Well, here it is… the first day of ART DETOUR.
And it’s still beautiful her in the Northwoods…

We got up this morning and put the finishing touches on our tents. Generally, I do the
majority of my set-up the night before. But this time, Amy discouraged us from setting
up too much as there could be some overnight “visitors” wandering through and it
would be terrible if they got into our tents and caused some damage.
Deer… and raccoons… and bears, oh my!

With my tent & shelves all assembled, and all of my pots in place, flag flying, and my
holiday ornaments in really cool muffin tins from Amy… we were ready to kick-off the
ART DETOUR. Not a moment too soon… as our first batch of eager shoppers arrived
just moments before 10:00am. A wonderful car full of women from Indiana who have come
to know Amy, and collect her work. It was such a great feeling to start off the day on such
a high note. Keep in mind, this is the firs time for the ART DETOUR, and Amy’s first time
“going rogue” cutting herself off from the “official” tour. We were all a little concerned
that maybe no one would show up?! But they did…

As part of our clandestine marketing strategy, we’ve also created some wonderful buttons
for our new-found Detour Friends to wear… especially when they go onto other locations on
the “official” tour. Just a “subtle” reminder that we are out there doing our thing… and hoping
to make ART DETOUR a new “event” in the Northwoods art community.

And if a souvenir button isn’t enough, we’re also offering up the making for gourmet s’mores!
Sure, you can make the old-fashioned, traditional variety. But you can also make one with
gingersnap cookies & peanut butter cups! Or mushed inside a mint Oreo cookie! We’ve got
gluten-free graham crackers & vegetarian marshmallows for those with dietary concerns!
We’ve covered our bases, and now we need to roast some marshmallows!

And if you made a s’more… you can be a “s’moron” too! And get a button to boot!!!
With a great flow of customers coming through, and our spirits high… who wouldn’t be happy
especially when there’s an overflow of sugar going on!!! We were all having fun…
everyone except for Wendi’s sunflowers which didn’t seem to be holding up too well
in the surprisingly warm October day in the Northwoods!

Well, today was the big day. After months of planning, the ART DETOUR
is finally here. Pots are made. Signs are painted. Luggage is packed.

So I spent the morning getting ready and packing my car. A little different this time
packing my own car… instead of having my “assistants” and their van at the ready,
I had to try and pack as much as I possibly could into my own RAV4. Something new
for me. How many shelves will fit? How many crates will fit? Tent on the roof???

Just after noon, I finally got in the car and started the trek north. It’s a beautiful
drive up to Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Especially once you get past Madison
and the Wisconsin Dells area. And as luck would have it, the sun was setting
just as I arrived in the Northwoods. Perfect scenery… perfect timing…

Amy was already hard at work setting up her studio. As the host of ART DETOUR,
she was setting up her studio space getting ready to show off Pigeon Road Pottery
and her “invited guest artists” for the weekend. So we took a break and went out for dinner…
including some wonderful fried cheese. We’re in Wisconsin after all…

Tonight I had the opportunity to meet & talk with installation artist David Best.
Most well known for his installation works at the annual Burning Man event,
David Best created this incredible “temple” structure for an event I attended tonight.
And yes, it is even more stunning in person. You can walk around it to marvel at the design,
as well as climb up to the second floor for more. The back side “under the stairs” was quite
intricate… as well as the beautiful chandelier hanging from the central dome! Love it!!!

So this entire structure is created out of flat sheets of pressure treated plywood.
Very detailed & intricate, the structure is a full two-story “gazebo” with fantastic
design elements. Layers upon layers of intricately cut sheets create this dramatic effect.
And a splash of theatrical lighting doesn’t hurt any either!

So we talked with David Best about this creation, but even more about his other pieces…
including his future plans for the next few years. And how he used to be a pretty “big name”
potter back in his day. Including several articles & photo spreads in Ceramics Monthly
magazine, I, of course, hinted a couple times that I would LOVE to be an assistant the next
time he’s creating one of these! He kind of laughed… but I was dead serious!!!

I’m sure you can see why, but I was just so smitten by this installation piece. So stunning.
Simply breathtaking. And not only was it this temple that took my breath away, but there
were also three hanging chandeliers. One of the chandeliers was in the central “dome” area
of the gazebo, the other two floating diagonally away from the temple.

ART DETOUR is just one month from today!
Three days of art, friends & fun up in the Wisconsin Northwoods!
Mark your calendar now for a wonderful Fall weekend getaway. C’mon up North!!!

I will be there with my tent full of pottery, along with some of my friends and their beautiful
artworks as well. We will all be setting up at Pigeon Road Pottery… home & studio of my
friend Amy Higgason. Stop by to see her studio full of incredible pottery, plus jewelry,
paintings, glass beads & fine metalsmithing by Sarah Chapman, Kathy Furda & Wendy Powalisz.

ART DETOUR will be located in Lake Tomahawk – between Rhinelander & Minocqua.
Surrounded by beautiful woods, lots of lakes and plenty of natural beauty!!! Especially in Fall.

Plus, during that same weekend, “allegedly” there is another studio art tour going on
around the Northwoods. We’re not “officially” part of the tour… we’re the Detour!!!
“Alledgedly” there will be a lot of other studios & artists to see, but we’ll be more fun…
and we’ll have s’mores! With a campfire going all weekend to toast your marshmallows!!!

Remember you can follow all of the artists, activities & fun on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin

Okay, so my small little studio just seems to be getting smaller?!
The more I make, the smaller it all seems to get. How does that work?
Therefore, I needed to improvise… so thank you to my studio neighbors Karen Patinkin
& Lisa Harris who’s “studio weekend off” gave me a little extra space to dry my pieces!!!
Perfect for me – and they didn’t even know it… until now!

At the Gethsemane Art Fair today, I started yet another ceramic collection!
This time, it’s these incredibly intricate tiny “beauties” by Lillstreet artist
Terry Hogan. I’ve been watching these pieces evolve and change as they make
their way through the kilns & firing process. What started out as these tiny
textured trinkets… Terry is now expanding her level of “craziness” to larger
more sculptural pieces! And you know how I LOVE crazy details!!!

I know it’s kind of hard to determine the actual size of these pieces… so here’s a
quick photo to show you just how tiny they are. Which also shows you just how small
& intricate Terry’s work is. Love the textures. Love the patterns. Love the tiny!!!

After “surviving” a weekend in the park, my booth display flowers found
a new home in an adorable oval vase made by potter Suze Lindsay!

It will be a beautiful Fall weekend in the Wisconsin Northwoods at the peak of Fall color!
There’s a lot of art activity that weekend with Art Tours all around. I’ll be setting up
at Pigeon Road Pottery with a few of My Talented Friends. We’ve got ceramics, metals,
glass beads, paintings and so much more… gourmet s’mores too!

So mark your calendar and start planning a beautiful Fall getaway
to the beautiful Wisconsin Northwoods. Plus, you can follow the planning & activities
on Facebook… www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin.

Saturday we woke up very early to get Amy to her art fair. She still had some
setting up to do, and I was apparently her designated assistant. Since we had set up
the tent the day before, Saturday started with setting up tables, shelves and putting
out her wonderful pots. Check out her website for more at Pigeon Road Pottery.

Unfortunately, after only a couple hours, a huge storm came through and effectively
closed down the art fair. But as in true Northwoods style, just an hour after we closed
everything down & packed the cars, the sun came back out! But by then, the customers
and most of the artists were gone for the day! So we went to Dari-Maid for ice cream!!!

Back at the cabin, we again relaxed, and spent a little quality time in the hammock!

Unfortunately, before the sunrise could impress us again, the clouds rolled back in
and covered the sky. So it was time for another boat trip around the lake with my friend
Pam at the helm! Then back to more relaxing… and incredible grilled brats for dinner!!!

Looking for beautiful Fall get-away weekend?!
Hoping for perfect Fall colors, crisp cool weather and beautiful art?
And if that’s not enough… can we tempt you with some gourmet s’mores?!

Art Detour is a three-day event in the Northwoods of Wisconsin!
October 7th, 8th & 9th from 10:00am-5:00pm each day.
Hosted at Pigeon Road Pottery in Lake Tomahawk on… you guessed it, Pigeon Road!

It’s a big weekend up in the Northwoods area with lots of tourist activities,
beautiful scenery and a lot of original artwork! So I am currently making new work
and getting excited about my trip up north. Not only to add another show to my schedule
but also to play with these other great artists! I think you should come play with us too!

Amy Higgason : Pigeon Road Pottery
Amy makes incredible pots with a lot of texture (my favorite) and imagery. She’s
currently making two different pottery lines. One with a lot of carving, sprigging &
textures. The other is more brown & black sgraffito imagery. Amy is the host of
Art Detour – so we will all be setting up our tents on her front yard next to her studio.
And not too far from the campfire & s’mores!
For more of Amy’s work, click on Pigeon Road Pottery.

Sarah Chapman : Sarah C. Chapman Jewelry
Sarah’s work is primarily sterling silver that has been oxidized to give it that wonderful
patina. She has an uncanny ability to mix her metalsmithing with semi-precious stones,
seashells, buttons & other objects. Her designs & textures are incredible, frequently
two-sided… and I already have quite a collection of Sarah’s wonderful pieces!!!
There’s a good chance I’ll need to add another piece of Chapman-wear during Art Detour?!
For more of Sarah’s work, click on Sarah C. Chapman Jewelry.

Kathy Furda : Northern Light Glass
Kathy does her own glass flamework & beadmaking. She then combines the pieces into these
incredible collections of colors & textures. Her aesthetic choices & combinations make these
wonderful “treasures” you can wear everyday! She also makes wonderful stained glass
creations with beautiful imagery, colorful combinations with a few unexpected additions.
For more of Kathy’s work… click on Northern Light Glass.

Wendy Powalisz : Back 40 Arts
Wendy captures the spirit of the Northwoods in her visual artwork. Her watercolor
paintings reflect the imagery, textures and colors of her surroundings. Her color palette
is vibrant and unexpected. Wendy also makes colorful beaded jewelry that will put
a smile on your face every time you wear it!

So there’s five of us displaying our work during the Art Detour… Gary Jackson (me),
Amy Higgason, Sarah Chapman, Kathy Furda & Wendy Powalisz.

“Coincidentally”, there will also be a of of “other artists” in the Northwoods area
also showing their work that weekend. “Alledgedly”, there “may” be another art event
going on that weekend?! “Maybe.” There is a very good “chance” you “might” find
some other artist studios to visit while you’re up North for Art Detour. I can’t promise
anything “specifically”… but I’m just saying that we’ll be “just off the beaten map.”

And we’ll have gourmet s’mores.. and THEY won’t!!!

For more information, follow Art Detour on Facebook for regular updates & photos!
www.facebook.com/artdetourwisconsin