Monday, December 7, 2009

Joy to the Neighborhood


Meet your neighbors at our JOY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD celebration, Saturday, December 12th, 12-5pm. A free afternoon of art making and merrymaking will include cookie decorating with First Slice Pie Cafe, clay ornaments to personalize and take home, and delicious treats and hot cider.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Mary Drabik

Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
I grew up in Michigan, a little town just west of Detroit, where I completed all of my beginning education. I recieved my BFA from Michigan State University where I studied under Brian Bolden, Blake Williams and Jae Won Lee, although I learned a lot more practical information from our ceramic tech Michael McCune. I actually did not plan to get an art degree, my orginal major was environmental botany, but at some point I realized that I could not see an enjoyable future in it.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I started with ceramics when I was a little girl, finding iron deposits in my backyard and making little vases that dried in the sun. I went on to learn the basics of ceramics in high school and from then on had always found it to be something I really loved. So when my I dropped my botany major, I picked up sculpture.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
Now, I have been out of school for four years, living in Chicago and I find that my motivations have completely changed in the work I create. I feel like my work has become more humanistic and a reflection of the people around me. Also, managing a small cafe, I have become well versed in the habits of other people. I am also still trying to find a balance between work at the cafe, my other arts, my social life, traveling and working at the studio. But I think there is always a see-saw affect in life in general. Maybe that can also be seen reflected in my work where I find my work at the time a bit dualistic, comparing my hand pinched nesting bowls to my playful, thrown sets of porcelain dishes. It has the elements I see reflected from myself, a more serious, romantic side balancing with an outgoing, almost fun outlook on life.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I am currently working on a more cohesive body of work, that hopefully soon will be sellable but I haven't really sold anything in Chicago.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
My advice to any new student is to try and control your frustrations when first starting to work with clay. One can learn alot about onesself with clay and it has the ability to be very rewarding.

Any parting words?
So my parting words are, I have grown to love Lillstreet. I started as a floor cleaner 3 years ago (which I still do) and soon will be teaching first time potter. I have really come to appreciate the space and the community and the time I spend there.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Chris Chaney


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
Hi, my name is Chris Chaney. I spent my early college career doing all kinds of art, but ultimately received my BFA in ceramics from Northern Illinois University in 2001. Go Huskies! Fun fact...had I not studied art, I probably would have gone into aerospace engineering. Really.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
Um, I've been working in clay for about 10 years, give or take. While taking a break from university, I took a pottery course at a community college. Once I touched the clay, I knew it was what I wanted to do. Very serendipitous. I was extremely lucky to finish my college career by studying under a very demanding yet supportive ceramics professor at NIU.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
My influences change with the seasons. I look at everything from historical to contemporary pottery. Nothing is off limits. Currently I am studying the teawares of China, Japan, and Korea. Needless to say I'm making a lot of teapots and teacups...Outside of ceramics I look to military, aviation, and aerospace history and images for inspiration. I'm also a big fan of custom cars and hot rods as well as tattoo culture.


Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I sell my work periodically through craft sales or the odd holiday sale. I'm currently building an Etsy site which will create another outlet for direct to customer sales. I also sell thru Dancing Loon Gallery in Michigan during the spring/summer/fall seasons. I can always be reached at chris@chicagopotter.net for sales queries.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Practice, practice, and more practice. It's the only way you are gonna get better. Trust me on this one.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
I take care of my 1+yr old daughter during the day, which is more than a full time job. I also manage the Lillstreet soda firing program and am the blogmeister. Every now and then I'll go for a bike ride.

Any parting words?
Ceramics is pretty fun, but can definitely be frustrating. Just remember that we all (read: your instructors) started at the same place. Stick with it! Learning to work with clay is a lifetime endeavor. Just when you think you have it down, the next exciting technique will come along!

Website: http://chicagopotter.net

Monday, October 26, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Gary Jackson


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
Gary Jackson
Bachelor of Science in Art, concentration in Visual Communications, Illinois State University

I worked eighteen years in the corporate world as a Graphic Designer and Advertising Manager for a chain of nationwide retail paper & office products stores. After many years of climbing the corporate ladder, I switched the focus of my life & career to doing what makes me happy. I now work twice and many hours and make half as much money - but love what I'm doing. And having a fun time doing it.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?

It was during a bike ride in Southern Indiana, when my friend Nancy and I stopped in a local potter's studio. We looked around, asked a lot of questions... and then my friend said that she would like to take a pottery class. I said I would be more than willing to take a class with her. She looked around, did a little research and found that Lillstreet Art Center was our best option. We signed up for our first beginner's class with Marj Woodruff as our instructor. And I've never left. Instead, I went from student to monitor, to teacher's assistant, to teacher to studio member. I now get to work at Lillstreet as much as I want, teach a few classes, and play with great kids all summer during Summer Camp!


What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?

I live a pretty simple life.
I have a very simple life motto -
"If it's not fun, don't do it."
And it's worked pretty well for me so far.


In my previous life, I had a real job. I went to college, worked hard and got good grades. I graduated with honors and got a graphic design job after graduation. I worked hard and made good money. As I worked harder, I got promoted. Soon I was managing an art department. I had employees. I had responsibilities. Another promotion, another rung up the corporate ladder. We all assumed that's what we were supposed to be doing. Moving up the proverbial ladder. That's what we were trained to to. That's what we were expected to do. We had been lead to believe that it was the path to success since very early on in our lives.

After eighteen years of corporate retail advertising & marketing, I realized that it may not be true. That the path to success is not measured by money or rungs on a ladder. The path to my success is happiness. I started out as a graphic designer, but several years later I found myself in countless meetings, dealing with budgets & proposals and doing nothing at all related to graphic design. I had a talented staff to do that... the fun part. I have never been motivated by money. Which is a good thing now that I a full-fledged starving artist... now I get to do the fun part!!!

Over the years I have come to realize that my own happiness is far more important than any company's bottom line or the next investor's meeting. So I struggled with the decision to start my own business and work for myself. While I was still working the corporate gig, I started taking pottery classes at Lillstreet Art Center. It was the perfect creative outlet during my non-creative advertising job. It was tactile, mushy and incredibly creative. You get to make beautiful things out of mud. So when it was time to start my own business, I decided to go with something I love... and I love making things. I always have.
I also love biking. I started biking shortly after college purely as a recreational biker. A quick trip around the block or though the forest preserve. But as my passion grew, so did my sense of adventure. My mileage increased, my stamina increased - and I started pedaling even further. And pedaling further can take you along the coast of Oregon & California, or the other coast from Baltimore to Tampa. The Rocky Mountains from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone... or my greatest biking adventure: cross country from Los Angeles to Boston. I now ride a couple thousand miles every summer - vacations, weekends & mornings before work. I quickly realized that there is nothing better than the sense of freedom you get while pedaling out in the middle of nowhere - and not even caring that you don't know where you are. The sense of wonder and relaxation of stopping, laying under a shady tree and watching the clouds go by - for no reason, in no hurry. And now that I am a self-employed artist, I get to continue my biking obsession. My flexible studio hours allow me the time to get out and pedal... and pedal... and pedal...

For the past few years, I have also been spending my summers teaching Summer Camp at Lillstreet Art Center. It's a great gig - working with 8-12 year old kids and their unending creativity & enthusiasm! They get excited, they make art, they giggle. We do great projects all summer - some for fun, some more educational. From ceramics & painting, to mosaics & drawing, lots of clay, lots of Mod Podge... and my personal favorite - tie-dye! Many people find it exhausting to deal with kids all summer - I find it entertaining and somewhat exhilarating. They make me giggle.

I also work throughout the year with an event production company designing corporate parties, special events and holiday decorations. It's another great gig - a different party, a different theme, a different creative challenge. From large corporate events for thousands of people, holiday decorations for Chicago landmarks & corporate headquarters - to smaller, more intimate events & holiday decor for a few mansions. Both of these "gigs" affords me the chance to work as a full-time potter. And keeping within my own motto... they're both fun!

So that's my life in a nutshell. Nothing too exciting. Nothing too elaborate.
I try to keep it simple. I don't see the need for extra drama or hassles. It takes too much time & energy - that I could be using to do something fun. I don't watch the news. I don't read the newspaper. I don't do sports, religion or politics. I prefer to focus on the positive. I like to be happy. I like to make other people happy.


Plus I like to make things.
And I hope that the things I make also make other people happy.
After all... it's all about me.
And if it's not fun, I don't do it.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?

I sell my work art art fairs throughout the year, as well as in my studio on the second floor.
I enjoy the art fair circuit and have made many friends and loyal customers along the way.
I love seeing people pick up and item, fell it, touch, love it... knowing that they have to have it.
Anyone interested in making it to one of the art fairs, my schedule is always updated
on my website. I also sell my work in a couple stores throughout the Midwest.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?

Stick with it. Have fun. And commit.
Working with clay is not as easy as many think. It takes practice, focus & determination.
You can't expect to get it the first time. Don't panic. Don't worry. Just remember to have fun.
Everyone is playing in the mud, having fun and expressing themselves. Enjoy the process.
Commit to what you're doing., Don't be tentative. The clay is much more resilient than you think.
And remember that we're not here to make "perfect pots"... if you want perfect pots, go to Pottery Barn!

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?

I spend as much time as I can on my bike. Sadly, that does not pay the bills.
So to help out, I also work part-time as the Creative Director for a special events company in Chicago. I get to be creative all day, at work and the studio. I get to design great parties and make fun pottery. Along the way, I get to pedal a few mile here and there....

Any parting words?

If it's not fun, don't do it.


Website: http://firewhenreadypottery.com/

Monday, October 19, 2009

Instructor Introduction: CatherineTweedie


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two. How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
My name is Catherine Tweedie, and while I was raised in Evanston, after a decade spent living in various parts of Chicago I feel more native to the City. I remember, vividly, every episode throughout elementary school involving clay: pinch-pots, coil vases, slab boxes and finally wheel throwing in high school. I took at least one ceramics class every semester in college. When I graduated from Beloit College I found myself living in Chicago, and looking for clay facilities. Lill St. became my haven and I've never left. I've been obsessed with clay for as long as I can remember.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
I love to cook, but mostly I love to bake. I make functional ceramic pieces based upon daily use within the kitchen, dining room, garden and beyond. I believe that when you incorporate functional art into your everyday existence it raises your level of ceremony and appreciation. The days where I leave myself enough time in the morning to drink out of a handmade coffee cup, and I'm not just leaving the house with a thermos for the road, are days that start on a more positive note, and my coffee tastes better.

I love numbers, and incorporate them widely in the surface detail/decoration on my pieces. Numbers are how we quantify everything in our lives, and thus they are universal. I think their forms are beautiful and curvy, and they work well to accentuate the rounded forms I like to make. They are endlessly descriptive in their simplicity.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I sell my work in New Buffalo, Michigan at Dancing Loon Artisans, and through my studio at Lill St.


What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Take advantage of your open studio hours. Lill St. has open studio hours 10am-10pm seven days a week. Keeping familiar with the process will stretch your skills exponentially. So much depends upon reaching the clay at the right wet/dry state. Always work in series. If you're going to make two cups then why not make six? Watch other people throw or hand-build. Everyone has slightly different technique, and the smallest nuance can sometimes make a huge difference in your own practice. Music is vital within the studio setting. Make sure you've got a radio handy at all times.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
I bike, garden, wait tables, travel, and cook.

Any parting words?
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life," Pablo Picasso.
"Eighty percent of life is showing up," Woody Allen.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Sharon and David Hartshorne


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
Sharon and David Hartshorne, husband and wife team who teach wheel throwing on Wednesday evenings:

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
We grew up a few miles apart on the Des Plaines River in northern Illinois and fell in love with clay in high school in the 1970’s. Later returning to our hometown, we were married and our combined talents and interests led us back to ceramics.


What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
As homegrown Midwesterners, we had learned early on to adapt to the changing seasons, preparing us for the challenges presented by our chosen material. Like the seasons, clay provides us with a wide range of opportunities, from expansive freedom of expression to the limits inherent in the material and techniques.

Drawing on diverse fonts of artistic expression, from the naturalism of Bernard Palissy to the contemplative Agnes Martin, from the innovation of Oribe-ware to the ephemeral Andy Goldsworthy, our goal by collaborating is to combine our individual perspectives of inspiration with our delight in working with this earthy material.


What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Lillstreet Art Center has provided us with the opportunity to share our abilities and combine the talents unique to each of us to enhance the experience of each student. Realizing the frustration in initial attempts at creative expression, we are always reminded that we will never play a piano concerto well if we cannot play basic scales. On the other hand, new students often bring a fresh perspective to a piece that many veterans strive to achieve.

Our teaching technique remains to encourage beginning students to persevere in order to more clearly see the finished piece, enabling them to find the voice in their work, a voice that is truly their own.

Finding the soul in a shape that has been around for thousands of years remains elusive, yet in the Arts and Crafts tradition, every handmade piece is a work of individual human expression.


Any parting words?
By creating handmade pieces of art from raw clay, we hope to exude the enthusiasm that so many artists have come to recognize as a process as simple and as complex as our own human experience.


Lillstreet’s promotion of diverse opportunities in the arts continues to provide individuals with the means to express themselves, and provides us with the rare ability to bring a tandem approach to the joy of working with clay, enabling us to tailor our approach to each student’s unique needs and abilities.

Cheers! Sharon and David

Monday, October 12, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Momoko Usami

Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
I’m Momoko Usami. I went to under graduate, and graduate school at Kyoto City University of Art in Kyoto, Japan. I came to the U.S. last year to change my environment, and to research how the cultural difference influence people’s view.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I have been working with clay since University. So almost 9 years.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
Ceramics for souvenir, Japanese painting in Edo period, dreams, find something on the street

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
Woman Made Gallery. You are more than welcome to stop by my studio.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Learn from trial and error, just need to be patient and take your time.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Drawing, cooking, eating, reading, thinking or sleeping

Any parting words?
I like beer.

Website: http://momokousami.shichihuku.com/

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Christa Assad: urban potter


October's Artist of the Month in the Lillstreet Gallery. Meet Christa Assad on Saturday 10/10, 3-6pm!

Instructor Introduction: Tom Lucas


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
Thomas Lucas. Originally from the Philadelphia area, BFA Tyler School of Art, MFA S.A.I.C. Director of Printmaking Dept at Lillstreet and Master Printer at Hummingbird Press LAC, also located upstairs in the print dept.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I have been working with clay off and on for the last 20years. I used to work for John Dowell, an artist and professor in Philadelphia who worked in clay, print, painting and music. I have done a bit of throwing, hand building and raku. Recently I have developed a series of classes at Lillstreet in the Print Dept. that teach printmaking on clay techniques.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
Currently I am influenced by the history of art and technique as it applies to the realm of printmaking and clay.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I do sell my work. It can be found at Lusenhop Fine Art as well as Nicole Gallery in Chicago. I also sell out of my studio.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
How do images affect form and how does form affect the image?

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Working on drawings, prints and paintings.

Any parting words?
BE INSPIRED!



Website: http://hummingbirdprint.com/

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Yong Hyun Chung


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.

I have earned my MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007. I also studied ceramics at Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea and earned BFA.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I met clay when I went to college in 1997, and keep doing artwork with clay. I do sculptural as well as functional ceramic work. Since past two years, I am in love with soda firing. I am making large scale vessels and delving into soda kiln nowadays.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I have my website, www.claynmore.com. People can purchase my work via my website, Etsy.com(forthcoming), or visiting studio at Lillstreet Art Center Ste. 205 West.


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Instructor Introduction: David Trost

Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
David Todd Trost. MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. BFA, Pen State University. Although it may be surprising to some, my grandfather was an award-winning clown with the Shriners.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I first started making objects with clay in high school. Our school had a small ceramics program consisting of four potter's wheels, an electric kiln, and a clay mixer. I was lured into the whole culture of ceramics with a few of my classmates as we began mixing our own clays by hand, taking interest in firing techniques that were unavailable to us, and trying a number of unconventional techniques to compensate for our limited facilities.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
I draw the bulk of my influence from the greater culture within which we live, I am consumed by the political machinations of our government (mostly the historical implications of their actions) and the visible remnants of our shared histories.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I am presently without a gallery, agent, or art dealer. I am open to selling work directly from my studio in #209 at Lillstreet.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Patience and planning are the two keys to a successful practice in ceramics.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
I enjoy searching for rare or unusual musical instruments and learning to play them. I also like to read history, biographies, and sociological essays.

Any parting words?



klaatu barada nikto

Website: http://www.davidtoddtrost.com/

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Yosuke Koizumi Demonstration

This past Saturday, Yosuke Koizumi of Shimpo Ceramics visited the Lillstreet clay department to present a very inspiring throwing demonstration and slide show on Japanese ceramics. The event was very well received and attended by folks from both inside and outside the Lillstreet community.

The afternoon began with Mr. Koizumi talking a bit about his background in ceramics and his time as a production potter in Shigaraki, Japan. His accompanying slide show illustrated many of his experiences along with providing insight into historical Japanese pottery and forming techniques.


After the slide show, Mr. Koizumi moved to the trusty VL Whisper for a bit of throwing. The first pieces created were an array of body and decoration styles thrown off the hump. He used this time to introduce a variety of Japanese throwing tools as well as some newly designed American offerings.

Following the off the hump demonstration came the main event. Mr. Koizumi swiftly and seemingly effortlessly centered 40lbs of clay, opened it up, and proceeded to throw. Using this virtual mountain of clay, he was able to create one of his signature bowls -- on a grand scale. With the addition of three of his trademark frogs, the piece weighing in at 40lbs with an approximate diameter of 3ft was complete.

Thanks must go out to Mr. Yosuke Koizumi and Shimpo Ceramics for being able to present such an inspiring and informative demonstration. All in all this was great afternoon of ceramic knowledge sharing.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Marjorie Woodruff


How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I started seriously working in clay at Northern Illinois University when I was 19 and haven't stopped.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
"Free Jazz" music -- going to hear music live and Labor History students in graduate school who opened my eyes to labor history in our country and the world -- both of these influences have greatly influenced my life and my work.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I have work for sale at Woman Made Gallery, Artisan Gallery (http://womanmade.org/) and I will be including work on the Etsy Web site this fall.

I periodicaly do art fairs and just had a solo show at Woman Made Gallery called Rack and Ruin. (http://womanmade.org/show.html?type=solo&gallery=woodruff2009&pic=1). I sold a number of pieces.


What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Advice to students... explore and try lots of things, get comfortable with the clay as a material. Begin setting some personal goals for what it is they want to achieve... such as for our beg/intermediate handbuilding class... some students have expressed that they are there to relax and have fun, others have very specific goals -- either technical or very personal expressive goals, or to just create objects to give as gifts that they have personally created. So... by talking with people, knowing their goals, as a group class we adjust what we focus on each 10 week session surrounding the basic handbuilding construction techniques. Thus each class begins to have specific slant depending on needs and wants of students in class. Students end up influencing each other as well which is great to watch and observe as a teacher.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Outside of clay, I garden and cook, go hiking and camping out west on the Mississippi River, bird watch, thrift for old interesting objects. Plus just bought a new used bicycle at Working Bikes Co-op (great not-for-profit place that gives bikes away around the world -- http://workingbikes.org/) ... so I am biking more again and hope to lose some pounds as well! Last of all, I am the Membership Secretary for our part-time union at City Colleges of Chicago called CCCLOC that is part of IEA (Illinois Education Assoc). We just were able to form a new region just for Higher Ed in the Chicago area that includes Columbia College, United Staff of Columbia College,Triton, Roosevelt and our City College union. So it is exciting times for unions! I am passionate about this work because it is about learning how to become an active citizen.

Any parting words?
Enjoy... life is shorter than you think!


Website: www.marjoriewoodruff.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Corinne Peterson


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.

I’m Corinne Peterson, handbuilding teacher of Dreams, Myths, Stories at Lillstreet. I grew up on a Minnesota farm, among other things taking note of a slippery clay bank near the house and exploring the insides of field stones. When my sons were teenagers, I went to University of Illinois Chicago to earn my MSW and embarked on a career as a psychotherapist.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
In 1986, dreams about clay objects led me to take a class at Lillstreet. I had no product in mind, but was curious why I had dreamed about clay. I often built objects to further explore my dreams.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
My first influences were the teachers and studio members of Lillstreet. I especially liked the textures and narratives of Lisa Harris’s and Phil Schuster’s sculptures and the off-beat grace and colors of Eric Jensen’s hand-built functional ceramics. I visited the Art Institute, the Oriental Institute, Field Museum and art galleries in Chicago to see all I could of current and ancient ceramics. I was excited to realize how clay objects and writing in clay gave us so much knowledge of past societies, their myths and stories. Currently, a strong influence is old pillars and walls, how their textures, materials, and colors give clues to their history, and what they might reflect of the human psyche.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I sell my work through studio contacts, exhibits, art consultants and my website, , sadly out of date, while I build one I can manage myself. I’ve just completed two commissions, and have also worked on numerous clay tile murals through association with many different groups, especially Chicago Public Art Group. You can see them throughout the city. The nearest to Lillstreet is on Stockton School at Montrose and Beacon, and the largest is in the Roosevelt and State CTA station.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
I got my best advice at a Jeff Oestrich clay workshop at Lillstreet in 1987. I wanted to take clay more seriously, but was afraid of what a studio of my own would cost me. Would I be so worried about making work to sell that I’d lose my joy in clay? When someone asked Jeff how he determines what the market wants, he quoted another clay artist as saying, “You make what you love, and convince others they want it!” “Of course”, I thought, and took courage. I pursued my passion wholeheartedly–soon in a group studio, and eventually in a Lillstreet studio of my own.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Time not working with clay is taken up with family and friends, enjoying nature, reading and looking for ways to move my art out into the world, so there will be room in my studio to make more.

Any parting words?
For me, clay is a doorway into my own soul. It gives me a way to explore my inner life and recover a deeper and more vital connection to myself and to all of life.


Website: http://www.cdpeterson.com/

Monday, September 21, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Lisa Harris


Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two:
My name is Lisa Harris. I graduated from Grinnell College in 1975 (the Pleistocene) with a BA in Fine Arts and continued at the Evanston Art Center (EAC) and the Art Institute for post–grad studies. I have been a studio member and instructor at Lillstreet for over 20 years. I also teach ceramics at. EAC, and have led numerous workshops at the Art Institute, Stirling Hall, and Terra Incognito for e.g.

Fun Facts: I do a pretty good Louis Armstrong singing "Bess You is My Woman Now."
I have been called "The Great Finder of Things."
I love languages and the surprising connections between words.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I started working in clay in college. It embodied a variety of disciplines-drawing, painting, handcrafts, geology, philosophy, science, that appealed to my young mind.

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
I am very much influenced by painters (Degas, De Chirico, Diebenkorn), classical pianists (Rubenstein, Horowitz Ashkenazy), and composers (Debussy, Brahms, Bach, CHOPIN, Beethoven, Mozart); the work of Eric Jensen, Ferguson, Michael Simon, Ruth Duckworth, Ellen Shankin, etc.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I do a lot of commissions. I have work at Terra Incognito and at Lill and currently in downtown Evanston with Art Under Glass. You can always come to my studio for sales -- all are welcome. Please come, please.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Practice, practice, practice. Read, study your craft and the works of others. Keep an open mind and trust your instincts.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Knitting, playing piano, drawing ,gardening, cleaning up cat messes…You know, all the usual things.

Any parting words?
I never thought I would blog. I love my students -- they are all interesting characters. I enjoy pealing away the layers and getting to know them . They keep me engaged and on my toes.


Website: www.lisaharrisceramics.com/

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Cathi Schwalbe-Bouzide

Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
Catherine Schwalbe-Bouzide
Sculptor
Recreation Therapist
Farmerwannabe
Urban Poultry Keeper
Cat keeper
Gold fish in our outdoor pond my husband and I build for each other’s birthday several years ago.
Undergrad in Fine Art from UW Milwaukee – Sculpture Concentration
Graduate Coursework at Aurora University in Aurora.
Classes at Columbia College for the Book and Paper Arts and Lillstreet Art Center.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I avoided clay most of my childhood and early adult hood thanks to an angry, venomous art teacher in grade school. We were gut rehabbing our house and I was looking at handmade tiles and said “I could do that myself!” so I did… at Lill Street Art Center on Lill Street. Clay is now the other man in my life!

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
Influences are many – I read a lot. I talk to farmers. I look at farms. I grow. As a sculptor, I came to ceramics and knowledge of those grandparents of clay very late. I have enjoy and learn from seeing works of those on whose shoulders we stand, but also suffer from “Materials Deficit Disorder.” That is, I like to work with a variety of mediums. I have a clay studio at Lill and a mixed media studio at home. Making is making to me. I am working with a lot of beeswax now at home. Porcelain at the studio. It all keeps me from getting bored. I also look at open, unused spaces around the city as opportunities for growing/installation.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
I do sell some. My studio is in #203 at Lillstreet Art Center. I have larger works at home – some are stored and rotate. Others I have out all the time. Illinois Artisan Centers around the state. Dancing Loon Gallery in Michigan City, IN. Give me a call. I would love a studio visit.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Take advantage of open studio hours here at Lill. Play. Find your way. Listen to your teacher. Listen to other teachers. Listen to other students. I continue to learn from all of them. Get out and look at other people’s work too. Go to workshops that are held by and for artists.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?
Reading, making, cooking, w/good friends and family, seeing art, talking about art.

I am also a recreation therapist in long term care communities in a company of 12 amazing therapists. We go to over 150 places in the Chicago area and work for founder and president Dr. Susan Quattrochi-Tubin.

Any parting words?
Woefully out of date website: www.casbah3d.com

Flickr casbah3d

Monday, September 14, 2009

Instructor Introduction: Glynnis Lessing

Here is a new feature to the Lillstreet Clay blog in which our teachers take a minute to share a bit about themselves. Each instructor has graciously filled out a set of questions that, we hope, will give you a bit more insight into who they are, where they come from, and why they do what they do. If you would like to learn more about our teachers, just scroll on down to the end of the interview and follow the link to their website (provided they have one). Make sure to come back every Monday and Wednesday for a new Lillstreet Instructor bio! Without further ado, we present Glynnis Lessing...

Please tell us a little about yourself; your name, background, education, and a fun fact or two.
My name is Glynnis Lessing, I grew up in the Midwest and attended the University of Minnesota and also MacAlester College in St. Paul.I have two children (who are both pretty good at clay). I love bike touring and photography. I also love history, especially pre-history.
When I was 11 my mother started an intentional living community on a farm in Wisconsin (okay, yes a commune.) My honeymoon was biking and camping through Europe for 7 months.

How long have you been working with clay and how did you get started?
I first thought I learned to throw when I was about 10 years old. I was hanging around the Carleton College art dept. and Noboru Kubo was there visiting a friend and he showed me how to throw and ignited my interest in pottery. In high school, I was very lucky there were wheels and a cone 6 kiln in the art department - I mixed glazes and ran the pug mill there.
When I was 16, my first job was assisting a potter; and then of course, Warren Mackenzie was still teaching at the University of Minnesota when I majored in art there.
I came to Lill in 1989 after meeting a potter at an art fair who was, at that time, working there. It was one of the very best things that has ever happened to me!

What are your influences, both inside and outside of the clay world?
Bob Broderson, the potter I worked for has had a deep and lasting effect on my aesthetic approach to ceramics. Warren Mackenzie is incredibly eloquent about form and all things clay. Matt Metz certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of slip and Bob Briscoe continues the eloquence -- I learn something from him every time we speak.
Lillstreet in general- so many of the teachers there have helped me become a better potter.
Outside influences would be nature, pots from old cultures like Greek, Anasazi, pre-Colombian pots like those of Ecuador, Panama, the Moche of Peru; Teco Ware Art Pottery, Art Nouveau in general because it is so closely tied to nature.

Do you sell your work? If so, how can one find it?
Yes I do; I often have a home sale around winter holiday time and also I have just started doing art fairs! My web site lists them.

What advice can you give to students of the ceramic arts?
Give it time! Clay simply takes time and a large percentage of the pleasure should come in the process - take your cue from kids; they tend to live in the moment and value the process more than the product.
Also, remember we are surrounded by too much perfection: machine-made things. Value yours and others' things because they are hand made, whether or not they are perfectly symmetrical and have an unflawed surface. I think clay involves a lot of humility and forgiveness.

How do you spend your time when not working with clay?

1. being a mom, 2. biking I hope, 3. teaching for A.R.T. and doing volunteer work.

Any parting words?
"centered" is more than just something you do to clay.

Website: www.glynnislessing.com

Monday, September 7, 2009

Burn and Learn: Anagama Firing with Simon Levin

Wood Firing Workshop at Waubonsee Community College with Simon Levin:

"During this week long workshop participants will have the opportunity to load and fire the Anagama at Waubonsee Community College under the direction of visiting artist Simon Levin, studio potter and proprietor of Mill Creek Pottery, Gresham, WI. Once we have finished firing, Simon will be joined by Bede Clarke, Professor of Art at The University of Missouri for three days of clay demonstrations. We will begin with an orientation meeting Friday, September 18 at 11:00 am. After lunch we will sign up for firing shifts and then load the Anagama till 8:00 pm. Saturday, September 19 at 10:00 am we will continue the loading process and then begin firing continuously through Wednesday September 23. On Wednesday September 23, 1:00 pm 9:30 pm Simon Levin and Bede Clarke will begin pottery demonstrations in the Ceramics Studio. These will continue Thursday September 24 from 10:00 am 4:00 pm with Slide Talks by each artist beginning 5:00 pm. The workshop will conclude Friday with each artist finishing up work and answering questions September 25, 10:00 am 2:00 pm."

When?
Friday, September 18, 2009 11:00 AM - Friday, September 25, 2009 2:00 PM CT
Where?
Ceramics Studio, Sugar Grove Campus
Contact Information
Doug Jeppesen, Assistant Professor of Art/Ceramics (630)-466-2505, or email djeppesen@waubonsee.edu. (630) 466-5755 for ticket purchasing information.
Other Information
Ticket price is $75 and allows each participant approximately 5 cubic feet of kiln space. All work must be made from Cone 10 Clay, and must be bisque fired before your arrival on September 18. All orders are subject to a $2.00 per-ticket service fee for this event.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Art of Food

One of the great things about the Lillstreet clay program is the breadth of creative classes available each session. Many times these classes are either one off or only run once every few years. This infrequency ensures a freshness with every go 'round. The Art of Food, taught by the talented and multi-faceted Catherine Schwalbe-Bouzide, was one such class that ran this summer. Here is a bit of info on the class and some pics of the culminating feast. Enjoy!!

Initial Class Description:
"This class will center on rituals of every day eating and the making of hand made vessel(s) to meld the experience. The context of discussions will include exploring your own history of food, family and the use of local or homegrown ingredients. Students will be encouraged to explore and share their perspective on the hottest topics of food systems, eating, and growing while creating hand built, functional vessels for their own use. A private, guided tour of Angelic Organics Learning Center will be available for all students at an additional $10 each. The class will culminate in a summer feast as an expression of the best of what the season brings (one guest per student)."

Synopsis:
"Day one we made a plate to trade with others in the class. We made vessels, shared articles relating to potters, food, growing, contemporary agriculture, recipes, and more. We sampled Stephanie Samuels' significant other's first honey from his bee hives in Mt. Carroll, IL. We traded for Lillstreet roof top tomatoes for local, urban eggs. We copied and assembled our recipes into a book for everyone in the class; we prepared for the feast, cooked some items in the First Slice kitchen, thanks to head chef Carlos, including fresh mozzarella, and shared our foods with each other on the roof at Lill as the sun set. . Each participant brought at least one guest and now some of those guest want to take the class!"


















Friday, August 28, 2009

Class Discount and Member Sale!!

Thinking about taking a clay class at Lillstreet? If so, now is the perfect time to register! When you sign up for a class and pay in full by August 31st you will receive $20 off a 10-week class or $10 off a 5-week class. Register online by by clicking here and remember to use the coupon code: "save20" or "save10" at checkout.

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Don't forget that this weekend is:

The 6th Annual Lillstreet Student Member Sale
August 29, 12-6pm - August 30, 12-5pm


Susan Volk

Over 60 artists on display
Open House
Free Workshops
Kids Activities
Food & Drink

Monday, August 24, 2009

The 6th Annual Lillstreet Member Show & Sale

Looking to support Chicago Artists? Want to give a home to a unique piece of handmade art or get a jump on shopping for the holidays? Now is the perfect time!

Lillstreet opens the gallery for this very special event. Join us for a juried show featuring work by over 60 student artists.

When:
Saturday, August 29, 2009 10:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday, August 30, 2009 10:00am - 5:00p

Where:
Lillstreet Art Center
4401 N. Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640
Google Map

Contact:
773-769-4226
kat@lillstreet.com

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Upcoming Workshop: Throwing Slab Plates

Looking for a new technique to enhance your clay repertoire? Well look no further! On August Sunday August 9th, Lillstreet instructor Chris Chaney is presenting Throwing Slab Plates:

Learn a new twist on plate-making. Using thrown and handbuilt slabs, students will use both bisque and plaster hump/slump molds to create unique plate surfaces perfect for many styles of surface decoration. Ideal for the advanced beginner and intermediate student ready to take the next step.

You can register online by clicking here or by calling the Lillstreet front desk at (773)769-4226. Please feel free to lillstreet@lillstreet.com with any questions.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

First week of Summer Classes!

We are already halfway through the first week of the summer clay classes! Can you believe how time flies? If you are interested in taking a class and haven't signed up yet, there is still plenty of room left in many of them. You can check out the Lillstreet Ceramics/Sculpture schedule here. If you have questions about any of the classes, please feel free to call our front desk at (773)769-4226 or drop an email to: lillstreet@lillstreet.com.