Well, that was a LOT of photos… and a LOT of stories.
Thanks for bearing with me. And allowing me to ramble on for a bit.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed some of the incredible Fall color – and were
impressed & excited to see the beautiful artwork of Amy Higgason!

Thanks for playing…

Amy and I continued our tour Monday afternoon. After our morning hiking
The Raven Trail, we stopped off at a small art gallery in Three Rivers, then met up
with one of Amy’s local artist friends at her home & studio “encampment.” She’s
one of the “Art Gypsies” – a small group of artists that Amy “plays with”
and does art shows around the area. Like a traveling band of gypsies – setting up
and selling art anywhere they can!

Debra Ketchum Jircik is a papercraft & ceramic artist. She’s an artist
through & through and you can sense it in her right away! Her home & studio
are located on an old camp area with several cabins on the lakefront. Each cabin
has been “converted” into their home, studio, workshop, guest cabins and more.
With incredible gardens and sculptural installations, I  loved our visit to her studio.
Check her out at “Circle Of Life Studio.”

Debbie not only makes great art, and lives a very “green” existence… she also loves RUST!!!
Which you know is one of my favorites too. So you know I loved it when I saw that she has
rust “installations” everywhere! Part of the fences, used as trellises, collections on walls
and everywhere else!!! As she put it… “rust never sleeps.” She’s built her own “rust chakra”…
and an incredible river rock labyrinth to walk through to meditate & contemplate.

We also met up with Wendy Powalisz who is a wonderful watercolor artist. Her colors,
techniques & style are not your typical watercolor paintings. Very striking. Very energetic.
In fact… this is the one that come home with me…

Another cool part of Wendy’s life is her “little cabin in the woods.” Literally.
She and her husband built their very own cabin on their 200-acre parcel of land.
They felled their own trees, made their own rock foundation, pump water every day,
use solar power for very basic electricity, wood fire for cooking & heat, no TV,
no computer… off the grid!

Another one of Amy’s friends, although she’s not an “official Gypsy” yet…
is Kathy Furda and her studio called Northern Light Glass. She does incredible
stained glass pieces that incorporate many different pieces, items and glass styles.
She also does glass bead jewelry with her own handmade glass beads & baubles.

Also, as previously mentioned, Katlyn Koester was Amy’s guest artist during the Art Tour.
Amy has been her “mentor” over the past few years – as she has now graduated from college
with her BFA in Ceramics. So Katlyn was “lucky” to have Amy and I “working with her”
all weekend to help inspire her, prod her, and motivate her to push herself as a ceramic artist.
Katlyn does not have a website… but hopefully she will soon!

At the end of the day, we met up with my student Pam and husband Pat for lunch.
Which of course for me had to start with a Wisconsin specialty… deep fried cheese curds!
Pay no attention to the dripping, greasy residue in the bottom of the basket!!!

So once we were all set up Friday morning, we were ready for the customers!
There were 26 stops on the art tour… Amy was tour stop #14. Also joining Amy,
was her special guest artist Katlyn Koester. Amy met Katlyn several years ago
when she was working at a local Northwoods art center. Katlyn was s student then,
and she has now graduated from colege with her BFA in ceramics. She’s a “youngster”
starting out on her journey… and Amy has been her “mentor” for a few years!

Soon the customers were arriving and taking time to enjoy & appreciate Amy’s beautiful work.
The day was a bit chilly, and a little rainy here & there, but the customers continued to come!
So we were ready… three potters ready to greet the public. Enjoying the fall weather,
bundled up and trying to keep warm… and dry as the drizzle kept coming in & out.

The pots were priced. The campfire was going… good for keeping warm while we enjoyed
the fall colors just off Amy’s driveway. And amy was keeping her tea warm by the fire
in one of MY mugs!!! A little cross-marketing & support between artists never hurts!

But more importantly… the s’mores were ready to be toasted as well…
yes, that was my contribution; I was in charge of the s’mores! That’s the least I could do!
And yes… we had to “try them out” for quality control and all… We were actually offering
up “gourmet s’mores” – traditional Hershey’s, Ande’s Mints or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!
Perfect for the kids… and the kids at heart! Some “into it” more than others…

The actual tour was great. We met a lot of great people who stopped by Amy’s studio.
Many of them were quite impressed by Amy’s work, and Katlyn’s too. I was quite excited
to see a couple of my friends stop by as well. My “very first” art fair friends ever came up
for the weekend… and they live in Peoria, Illinois! Luckily, they have family in Stevens Point,
Wisconsin… so they decided to come up a bit further and “share the love.” Very fun.
They are always so energetic & supportive. Also, one of my Lillstreet students came by with
her husband Pat. They have a cabin up in the Northwoods and were more then ready to
visit and “start” their very own Amy Higgason Collection!!! Pam was so excited to see the
intricate patterns, carvings & colors of Amy’s work. As a relative “newbie” in her wheel
throwing journey, Pam understands the work that goes into it… and was quite impressed!
In fact… after a long time admiring Amy’s work, it was Pam’s husband who declared that
“Amy’s work is more feathery, and mine is more foot-printy.”

On Sunday, the tour slowed down a bit and the customers trickled in a little slower.
While I took the opportunity to go for a bike ride, Amy took the opportunity to do some
demonstrating of her process – making some nice textured plates.

By the end of the weekend, were were all pretty well exhausted…
and at the end of the day on Sunday, it was time for Amy & Katlyn to ring the “closing bell.”

Sadly, Amy has decided to make this her last year of participating in the “official”
Northwoods Art Tour. She has been instrumental in the implementation & graphic design
of the tour. Unfortunately, her volunteer efforts were taking up too much of her time & energy –
so she has decided to bow out of next year’s tour. And possibly establish her own
“Pottery Event” for next Fall with some of her local art friends… and who knows?…
there’s a chance I may get to join her in the festivities next year?!

So Amy will not be leaving the Northwoods, she will not be quitting the pottery biz…
but she will be making more incredible pots and trying to find new ways to get it out there
to her “adoring public.” If you happen to see her Pigeon Road Pottery sign out on the road
be sure to stop by!

Before we get too far into the story-telling… let me introduce you to Amy Higgason.
She’s an incredible potter that I met many years ago at Lillstreet Art Center when I was
just starting out in my Beginning Wheelthrowing Classes! Since that time, Amy has
moved on in her pottery career, took a residency position in the Northwoods and has
never looked back. She’s been living up in the Northwoods now for over seven years.
Her studio is just a stone’s throw from her house – right there on Pigeon Road.
Hence the name… Pigeon Road Pottery.

Amy’s work has always been quite intricate, textural & detailed. I’ve always liked her style.
I think it may come from the fact that we were both trained as graphic designers before we
started in pottery. So we have a similar background, and a similar aesthetic.

Once I was there, we did the usual chit-chatting, settling-in and giggling… then we
set off to unload her latest kiln. Done just in time for the Northwoods Art Tour.

As we were unpacking the kiln, I was once again awestruck by her work…
the carving, the sgraffito, the textures, the sprigs, the imagery. All of it.
So of course I was also doing some mental shopping of my own!
Which of these beauties was going to come home with me?!

So here’s a quick photo tour of Amy’s studio and her amazing work!

Also, for those of you who may have done the Art Tour in previous seasons, Amy also
has decorated her studio with some of the projects that were created during the Tour.
A couple years ago, Amy had all of the guests make a textured tile. They have all now
been glazed & fired, and mounted onto two panels that decorate the exterior of her studio.

This past summer, she had people make little clay heads. All of the heads
have now been fired and now “reside” in a commemorative platter in Amy’s studio!
Too funny… and a great idea I may need to “borrow” sometime in the future!

Welcome to Pigeon Road Pottery… and the beautiful view down Amy’s road.
A beautiful fall weekend full of beautiful fall colors. And lots of beautiful pots
just down Pigeon Road up in the Wisconsin Northwoods!!!

After my fun weekend up in the Wisconsin Northwoods… spending a lot of quality time
with my friend & wonderful potter Amy Higgason – I came home with some great
new pots to add to my collection! A beautiful carved bowl and a large platter. Each more
stunning than the next. The amount of time & effort she puts into each piece is amazing!

When someone asked how our ceramic works compares to each other…
one happy customer (thank you Pat) summed it up quite eloquently as
“Amy’s work is more feathery, Gary’s work is more footprinty.”
Oddly accurate if you really take time to think about it.

This weekend is the Northwoods Art Tour up in Wisconsin. Just in time for Fall colors too!
And my friend Amy Higgason is participating in the tour again this summer. She’s a great
potter who used to work at Lillstreet Art Center with the rest of us. But then she decided
to “fly the coop” and move up to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Since then, the has made
a nice home for herself, as well as a beautiful studio! And she’ll be showing off her studio
this weekend… Amy Higgason at Pigeon Road Pottery.

It’s going to be three days of fun… and a lot of art to boot! Each day from 10:00am-5:00pm.
Friday, October 1st  -  Saturday, October 2nd  -  Sunday, October 3rd.

Amy will be Studio #14 on the big tour. Also joining Amy will be potter Katlyn Koester
as her guest artist. Both of them make beautiful pots, whimsical decorative pieces and
so much more! Too much talent for just one stop on the Art Tour!!!

I will be traveling up to the Northwoods to help Amy for the weekend – and would love
to see you stop by. Amy makes this incredible work that is quite detailed & intricate.
A lot of textures and patterns. Some of it has sprigs & carving, while others are more
slip & sgraffito illustrations! Incredible work. Come check it out.
For more details… www.northwoodsarttour.com

Special thanks to everyone who came out to the Barn this weekend to play in the chilly
weather! Perfect for another successful art fair. It was a beautiful Fall weekend – and
great to see so many friendly faces. Some familiar, some not.

Sales went well despite the cold breeze blowing through, the dark clouds overhead…and
the occasional sunshine breaking through. As always, the crowds seem to come in waves.
Slow at times, but packed at others. My favorite of course is when there are a couple people
literally waiting in line to check out. Such a great feeling. Thank you so much to everyone who
waited patiently for us to wrap things up and write a receipt. I’m sure the fundraisers for
the Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Auxiliary appreciate your patronage too… as they
received 20% of every artists’ sales!

Plus, it’s always a great show to see a lot of my fellow “art-fair-friends.” Over the years,
you develop these friendships with other artists who share the same art fair experiences.
Everyone is so supportive, sharing and ready to help. Some of the friends that I got to
“play with” this weekend…

Beautiful hinged, silver jewlery by Amy Taylor – www.amytaylorjewelry.com
Whimsical silver & leather jewelry by Molly Bitters – www.macabistudios.com
Organic oil paintings by Cheryl Holz – www.cherylholz.com
Incredible photography by Brad Pogatetz – www.bradpogatetz.com
Handbuilt ceramic forms by Dorothy Hughes – www.dorothyhughes.com
Realistic wildlife watercolor paintings my Anne Gilna – www.artbyannegilna.com

My biggest complaint, once again this year, is having an artist (and I use that term loosley),
in the booth right next door to me who I believe is not making her own artwork. If you ever
see spectacular artwork that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Sure, she had the
whole story down pat. But after hearing it over & over again all weekend, you start to realize
that the story doesn’t add up. Far too much detail work, for far too cheap. Plus, anytime
you see artwork, pressed perfectly flat, in perfect shrinkwrapped celophane wrapping,
coming out of  brown cardboard box, being sold at virtually wholesale prices… you start to
question the validity of the whole artist credibility. Don’t get me wrong… the work is beautiful,
but I doubt that she’s making it by hand. My vote is a computerized, embroidery machine!

Otherwise, another good weekend playing out in the Barn!?
And thanks again to everyone who ventured out to say hello and see a lot of great art!

Today was a little rainy & cloudy… not the nicest day for an outdoor art fair!
Been there. Done that. I know how tough it is to stick it out in your tent when it’s pouring.
So I decided to go out to the suburbs to visit some of my “art-fair-friends” who were doing
some shows this weekend. Hopefully tomorrow’s weather will be better for them!

After driving out to the suburbs through the lightning & pouring rain, I was glad to see
that the storm seemed to have blown over by the time I got to the LaGrange Art Fair.
My friend Cory McCrory is a wonderful ceramic artist who makes these wonderfully
whimsical sculptures! We’ve known each other for years, and I have a quite the nice
collection of her work… some fish, cups, teapots, bottles and after today, a new chair!

Then I went off to the Naperville Riverwalk Art Fair to check in with more artist friends.
The weather had gotten better, but still not great… and the customers were finally showing up.
It was a fun show and a beautiful location. Great artists all over the park, including potter
Michael Schael, painter Cheryl Holz and jeweler Teresa DeVer. The Riverwalk is beautiful too.
And has a lot of great sculptures & gardens along the way. My favorite was this great
sculpture of “Dick Tracy.” Apparently, the artist who drew the comic strip for so many years
was from Naperville. Who knew?

Another “addition” to my collection of cool rusty things!
You should know by now that I’m addicted to all things rusty… it’s the colors,
the textures, the patina, the aged-ness… all of it is very cool to me! So when I did
the Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival a few weekends ago… I scored big!!!

It was actually part of the Silent Auction. I noticed it when I was dropping off my vase
for the auction and was instantly smitten. And then I found out that the artist’s booth
was just a couple spaces down from mine. So I looked at all of her other really cool
rusty things – but was still in love with the piece that was part of the Silent Auction…
so I had my work cut out for me! Just to clarify… it’s a rusty shovel head that has been
cut with a beautiful pattern using a plasma torch. Still not sure where it’s going to hang,
but I am sure it will have a place of honor!!!

So here’s the story. I found out that one of the top bidders was my friend Amy Taylor.
One of the nicest metalsmiths out there who does this cool “hinged” jewelry. Love it.
Anyways, she was bidding throughout the day as her booth was right across the walkway.
Mine was all the way across the art fair. So I decided to “swoop in” at the very last moment
and try to “win” the auction. All was going well… 3 minutes… 2 minutes… 1 minute…
30 seconds… and I was going to be the last & top bidder. But then…

Up walks Amy’s fianceé Tom to do her final bidding. And I had to take him down!
I literally had to hold him in a headlock while I wrote my bid down “slowly” as to be
the final bid. I also found out that Amy had a “cap” on her bidding… but I was more than
ready to go higher. I was ready to buy one for full price at the artists booth, but it was the
design and the “broken off” section that I was drawn to. So I had to get this one… and I
was willing to pay for it. Amy’s “cap” was lower than mine… so Tom finally acquiesced
and the auction closed! And now I’m the proud owner of another piece of rust!!!

Check out Denice Bizot and her wonderful rusty artwork at… www.denicebizot.com

As another week of Summer Camp comes to an end, we finish off with our
focus on Art History & Master Artists. I saw this video and loved it – and
found it oddly appropriate to finish off the great week of art. Check it out…

Classic Women In Art