The Diary of My Day.
From the very start of the morning, I knew we were in for some real “fun.”

8:00am – Driving back to Schaumburg in some of the thickest fog ever!
Knowing that it was also “Bike The Drive” and thousands of people would be riding
along Lake Shore Drive in the fog!!! Glad I’m not one of them… but still not the
weather I was hoping for! Very thick. Very heavy. Very foggy. And it only got
darker as I got closer to Schaumburg!

9:00am – Setting Up… Again.
Back in my booth putting things back together. With the rain at the end of yesterday,
we had packed down most of the larger pieces. Putting them back into their crates
and putting them on the ground… just in case “anything” terrible happened overnight.
Which luckily, it didn’t. So I spent the hour putting everything back in place…
questioning if it was even worth it with a weather forecast of impending doom.

10:00am – Let The Games Begin… bring on the customers!
The show opened and there are a few customers. Typically, the “crowds” are very slow
to get started on Sundays… what with brunch & church & all. But today, there were more
people than usual at the start. My guess is they were trying to get a little shopping done
before the storms! Shop fast…

11:00am – Clouds and Wind and Thunder… oh my!
And the fun started rolling in. The winds were picking up. The clouds were moving quick.
With an ever-entertaining symphony of thunder off in the distance. Fun, huh?! And with
everyone on the smart phones, the place was abuzz with everyone’s “radar” forecast!
And then the rain started… There were many reports of the “waves” of storms coming in.
That this one would pass, then there would be another… and another… and another…

11:30am – Raining.
With the skies opening up, it was definitely time for the tents to be closing up.
But the question is “for how long?” Will the storm pass over? Or not?
My Dad checked his phone for the radar. You know how “orange” is the color for
severe thunderstorms?… well, his phone showed the pin-point for where we were…
and the rest of the entire phone screen was ORANGE!!! All orange!!! All storm!!!

12:00pm – Thunderstorms.
All tents closed… so we started “packing down” some of the bigger & more expensive
pieces. Thinking “just in case” something bad happens, at least those pieces are safe.
But as we continued the process, it was evident the storm was not stopping. So neither
did we. My Mom and I were packing everything as my Dad went to get the van. And if you
looked around the fair, we weren’t the only one packing it. It was the start of a mass exodus.

1:00pm – Packing Up and Flooding!
It was still pouring. And we’re drenched. My Dad was packing the van as we were packing
the crates in the tent.At one point, the winds picked up – gusts were blowing around. And
my Dad was stuck outside the tent holding the flaps in place to keep us dry! I know that my
tent is securely anchored into the ground, but it’s still scary when the entire structure starts
shaking, rattling, bouncing & moving. And my Dad, still holding it down. We were packing
as fast as possible as the rain was coming down in bucketfuls. It wasn’t until we started
taken the sides off the tent that we noticed the walkway just in front of my tent was flooded!
Just feet from where were still working… pack faster… flood waters rising!!!

1:45pm – Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Break.
Amazing what sort of therapeutic effects Mom’s cookies can have on you
during a torrential downpour! Luckily, we had enough to share with others too!

2:00pm – Still Packing. Still Dripping. Still Drenched.
Sounds like a fun way to spend your Sunday afternoon, huh?

3:00pm – Driving home.
Apparently, it’s not only Schaumburg that got rain! It looks like it rained everywhere!
There were sections of the drive where you had to plow right through the flooded streets!

4:00pm – Unpacking & Drying.
As if it weren’t enough fun to pack up in the rain, it’s always fun to unpack it all again!
The fun just keeps on coming! Especially this time as everything was wet. Including us.
Not soaking wet anymore, now just kind of cold & clammy! So we unpacked the van
at lightning speed as there was a break in the rain. Then I had to dry off all of my
wooden shelves so they wouldn’t warp or get funky. And now all of my tent pieces are
spread out and “drying” in my storage room! So glamorous, huh?!

5:00pm – Showered & Dry… finally.
Now wondering what I’m going to do for dinner… and I feel that I “deserve”
something really good for dinner! Ordered in, of course!

Let’s hope that everything dries in the next two weeks… Hinsdale Fine Art Fair!!!

Today wasn’t so bad. Chilly. Breezy. Dry… for awhile.
And then the drizzle set in with mid-afternoon – just enough to scare away
all of the customers. Luckily, I had already had a lot of friends & fans stop by
during the “dry part” of the day, so it wasn’t all bad. It’s always great to see
so many of my “groupies” coming back out to kick-off the art fair season!
Including my niece Taylor and her huge bag of kettle corn!

A bit of fog. A little rain… and a beautiful gerbera daisy freshly “washed.”

And a quick way to show off a small bunch of small, a textured ikebana vase.
Just fill with water, stick in your flowers and voila’ – instant “beautiful.” But too pretty?
I had a LOT of people thinking that they were fake, and not understanding how the
ikebana actually works. Guess I need uglier flowers next time?!

Perfect for the season… berry bowls in two styles!

The big and the small. My largest slab vases and some miniature vases…
along with some Lily-Of-The-Valley cut fresh from my front yard garden.

One of the nice parts of the Schaumburg art fair is that they don’t pack the tents in.
They actually give each person an additional five feet of space – 10’x 15′ spaces!!!
A luxury compared to most shows. And to make the most of my additional real estate,
I showed my collection of flower pots & terra cotta planters in my “side lot.”

But by the end of the day, it was raining. And had been for awhile.
Sadly, as the rain continued… the shopping didn’t. Apparently customers melt?!
So we packed down some of the larger & more expensive items preparing for a night
of rain… and more rain. You never know what’s going to happen to your tent, and
everything inside, overnight when you’re not there. Always better to err on the side
of safety and protect some of the stuff. We called it night… knowing there would be
another day of fun tomorrow!

Now I don’t mean to gloat… and I’m sure I’m not the first…
but I’m all packed up and ready for this weekend’s art fair in Schaumburg!
Yes, two days ahead of schedule. Unheard of.

Typically, I’d be scrambling all over the place on Friday trying to do everything.
Trying to remember where I left things at the end of last season. Where’s my tent?
How many shelves do I need to take? How much is this? Where is that? Help…
Many potters have been known to be unloading a hot kiln on Friday night
still needing to cool, price & pack on just the night before the show!!! Yikes!

But instead, my parents and I tackled the storage room today and got it all together.
We’re all packed up for this weekend’s art fair in Schaumburg! Done. Packed.
In the van ready to go… and it’s only Wednesday!!! Unheard of.
Again, I’m not gloating… but I’m just sayin’..

Sure, I still have a few last minute projects to complete. A few supplies to gather.
Snack. Flowers. Signs. But it does feel great to be ready… I’ll sleep well tonight.

Well, that depends on what you consider fun?
If you like a lot of pots, lots of pricing, packing, schlepping, piling, sorting, cleaning…
more pricing… more packing… well, then the “fun” begins this morning! Yippee!!!

It’s time to make sense out of the mess I’ve made in my storage room.
A lot of pots have come out of the kiln, just to be boxed up and piled up in my
storage room. Waiting for today to come… the day of pricing & packing!
Luckily, my best art fair assistants are coming over to help… thanks Mom & Dad.
By the end of the day (and evening?) we’re going to try and have TWO art fair’s
worth of pots priced, packed and ready to go! With two shows so close together,
I think it’s best to divide & conquer – two different sets of inventory ready to go!

Schaumburg Prairie Arts Festival – May 28th & 29th– this weekend!
and then just two weeks later…
Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival – June 11th & 12th

So this little piece of plastic arrived in the mail today.
And from what everyone is saying, it’s going to solve all of my credit card
transaction dilemmas. No more knuckle-buster?… can that be true?!
Just plug it in my iPhone and voila’… instant credit card processing!

So I think I’m ready for this. It seems just a little too easy.
I’ll need to give it a little “test run” before the Schaumburg Prairie Arts Festival
next weekend! And then hope for good weather… and good reception!

With just two weeks until the Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival…
it’s time to step up my efforts in the “shameless self-promotion” department.
Hey, if you don’t promote yourself, who will?

My mantra for today has been… “postcard, address label, stamp, repeat.”
Going well – but I still have a couple hundred to go!

Well, it’s official… My Summer Art Fair Schedule kicks-off in two weeks!
It’s always been so far “off on the horizon” and now it’s just around the corner!
And I’ve been busy in the studio making lots of pots and other fun things.
So mark your calendar for my show schedule – and I hope to see you a couple times
over the summer. And keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 28th, 2011 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 29th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center
201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois

Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, June 11th, 2011 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, June 12th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Burlington Park on Chicago Avenue between Washington & Garfield Streets
in Hinsdale, Illinois

Evanston Lakeshore Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, August 6th, 2011 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, August 7th, 2011 – 11:00am-6:00pm
Located in Dawes Park along beautiful Lake Michigan
on Sheridan Road between Church & Davis in Evanston, Illinois

Art In The Barn
Saturday, September 24th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, September 25th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm
Located on the grounds (and in the barns) of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
on Route 22 in Barrington, Illinois

“My Home For The Holidays” Home Show
Saturday, November 19th, 2011 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Contact me for invitations & more information…

Breakfast  ———-
After two days of fun, we were undecided on what to do today. Except for
breakfast… where I corrupted Amy with peanut butter & syrup on her waffle!

One Final Pottery Stop ———-
We had original planned on hiking all day. But then felt somehow obligated
to do another pottery stop! So it was back to Bob Briscoe’s for one last time!
And it was great… so much more relaxed than the days before. A slower start
in the morning with fewer people – and a LOT fewer pots on the shelves. In fact,
several of the shelves had disappeared and the remaining work condensed down.

Bob Briscoe & Suze Lindsay ———-
We had a great opportunity to chat with Suze & Bob for almost an hour.
We talked about the tour, how it has changed, all the work involved, as well as
what Amy & I are doing in clay. They’re both familiar with Lillstreet Art Center,
so they know some of the same people. It was refreshing & inspiring to talk with
these two who have so much experience & knowledge to share. And they did.
Thank You Bob. Thank You Suze.

The Interstate State Park  ———-
So we finally got to the hike we had planned on. A little later than expected.
But still exciting to get outside and enjoy the nice weather & beautiful scenery.

The Drive Home ———-
So I guess it only makes sense that at some point I had to face the long drive home.
After our hike, we said our goodbyes and head of fin our own cars. The drive was a lot
easier during the daytime hours… but not so much fun through the construction zones
where it went down to one lane!

By the time I finally got home… I was relieved.
And yet so inspired after a great weekend full of pottery, friends & camaraderie!
Special thanks to Bob Briscoe for spearheading the event and keeping it growing.

Bob: If you ever need a new potter for the Tour… I’m available!

Overnight ———-
I slept great. Much better than driving over night.
So I awoke refreshed and ready to go… sadly, Amy didn’t sleep so good?!
Maybe the handmade waffles in the hotel lobby would help?!

Continental Clay ———-
So we head off towards the Twin Cities to pick up some new clay & supplies.
With hundreds of pounds of clay in Amy’s car, we head back to the hotel to drop
it off, switch cars and head off to the two studios we missed yesterday.

Linda Christianson’s Studio ———-
Guests: Dan Anderson, Lisa Buck, Scott Goldberg, Randy Johnston,
Jan McKeachie and Kristin Pavelka.
After we switch cars, we were back on track and headed off the last two stops on our tour.
To get to Linda Christianson‘s you need to take the unpaved, dirt roads to her place.
Then it’s a hike down the hill to her studio & kiln shed. The the yard is filled with tables & pots!
While I appreciate the work, I kind of felt that after awhile there was just too many brown pots.

Not that that’s a bad thing. But there wasn’t a lot of variation – except for Kristin Pavelka
who definitely stood out with her pastel colors! And sense of whimsy!

On the way out of Linda’s studio, we did have a beautiful stand of trees…
and a perfectly blue sky behind it for contrast.

Jeff Oestreich’s Studio ———-
Guests: Andy Balmer, Pat Burns and Ryan Greenheck.
I’ve been to Jeff Oestreich’s studio before – and already have a couple of his mugs!
And each time, I’m amazed and in awe of his studio… and the incredible picture windows
that overlook the Minnesota prairie. How do I get one of these?!

So this time, I was excited to see the beautiful pots by Ryan Greenheck.
And his perfect porcelain!!! Every detail has been attended to.
Throwing. Surface Decoration. Glazing. Beautiful.

And yes… a couple of his perfect porcelain pieces did come home with me!

The Rogue Potters  ———-
We met them last year… and hoped that they would be there again this year!
All it took was a few handmade signs on the side of the freeway and we were drawn in.
To a small farmhouse that surely has seen better days. But the attitude & enthusiasm is
infectious. You can tel that they are doing something they love. And the best part…
their name is all our doing! When we met them last year, I took some pictures, bought
a couple pieces and wrote a blog post about them. In my blog, I referred to them as
“The Merry Band of Rogue Potters.” At some point, one of the guys did a Google search
and found his work on my website. So he left a comment, and I responded.
And now they refer to themselves as “Rogue Potters.” Thanks to my blog!

Lunch And A Root Beer Float ———-
On our way through Taylor’s Falls, we stopped off for a quick bite at a very cute diner!
And who could resist the corn dogs, cheese curds and root beer float?! Not me!!!

A Return Visit to Guillermo’s ———-
With a 50-pound box of porcelain in tow, we went back to Guillermo’s place to deliver
the clay to Roberta. Of course, we had to chat with Delores & Roberta again, and do a
little more “window” shopping. It was amazing to me how most of Delores’ pieces
were already gone! Apparently people could find them in the mish-mash of pots?!

A Return Visit to Will’s ———-
We had some extra time still, so we decided to stop in again to see Laurie Shaman.
And while we were there, I took a little more time to look at the pots by Sam Taylor.

A Return Visit to Richard’s ———
With another hour before the Tour officially ended for the day, we made one last stop
to see Steven Hill again. The “traffic” had died down a bit towards the end of the day
so Steven was able to chat with us for awhile. It was great to see him looking better,
happier, and in a good place again. He’s had a tough go of it recently, but now seems
to be back on track.

A Return to Don Julio’s ———-
Time for dinner.. and we didn’t know where to go… so we went back for more guacamole!
Then an early night – with some photo downloading. But when I got a little overwhelmed
by the huge number of photos to deal with… we went to Dairy Queen instead!!!
Another great day of clay fun… both wet in the box, and fired in my shopping bags!

The Drive  ———-
So I’m sure it comes as no surprise to those who really know me, that I felt it necessary
to be there for the very start of the Pottery Tour right at 10:00am on Friday morning.
You know, otherwise you might miss the good stuff? Right? So I foolishly decided to hop
in the car at 2:00am Friday morning and drove straight through to Minneapolis. Yes…
it was a long arduous drive. And I got there at about 9:30am. Just enough time for a
quick 10-minute nap in Bob Briscoe’s driveway. And I got to see the sunrise of sorts…

The St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour  ———-
As I’ve mentioned before, this weekend tour is my annual favorite. All of the best potters
all in one place… err, seven places. Yes, seven open studios of seven of the best potters.
And if that weren’t enough, each of them invite several of their talented friends to join
them for the weekend. So it totals out at 46 pottery “rock stars” all in one weekend tour.
For more information, check their website – www.minnesotapotters.com

Bob Briscoe’s Studio  ———-
Guests: Mary Barringer, Richard Hensley, Suze Lindsay, Kent McLaughlin,
Matthew Metz, Donna Polseno, Jo Severson and Jason Trebs.
Always the first stop… I was thrilled to see so many pots, the large tents and the excitement
just beginning! I could feel the shopping frenzy kicking in. And I had to get started quick.
Before all “the good stuff” was already taken!!!

First up, I was straight of to Matt Metz – one of my favorites! And I knew that I had
to add another piece to my collection. Hard to choose… as everything was incredible!

Next it was Suze Lindsay, who does great brushwork on her atmospheric fired pieces.
Beautiful surfaces, slips, textures and glazes… all with a sense of whimsy & fun.

Moving on it was Kent McLaughlin, Jo Severson, and a few others… including a new face
in the crowd, at least for me… Donna Polseno. Her work has a peaceful & serene effect
with soft illustrations, satiny glazes and an occasional bird here & there for fun.

Last but not at all least, it was studio host Bob Briscoe. Not only is his studio beautiful
with the pond in the back… but his pots are great as well. Very practical pots with an
emphasis on ash glazes for a textural finish. I’ve had a set of his bowl-plates which I LOVE
and use all the time. The perfect bowl for my favorite carry-out Thai food.

The Murphy-Bicking Baby Debut ———-
While we were shopping at the very first stop, our friend & fellow potter Emily Murphy
stopped by with husband Ian and newborn baby Ada Sky. The little girl is just a month old
and was already stealing the show!

Richard Vincent’s Studio ———-
Guests:  Sandra Byers, Winthrop Byers, Bill Gossman, Steven Hill and George Lowe.
Our second stop was the closest to Bob Briscoe’s place. With the same artists as last year,
including my friend & potter Steven Hill. If you’re looking for voluptuous, porcelain pieces
with incredible mixes of glazes… then Steven’s your guy. His pots are beautiful, and it was
great fun to see him and get all caught up after his move from Sandwich, IL back to Missouri.

Steven Hill on “The Square” ———-
So technology has hit the pottery world. And if Steven Hill can jump on the bandwagon,
I may need to as well. There’s this great little gadget called “The Square” that can attach
to your iPhone – and with the help of an App, you can swipe and process credit cards
right there on the spot. I think I need to check into that before my Summer Art Fair
Season begins in a couple weeks?! Seems like all the cool kids are doing it…

Will Swanson’s Studio ———-
Guests: Silvie Granatelli, Ellen Shankin, Laurie Shaman, Mark Shapiro & Sam Taylor.
Following the route, we made it to our third stop with some more great potters!
Especially favorites Ellen Shankin and Silvie Granatelli. Both of them have been making
incredible pots for some time now, and each of them are already represented in my
Mug Collection. So here are two samples, Ellen Shankin followed by Silvie Granatelli…

Also at Will Swanson’s was former Lillstreet Gallery Director Laurie Shaman. Her work
has a beautiful illustrative quality, kind of like beautiful watercolor paintings on porcelain.
Lots of portraits, birds, architectural buildings and more. Beautiful brush strokes on clay.

Lunch at the Scenic Overlook ———-
The weather was beautiful… and so it was time for a picnic. Luckily, Amy had packed
a lunch for the both of us. So it was a quick break from the tour, relaxing in the sun
and enjoying the view. As the clouds were gently rolling by… sun shining down…
and my Dove Dark Chocolate Promise had the perfect message inside!

Connee Mayeron’s Studio ———-
Guests: Curtis Hoard, Gail Kendall, Jenny Mendes, Mark Pharis,
Liz Quackenbush and Shoko Teruyama.
Tops on Amy’s list this year were Shoko Teruyama & Jenny Mendes – both of which
were guest artists at Connee’s. Going in, I could tell that Amy was not going to leave until
she had something to show for it. First was Shoko, who has had recent acclaim in the big
ceramics magazines. Her style is kind of over-the-top, lots of patterns, layers, colors, and
imagery that you can’t quite figure out… and yes, this one went home with Amy!!!

And here’s Amy capturing a photo of “the bowl the got away. She was torn between
the bowl and the larger, more impressive platter! Luckily… she went for the platter!
At least she has the picture for her memories, her blog… and her Facebook!!!

Jenny Mendes is another artist who does incredible illustration on her ceramic works.
Layers of colors and incredibly detailed line drawings. Lots of crazy… you gotta love it!

Art In The Yard ———-
While Amy was enamored with all of the outrageous illustration work… I was more enamored
by the rusty metal & rock sculptures littered through the yard. Now you know I have a special
affinity for rusty metal… but now on a large scale, with large rocks and wit?! C’mon…

It All Matters ———-
In the parking lot at Connee Mayeron’s was a great, orange message…

Guillermo Cuellar’s Studio  ———-
Guests: Dick Cooter, Delores Fortuna, Simon Levin, Jim Lorio, Mike Norman and Steve Rolf.
Perched atop of steep hill, Guillermo’s place overlooks the valley. And yes, we walked up
the wrong driveway when we got there… only to find out that there were no potters there?!
So we had to walk back down the steep driveway, down the street and back up another steep
driveway to Guillermo’s studio. Whoops. At least it was worth the walk. Lots of great pots
all over the yard surrounding his place.

Simon Levin is one of my favorites with beautiful forms, textures and wood-fired
blushing. But after looking around the place, it was great to run into Delores Fortuna
who I’ve known for a few years now. Her work is beautiful. Structural, slightly altered
pieces with great glaze combinations… and a bit of wire work here & there. Unfortunately,
it was a little tough to see Simon & Delores work clearly, as the pots were all scattered
amongst the other artists at this studio location. I prefer when each artist has a clear
designated place to show off their body of work. Easier to shop. Easier to admire.
Less hassle trying to find & compare the pieces you want to buy!

Dinner ———-
Without knowing the area, we followed the suggestion of the hotel clerk
and found a fine Mexican restaurant with really great guacamole!!! Lots of cilantro!

Back to Bob Briscoe’s for the Party!!! ———-
This was the first year that we actually decided to go to the “after-party” at Bob Briscoe’s.
It was fun to have some time to chat with the artists – and see the tents of pottery at night
under a different light. We had more time to chat with Laurie Shaman, Delores Fortuna
and her “worker” Roberta Polfus – who I’ve known for years… and Amy has too!
Roberta makes these incredible porcelain pieces… click here to check it out!

The End of The Day ———
So we dragged our scrappy tails back to the hotel… more than ready for a good night’s
sleep. Remember, I’ve been running on adrenaline & sugar all day after driving overnight!
But it was all well worth it… and we still have more clay fun planed for tomorrow!!!