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.

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…

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…

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.

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…

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!!!

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.

Also at The Pier… interspersed in the Stained Glass Museum,
there is currently an exhibit of contemporary mosaics. Now generally I’m not
a huge fan of mosaics. But after seeing this exhibit, I may need to reconsider.
I was especially enamored by the mosaics of Laura Rendlen of Glen Ellyn
who does these intricate, almost “photo-realistic” mosaics with teenie-tiny pieces!

Plus a few others, like this incredible portrait of “Indian Prayers”…
not to be outdone by the whimsically crazy birds mosaic!

Thanks to the Chicago Mosaic School for bringing these out for all of us to see!

Okay, I have a basic art theory… one of something is okay, three of them make a set,
five make a collection, but THOUSANDS of anything can make something really cool!!!

Meet Andrew Myers, one of the most patient modern-day sculptors around.
This California-based artist goes through a multi-step process to create incredible
works of art you almost have to see (or touch) to believe. He starts with a base, plywood
panel, and then places pages of a phone book on top. (Cool fact: He’ll use pages from
his subjects’ local area.) He then draws out a face and pre-drills 8,000 to 10,000 holes,
by hand. As he drills in the screws, Myers doesn’t rely on any computer software to guide him,
he figures it out as he goes along. “For me, I consider this a traditional sculpture and
all my screws are at different depths,” he says.

One of the most challenging parts is getting rid of the flat drawing underneath because
he then has to paint over each of the screw heads, individually, so that in the end,
the sculpture looks like an actual portrait. Look through these photos and you’ll notice
that the real magic happens when you see these pieces from an angle.

You know how I like beautiful landscape photography.
And pride myself on a few of my own sunrise biking photos.
But here’s another friend of mine who takes great pictures!
Although I’m still wondering where the color went?

Personally I prefer my nature shots to be vivid color as Mother Nature intended.
But my friend Julie Wight sees the world differently through her camera lens
and creates these stunning, and sometimes haunting, black & white photographs.
I’m entranced by the composition, the contrast, the geometry… basically all of it.

The majority of the work I have seen of Julie’s has been this kind of austere nature shot.
But recently, Julie kicked off her own photography blog to showcase more of her photography.
And this time, it’s not all landscapes. I can’t wait to see where her blogging journeys take her.
Be sure to check out her new blog adventures – http://juliewight.blogspot.com/