
The studio was very, very busy this week, with multiple projects and preparations for our bug fundraising bazaar on Saturday.
We crossed our fingers and fired the kiln three times this week- finishing the project that Sarah Applebaum had left us instructions for. Her ceramic rocks are now installed in the fire pit- the larger ones filling the ring of stones that marks the pit, and a dozen small blue pieces mixed in with the white stones she used to border the pit. The pale blue glaze reflects the color of our fading picnic table, and the summer sky.

It was a great week to promote our event and our residency program, as were so honored to be on the cover of the local magazine, Pentwater This Week. After an interview with contributor Mary Beth Crain, she wrote an article that covered all of our studio's hopes, dreams, and realities. She also decided to teach a writing workshop at Shared Space and be a speaker at our slide talk series, after our resident artist who was scheduled to talk had to cancel last-minute.


Jeffrey Kricksciun made impressive work in his third week in residence. Experimenting with clay, he made small sculptures and a series of pins for our fundraising sale. This was his first time glazing ceramics, and after an evening of careful painting, we were surprised to open the kiln and see what colors had fluxed out. The experience left him with a newfound interest in ceramics, and left us with a few of his pieces for our sculpture garden and collection.

Jeff also spent time this week coming up with face-paint ideas and designing a watercolor flash for his booth. He worked in the "FUN ZONE" tent with Aliya, painting faces for kids and adults all afternoon. Face painting was another first for Jeff, but I knew that with his tattooing and painting experience, he would be a natural.

Jeff also had the brilliant last-minute idea to make a second edition of MIRRORS NEWZ, a site-specific newpaper that 2012 resident artist Josh Kermiet made with contributions from the other residents last summer. Jeff and Josh are partners in publishing the Portland-based newspaper FREE SPIRIT NEWS, and we were very happy to have Jeff continue the tradition of compiling musings and doodles from the Shared Space crew to anthologize our Michigan times.


Each day, her wardrobe expanded, with tube tops, gowns, drop-crotch pants, and high-waisted skirts, in neons and wild prints. I introduced Aliya to a rotary cutter and my serger machine, and she took off.

Aliya was also a shining star at our fundraising bazaar, contributing a crafty crown-making station, and issuing artistic licenses to visitors. The event was really well attended, with artists and crafters selling their goods and supplies, and musicians keeping up the pace for all of us working in the sun and shade. Aliya made specialized crowns for each of us; using supplies from the free pile, she made sure that no one was without flair.
