Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: artists, pottery

And while I was unloading the kiln… I also took a few quick shots of Karen Patinkin’s
beautiful porcelain pieces! She does this exquisite & incredibly labor-intensive glaze
technique. But when you see the results… you can see it’s well worth it!

And if you scroll back a few weeks on my blog, you’ll see these same “veggie” bowls
in the works. See what they looked like in the middle of the process before the firing
made all the colors pop!

Categories: artists, friends, lillstreet

Each year, Lillstreet Art Center brings in a couple people for their Artist In Residence Program.
Tonight I stopped into the metalsmithing room on my way out since I heard people talking
and I heard Sarah Chapman’s voice. While there, the current metalsmithing Resident Artist
was chatting… and Sarah suggested that she show me her latest piece. WHICH IS CRAZY!!!

Apparently, Michelle has a lot time on her hands… which “puzzles” me. But in a good way.
I love crazy, eccentric artists. So she etched the brass and handcut each of the puzzle pieces.
Twenty pieces down one side, by 17 pieces the other way… that’s 340 puzzle pieces to make
her handmade, etched map of the Chicago Transit system. Keep in mind that this entire
puzzle is made out of a single sheet of metal and measures only 6-1/2″ x 8″.

So glad I decided to stop into the Metals Room… otherwise I would have missed out on
seeing Michelle’s latest puzzle masterpiece. Such patience. Such precision.
To see more of Michelle’s work, click on – www.michellesallemi.com

Yikes… and pay no attention to my overly dried out finger tips from a long night
of throwing bowls. Looks like a little lotion is needed… but still, that’s a small puzzle piece!

Categories: art fair, artists, pottery

Mark your calendars… and plan a road trip for three weeks from today!
The 19th Annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour – May 6th, 7th & 8th
Just north of the Twin Cities along the St. Croix River by beautiful Taylors Falls.

Minnesota is know for some rich pottery culture. A lot of great potters live
and work in the Minneapolis area. And this is the perfect opportunity to visit
them in their studios, see their work, meet the artists – as well as their talented
friends who also come to their studios. There are seven incredible studios on the tour.
Each studio artist opens their location, and invites a few of their “Talented Friends”
to show their ceramic works as well. So it’s a pottery extravaganza with all of the
“big names” you’ve seen in all the galleries & Ceramics Monthly.

I am planning on going up again this year with my potter & friend Amy Higgason.
We’ve got a full schedule planned with a lot of pottery admiration, discovery &
shopping to do. With 46 talented artists on the tour, there is more than a lot to see –
and something for everyone’s taste. I can’t wait to see everything… but from looking
at the “list” on the poster, here are my personal Top Ten… in no particular order…

Okay, so maybe there is a particular order… Matt Metz (above) is my favorite.
And I already have quite the collection of his work… mugs, tumblers, jars, etc.
Can’t wait to see what’s new this year?! And now the rest… in no particular order!!

Ryan Greenheck & Suze Lindsay

Ellen Shankin & Delores Fortuna

Bob Briscoe & Donna Polseno

Steven Hill & Simon Hill

Silvie Granatelli

And the list doesn’t end there… there’s great work everywhere! And I know that Amy
will have a slightly different Top Ten… with Jenny Mendes at the top of that list!

Because not only are there the “official” stops on the tour, but there are also several
“rogue potters” in the area who also hang their shingle out by the roads. So if you want
even more pots… make sure you see some of the “undiscovered” talent in the area.

For complete tour details & map… check out the website: www.minnesotapotters.com

Categories: artists, inspiration

Tonight at Lillstreet, we had a brief slide presentation by Canadian potter Aaron Nelson.
Aaron used to be a studio member at the old Lillstreet location, and taught classes…
a couple of which I had the opportunity to participate in. Aaron has always had a very unique
view on things, a sense of wonder and a beautiful aesthetic. His classes were always fun…
and I could just listen to his accent for hours. Especially when we were talking about teapots…
with a lot of “aboouuts” and the “spoouut” that went on “agane” and “agane.” Too funny.

Well, Aaron has been gone for many years, but was passing through Chicago and stopped by
for a visit. He has traveled around, gotten married and started a family since leaving Chicago.
He’s worked at the Archie Bray Foundation and eaten a lot of doughnuts. But I digress…
He even spent 8-weeks in his handmade kayak paddling along the west coast of Canada.
I’m so jealous!!! Now he has landed in Alberta, Canada at a wonderful clay facility called
Medalta. Apparently, Medalta was once home to some of Canada’s most important pottery,
china and clay factories. These days, the history is being preserved with the unique
Medalta Potteries National Historic Site. Not only was Aaron there to entertain and share
his passion for clay, but also to hype the wonderful clay opportunities they host there
for workshops & residencies.

He also told us some of the things he’s been working on. Including some crazy clay recipe
“mistake” that he’s now trying to refine that has a MUCH lower melting point, but is incredibly
translucent as it seems closer to glass than clay when it is finally fired. Plus, some wacky
concept of hooking up a bicycle to a generator to somehow work together to fire a kiln?!
I’m in!!! Doubt it…. but Love it anyway.

When I got home, it was late dinner time… so I had to pull out some of his dinnerware!
I’ve had it for years. A wonderful set of wheelthrown dinner & dessert plates in two-tone
stripes! I’ve served many a pizza on these plates. And an occasional cheesecake on the
dessert plates!!! Beautiful plates always make the food taste better. Don’tcha think?

Not only do I have dinnerware…
but one of Aaron’s mugs has a permanent spot in my mug collection! It was great to see
Aaron “agane”… to hear his stories, mock his accent and be inspired by his words.

Categories: artists, kiln firing

Yes, Karen Patinkin came through…
and topped off the remaining space in my bisque kiln.
I feel much better knowing that all the extra space was being used! Whew…

Categories: artists, friends, My Talented Friends, studio

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…

Categories: artists, Chicago, photography

And here’s more about the photography exhibit we went to see at the
Chicago Cultural Center… in between the incredible stained glass dome windows…

Vivian Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American amateur
street photographer who was born in New York but grew up in France, and after
returning to the U.S., worked for about forty years as a nanny in Chicago.
During those years she took about 100,000 photographs, primarily of people and
cityscapes most often in Chicago, although she traveled and photographed worldwide.
Her photographs remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until they were discovered
by a local historian, John Maloof, in 2007. Following Maier’s death her work began to
receive critical acclaim.Her photographs have appeared in newspapers in Italy, Argentina,
and England, and have been exhibited alongside other artists’ work in Denmark and Norway;
her first solo exhibition is running at the Chicago Cultural Center until April 3, 2011.

If you want to see her work in person, be sure to stop by the Chicago Cultural Center
before April 3rd… when her solo retrospective show will come to a close.

You can also see a lot more of her work if you click on this blog link…
Vivian Maier – Her Discovered Work.

You can also check out Artsy.net for more information.
You’ll find more on Vivian Maier including her bio, 80+ images of her works, exclusive articles about Vivian Maier, as well as her up-to-date exhibitions – it’s a unique Maier resource. Click here for Vivian Maier on Artsy.net.

Artsy.net : Bringing the world’s art to everyone with an internet connection.

Categories: architecture, artists, Chicago

A perfect Spring day in Chicago. Crisp. Clear. Cold.
Pots are too wet to trim in the studio… so let’s go play downtown!!!

We headed down to the Art Institute of Chicago to check out the new Modern Wing.
Okay, new to me anyway… it’s been here awhile already. But you know how you can
take something for granted when it’s right in “your backyard”? Well, I finally got around
to checking out the new Modern Wing… finally. The structure itself was incredible.
Very clean, very sleek, very modern. Go figure.

The views are great from inside too… even through the blinds overlooking Millennium Park
and the Gehry Pavilion. Never mind the collection of Giacometti sculptures all around you!

Part of my plan for the day was also to “scout out” opportunities for my kids when I bring
them here for a Summer Camp Field Trip. How do I keep  a bunch of kids focused & engaged
in a museum where they have to be quiet?! Projects? Scavenger hunt? Quiz? Sketches?
Luckily, it’s several weeks away, so I still have time to come up with a plan.

So we bypassed a “lot” of the regular masterpieces in the “original” museum to get to the
Modern Wing. But when we got inside, there was a lot to see. Including some of the
all-time favorites like Rene Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Robert Delaunay & more!

And let me just say… for some reason, this one was today’s favorite. I was taken by her
“strange” colorations, the impressionistic “squiggles” and the eerie mood it all sets.
Okay, that ONE tooth is pretty fetching too!

But let me just say for the record… I’m not a huge fan of the more recent American modern
artists. You know the ones… when they take a canvas, paint it all one color and call if done.
Or scribble all over it like a kid and call it “art.” The ones that look like bad paint-by-number.
The ones that look like bad PhotoShop. Or a video about nothing. Or black noise. Whatever.
I never bought into that theory that just because they call themselves “artists” does it mean
that whatever they make is “art. With that said, I do enjoy some of the cleverness & witticisms
of Modern Art… but do something. Make something. Have a reason to make art.
Not to throw it back in someone’s face just to call it “ART.”  So there…

Then we walked over to the Chicago Cultural Center. One of Chicago’s little-known
cultural gems. The building alone is a work of art. With incredible mosaics, Tiffany stained
glass dome windows, and art all around. Just wandering the four floors is spectacular.
Let alone the small galleries on every floor. Did I mention the stained glass domes?…

Our main purpose at the Chicago Cultural Center was to see the special photography
exhibit of the work by Vivian Maier. To see more of her wonderful images, click here.
You may have heard of her recently. I’s a great story… which I’ll save for the next blog post!

After the photography exhibit, we went upstairs to the Louis Sullivan exhibit.
Drawings, sketches, designs & actual pieces of the wonderful work Sullivan created
for many of the major buildings in Chicago… starting with the World’s Fair. The exhibit
was pretty incredible. I loved seeing the sketches right next to the actual piece. But I
still wish there were more pieces on display. With all of the hundreds of buildings that he
worked on, and the number of them that have been destroyed over the years, I would
hope that more of the remnants remain.

We then topped off the night with some wonderful Cuban food at Cafe 28.
Located on the corner of Irving Park Road & Ravenswood, just a few blocks south
of Lillstreet Art Center. Okay, so I was hungry after a long day of art & walking…
but let me just say that they may have had the best pork chops I’ve ever had!!!
Here goes… Honey Jalapeno Pork Chops marinated, grilled & then baked
to perfection with sweet potatoes! Yum…

Categories: artists, stamps

I love to get comments from “fans” on my blog.
It reminds me that people are really out there reading it… and that it’s not just me
rambling on here for no reason. And then, when I actually find out that my
ramblings have actually “inspired” someone, that’s even better!!! And here’s one!

So I’ve gotten a few comments over the past few weeks from Sam Brown. A potter
out in the middle of Nevada who has been feeling a little uninspired… although
challenged with a wonderful project! She has been working on a making two hundred
& fifty bowls. 250! That’s a LOT of bowls! Here are a few of Sam’s early bowls…

And then she found my blog… and realized how much fun stamped textures can be!
We’ve “chatted” a few times through the blog and she finally sent me some pictures
of her newly “inspired” pieces. I love the new direction she’s going. And I hope that
I’ve been able to put a little “jump-start” into the final stretch of her 250 bowls!

Here’s a “new, improved & inspired” stack of Sam’s new bowls!!

Plus, she also sent me a few other pictures of her paintings and basket-weaving.
I was intrigued by her combination of clay & basketry! Keep up the good work Sam!!!

Categories: artists, special events

eBay Auction – March 24th – March 27th
to help the victims of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

“Handmade For Japan”‘s mission is to raise money through an online auction for relief efforts
to assist the victims of Japan’s catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emissions.

“Handmade for Japan” is an online auction of unique, handmade art donated by concerned,
invited artists. One hundred percent of all net proceeds collected via the auction
will be donated to the relief efforts in Japan. Because of the urgency of the situation,
the auction will begin on eBay on Thursday, March 24th and end on Sunday, March 27th.
The auction items will be listed under the “Handmade for Japan” seller ID.

Click here to go directly to the “Handmade For Japan” e-Bay Auction.

Handmade For Japan was borne out of concern for Japan’s residents by Japanese-American
ceramic artist Ayumi Horie. She, Ai Kanazawa Cheung, and Kathryn Pombriant Manzella
have mobilized to solicit, promote, and auction handmade pieces of art generously donated
by talented artists throughout North America and Japan.

Remember, this auction ends at 7:00pm Central time on Sunday, March 27th.