase! A nice addition to your kitchen.

Some colorful coleus leaves on my front porch…
Mother Nature’s striking entry for another TEXTURE TUESDAY!

A cloudy start. A cloudy morning… wondering if my judgement was clouded too?! As I didn’t even know if we would see anything other than clouds this morning?!!! Luckily, the sun finally broke through for quite a dramatic start to the day! Still so happy to be out on the Chicago Lakefront Bike Trail again!

So if a handbuilding classroom suddenly gets a couple pottery wheels… is it still called a HANDBUILDING room?! More changes happening at Lillstreet as we prepare for more social-distancing when we re-open soon!

While the clouds roll through today, it was a beautifully sunny day yesterday… perfect for a bike ride up to where the “path ends” and back again. Such a pretty day pedaling north to the Great Lakes Naval Base, through Fort Sheridan, Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Chicago River North Branch Trail.

Great fun to find my friends Allison & Terry at Openlands…
while he was busy trying to balance more rocks along the lakefront!

A couple mugs enjoying their new homes for another MUGSHOT MONDAY! So much fun seeing them in their new environments… with cookies, flowers, whatever!!! Keep sending me the photos… I love seeing my work actually being used in people’s homes!!!

Just loving how those cherry tomatoes are making the bright blue glaze really POP!!! A nice blue set being used in the kitchen… berry bowl & spoon rest! Thanks Jeannine for the photo… glad your Mom is diggin’ her new pottery!!!

AND WE’RE BACK!!! So the Chicago Lakefront Bike Trail finally reopened today!!!
And it was AMAZING to pedal down to the City again after three months of lockdown! Oddly, exactly the same as we had left it… no improvements, still with sections closed down due to erosion and poor path conditions. But I didn’t care too much… I was just excited to be out there this morning!!!

Sure, the Evanston Lakeshore has been a nice diversion… but it felt AMAZING to be back on the Chicago Lakefront!!! Thank You to the Mayor and my pottery student Dr. Allison Arwady for allowing us to get back on the lakefront. I just hope a bunch of “idiots” don’t ruin it for the rest of us who are willing to play within the restrictions & guidelines!

So good to see all of these hand sanitizer dispensers “popping up” in every classroom at Lillstreet Art Center as we prepare to re-open in a couple weeks!!! So excited to go back, to start teaching again, to see everyone again… and to see that we’re going to be following all of the guidelines to keep everyone safe!!!