And speaking of talented friends… here’s another one! Metalsmith Amy Taylor!
She makes great jewelry. She makes me laugh. She also made me this…

In the past, she’s made me two pendants using slices of vintage bowling ball instead
instead of a semi-precious stone! Anyone can use a stone… but a bowling ball, c’mon!
And this time, she’s outdone herself!

All of Amy’s jewelry is based on a creative use of a hinge! So all of her work pivots,
turns & twists. And as an eternal necklace fidgeter, this one is perfect of me!
Flip it, twist it, spin it. Either way you look at it – it’s groovy on both sides!
But what is it you may ask?… and don’t even guess a stone!

The “stone” center of the pendant is a piece of paint slag. Apparently, when they closed
the Ford automobile plant, someone was ingenious enough to chip some of the paint
off the floor. Picture years & years of auto paint, layers & layers… chipped off the floor!
When the chunks were cut down and smoothed into cabochons, the layers of paint
are revealed to show off these groovy patterns of colors. Different on both sides!
So a quick flip of the hinged pendant shows off both sides of the paint slag cabochon!
Brilliant… I told you so! Check out more groovy stuff at www.AmyTaylorJewelry.com

She also made a smaller necklace for my Mom, but she hasn’t seen it yet. Soon…
I’m sure she’s going to love it.

I’ve said it many times…  ” I love having talented friends.”
So much creativity. So much exuberance. So much talent. And always willing to share!
Martin Chadwick has been featured here before… but look what he’s been up to now!
A large scale pastel drawins on the city streets of Raleigh, North Carolina!

I met Martin & his wife Christi when they took my beginning pottery class at Lillstreet.
While Christi had a session’s head-start, Martin quick caught up and was quite proficient.
It wasn’t until later that I found out that he was an architectural model builder and an
incredible painter. They have since moved to Raleigh, North Carolina… where Martin
is becoming quote the local celebrity!… at least in the art circles! And look how he’s made
his mark on the city streets of Raleigh. Check out his work at www.ChadwicksWorld.com

Too bad it’s just chalk… and it’s got rain at some point, right?!
And pay no attention to the typo in his website address in the picture above…

Tonight was a special night for my Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing
class at Lillstreet Art Center. My friend Amy Higgason from the Northwoods was
passing through Chicago and stopped by for a fun evening of dinner, conversation…
and a wonderful demonstration of her fantastic decoration techniques for my class!

Amy was once a Lillstreet Studio Artist back at the original location. She has since
moved on to the Wisconsin Northwoods – and set herself up as Pigeon Road Pottery.
I was up there a couple weeks ago for her Fall Art Tour – and it was great to have her
stop by my class! What a great opportunity for them to see another great potter at work
and sharing all of her surface decoration “secrets.”

After some brief introductions, Amy started to work on a couple simple bowls
that I had thrown on Sunday. I made five different bowls for Amy and I to work on.
The demonstration for my students was to see Amy’s work & techniques… but also
to see how a little surface decoration can dramatically alter the look of a pot.
And how five very similar bowls can end up completely different with her techniques,
my techniques… or our combined efforts! Amy then proceeded to start carve, chat and
discuss her path as a ceramic artist. Amy and I have similar backgrounds – both as
graphic designers who have shunned the corporate life. She worked on decorating her
bowls as she answered questions and demonstrated different techniques… and laughed!

The evening went by very fast. By the end of the evening, Amy had carved three
different bowls… and I had stamped one bowl in my newer “puffy stamps” style… as well
as one bowl that we worked together on as a collaboration piece! During her time, I also
worked with my students on their own throwing, and demonstrated how to throw a plate.

By the end of the evening, we had completed five dramatically different bowls. All of which
were very much the same at the start of the evening. I have a few small finishing touches
to do on them tomorrow before they can all start drying. I think my students enjoyed
our “surprise” special guest artist. Plus, I think Karen Avery’s Intermediate Wheelthrowing
Class enjoyed it too… as they came in and joined the Amy party! And special thanks to one of
my former students Chuck (and his wife) who brought in a tray of the best homemade
chocolate chip cookies ever!!!… and they were still warm! – Chuck, you rock!!!

I know that one of my students, Pam, enjoyed the night with Amy. They met
just a couple weeks ago during the Northwoods Tour – and Pam has become one of
Amy’s greatest fans VERY quickly!!!… and has already started her own
Pigeon Road Pottery Collection!

10/10/10 at 10:10am…
We were huffing, puffing & sweating after pedaling to the top of Bean Blossom Hill.
Loving the challenge. Enjoying the colors. Fun playing with each other!
Where were you?

This past weekend was the Hilly Hundred bike ride down in southern Indiana.
Traditionally my favorite bike ride of the entire year! It always seems like you’re in
good shape after riding all summer, the Fall foliage is always stunning and the route
always has a lot of hills! Hence the name… So once again, we drove down to Bloomington,
along with over 5,000 of my fellow bicycling fanatics, to rides some hills!
After I dusted off my bike…

This weekend was no disappointment. In fact, it was one of the best ever!!!
Generally the weather for the Hilly is cold, chilly and crisp. This year… it as hot!
Both days were up in the high 80’s – and we loved it. Plus, we had a new route on Saturday
covering new roads and new hills! Averaging about 5,000 feet of vertical climb each day,
we loved the challenge – and loved the downhills! In fact… my favorite might be rolling hills.
Get some momentum started and you can fly up & over the hills… so much fun!!!

Plus the colors were spectacular this weekend. Driving down to Bloomington, I was a little
concerned that the trees didn’t appear as though they had changed yet. A lot of green
between Chicago & Bloomington. But once we got there, down around Brown County
and the Morgan-Monroe State Park, the colors exploded for another stunning weekend!

On the new route Saturday, we also passed a road marked as a “special photo op.” Never
one to miss a good “photo op,” Chris and I quickly decided to follow the road to see what
was going on. And we found a beautiful trestle bridge – still functioning and wide spanning.
Apparently it still works and the train crosses slowly twice a day. And it is “allegedly” the
largest trestle bridge in North America, and the third largest in the world. Plus, it had
all of my favorite things… rusty metal, geometric repetition and Fall colors all around!

As we continued to pedal, the scenery continues to impress. I feel very lucky that I’ve
gotten to play outside two weekends in a row in perfect Fall splendor!!! Up & down
the hills – some long, some tall, some steep. With about 5,000 feet to PEDAL UP
each day, it takes a lot of focus & determination… and the guarantee of a wonderful
downhill ride. This weekend, my top speed downhill was 44.3 miles per hour! Yippee!!!

So once again, it was a wonderful Hilly Hundred. With the surprisingly warm weather
being a huge hit – and the spectacular Fall colors. A wonderful weekend of biking!…
A lot of hills. A lot of fun!

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 while all the photos make it look like all I did was play in the woods…
keep in mind that Amy’s pottery sale was three days – Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Friday was good… Saturday was spectacular… and Sunday was slower.
So we like to focus on Saturday!!!

It was Amy’s biggest one day sale EVER!!! She did incredible. So much fun!!!
Lots of great people stopping by to admire her work, start their “Amy Collection”
and hang out around the campfire getting to know everyone. Saturday was a lot of fun
for everyone. We were all exhausted by the end of the day… but oddly exhilarated
that her inventory was so depleted!!!

So after the tour on Friday night, Amy was pleased to take me on a tour of her Northwoods
area. We were a bit tired, but still excited to get out and see some of the beauty of the
Northwoods. We hopped in her car and set out for our evening tour… and I was excited
to see her “friends” in the car! Her “love monkeys” both Curious & Sock!!!

One of the stops on the tour, was a beautiful wilderness resort where Amy’s family
comes up to vacation at. And what Northwood location would be complete without
a chainsaw carved bear?!

While we were touring the area, we also pulled off and stopped off at a beautiful lake.
The colors were beautiful, the lake incredible… and what a great sign on the bridge!

Then we headed off to tour Minocqua, and see some of the sights & locations that make up
Amy’s day-to-day life in the Northwoods. Lucky for me… we pulled off in a small park
just in time for me to view an incredible sunset!

So then we finally got around to having dinner… and of course, I had to start off with a big
basket of deep-fried cheese curds!!! When in Rome…

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!