Today was “hump day” of “Fire, Forge & Feast” camp…
and we always like to celebrate the middle of the week with a little sweetness.
Somehow, the kids always “come up with the idea” to have a chocolate chip cookie bake-off.
Okay, maybe we do a little hinting, but somehow we can flip it so they seem to think it was
“all their idea.” And then they make the cookies at home and bring them in for us to try!

My co-teacher Pam Robinson made a yummy batch of cookies… that I had to sample for
breakfast before the kids began to show up. And then imagine my surprise & excitement
when Mac showed up with this tray of cookies he had made with chocolate-filled, toasted
marshmallows on top! His own concoction – kinda like a chocolate chip cookie s’more…
and you know how I just “hate” s’mores!… kidding!!!

So I separated the cookies out so everyone got a plate of cookies to taste, sample & vote on.
We had seven different varieties & entries in the contest. Some traditional, some with a little
variation like white chocolate or even cinnamon chocolate chips!!!

So here’s our plan. Make the kids bake cookies. Bring them in for us to eat.
We make them work in metal all day. Then load them up with sugar & send ’em home!!!

For the record… cookie #4 won the contest. A fairly traditional chocolate chip cookie.
Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside with some nice semi-sweet chips inside!
Nothing fancy. Just yummy cookies. Congratulations Julian… looks like you win the
cookie “trophy” plate that I made for the winner!

My summer campers have moved over to the Metals Room and we’re making metal knives,
forks& spoons. They’re all so focused on their projects with a lot to get done before the end
of the week. We started with my co-teacher Pam Robinson teaching the kids some
metalsmithing basics.We also stressed that their metal pieces also had to coordinate with
the overall theme & concept they were creating for themselves. Two days of clay were just
the start for this week’s project!

Once they started, the kids were all pretty focused on their projects. Each of them trying
to make their knives, forks & spoons… and trying not to cut themselves or break too many
saw blades. Once their pieces are cut out, they will then file them down and add textures
& patterns! You know how I love textures & patterns… even in metal!

And that’s not all… a very “sweet” afternoon was planned for them too…

Tonight was the first night of the new Summer Session of classes at Lillstreet Art Center.
My beginning wheelthrowing students seem to be a little more “advanced” than normal.
Generally it’s a bunch of people who are pretty “new” to clay and are looking for a fun hobby
with a few returning beginners sprinkled in. Apparently not this time.

Should I be concerned that on the list of project requests from my “beginners” was a teapot?!
Or the birdfeeder?! What?… in a beginning wheelthrowing class?! Really?! Beginners?!!!

We’ll see… you know how I love a challenge!!!

Today my summer camp kids finished their clay projects.
Tomorrow we move into the Metals Room for more fun.
It’s FIRE, FORGE & FEAST… and the kids are making clay dinnerware sets
with metal forks, knives & spoons! Friday is a big potluck!

So first they handbuilt their plates, bowls, cups & handles in terra cotta. With everything
fitting in with their creative themes. Everything is three-dimensional, sculptural & whimsical.
Once the pieces were all assembled, we had to paint them with underglazes for the colors.

But of course, no “Fire, Forge & Feast” class would be complete without the annual
“Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off” that we enjoy each year… when the kids come up with
the idea “all by themselves.” Okay, so there may have been a little suggestion.. maybe
a few hints… Either way, the kid are home tonight baking their best chocolate chip cookies
to share tomorrow. They’ll all vote for their favorite… and the winner will get the “trophy”
plate that I made for them! So they’re bringing the cookies and I’m bringing the milk!!!

This morning the totem pole sections came out of the kiln. So now the project turns to
stacking & installing them. The plan was to install them on the roof of Lillstreet Art Center
amongst the garden planters. Everything was going as planned until a huge storm decided
to roll through. So as we kept working in our classroom, we could see the rain coming down
on the skylights. So we had to start developing Plan B.

But then, just before lunch, the clouds started to clear and the rain began to slow.
So I posed the question to the kids and they were more than excited to put it on the roof,
despite the chance of getting rained on! So we proceeded with Plan A!

I started with a large plastic flower pot. We inserted a metal pipe in the center & surrounded
it with quick drying concrete. Then we covered the concrete layer with pebbles to the top of
the flower pot. Once the concrete dries, the pole will be fairly secure. Then we started stacking
the segments. Each section is filled to keep it from shifting on the pole. The bottom few sections
are also filled with pebbles. The middle & top sections are filled with styrofoam peanuts.
Idea being that the bottom is heavier and the top lighter so it’s not top-heavy. However, as we
were staking sections and filling them with peanuts, the wind kept picking up and blowing
some of them around… and Isabel was having a little trouble keeping them in place!

Getting closer to the top, Ryan & Ruby add a few more layers to the totem…

And here it is… the completed totem pole installed on the roof of Lillstreet Art Center.

Pleased with their own handiwork, my campers strike a pose next to their completed
totem pole. It’s a motley crew… but hysterical and fun to play with all week long!!!

Some of my “happy campers” enjoying the Lillstreet Roof garden after installing their
totem pole! Pleased with their work, and happy that the weekend is here!

So it’s Friday at Summer Camp and kids’ clay projects are coming out of the kiln.
We made them & glazed them on Tuesday, they dried overnight and into an electric
kiln on Wednesday. They’re still a bit warm… but the gnomes are done and
ready to go home to some beautiful city gardens!

The kids have finally finished their painted terra cotta pedestal pots.
Remember, each of them received a theme that they had to brainstorm and develop.
It’s always so much fun to see how the kids approach a conceptual challenge and
turn it into a personal work of art. Here are just a few of their masterpieces…

“The Jungle” – created by Ava…

“Outer Space” – created by Lucy…

“Walt Disney” – created by Kayla…

“Underwater World” – created by Elizabeth…

“The Four Seasons” – created by Dahlia…

While the totem pieces & gnomes are in the kiln, the kids have continued with the
painting of their terra cotta pedestal pots. Their themes are established, and the
painting has begun… and the “focus” by some of the campers is pretty amazing!

With their totem parts & gnomes in the kiln, may summer campers have moved on
to painting “thematic” pedestal planters. They randomly chose themes out of a hat
and did some brainstorming to figure out how they were going to portray their theme
onto their pedestal planters. The kids then set out drawing the designs…
and will soon start painting with acrylics!

Here’s an example of some of the themes they’re working with…
* The Olympics  *  The Four Seasons  *  The Z00  *  The Jungle  * Sports
* Walt Disney  * The Chicago Skyline  * Fruits  * The Future  *  A Favorite Movie  *  etc…

The new summer session of adult classes begins in two weeks.
I will once again be teaching my Tuesday night wheelthrowing class
for beginners & returning beginners. It’s an 8-week class starting on July 10th.
The class is already half-full, so sign up soon before you’re left out!

Stop by Lillstreet, call in or click here to register online!