6th Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House

We're getting down to the wire getting ready for the 6th Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House. We'll be getting the studio (which is unbelievably dusty - unless you're a potter) cleaned up and prepped for the event tomorrow with the help of my good friend and Official Left Hand Theresa tomorrow and many of the vendors will be setting up Friday afternoon and evening. I'll be heading out to secure the ingredients for our traditional mulled cider and any other odds and ends so we'll be ready to welcome you all at 10:00am, Saturday, December 12. In the meantime, I wanted to take a moment to remind you of the great vendors we'll be featuring for 2015.

We are always delighted and privileged to open our studio to Don Schulte of Notable Greetings. Don and I met eight years ago; since then, we have become the best of friends and ongoing collaborators. Don, who is a graduate of the College of Creative Studies, has his own photography business, providing services for corporate clients as well as local and regional publications. He also shoots frequently in my garden, including images of butterflies, traditional garden favorites and, most especially, Michigan wildflowers. Don will once again feature his lovely notecards and fine art prints, including the debut of his newest set of Michigan Wildflower Notecards, Spring 9, including images of Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus septentrionalis), Wild White Indigo (Baptisia alba), Rattlesnake Weed (Hieracium venosum), Early Virgin's Bower (Clematis occidentalis), Red Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica) and Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum).

2007 was a very good year: I not only met Don; I also met Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs, another "best of" friend and collaborator. Chris - who is self-taught - takes humble bags of Portland Cement, Peat Moss, Vermiculate and Perlite and turns them into amazing garden and home decor. From candleholders and block letters (you can spell out all sorts of cool things with these!) to gorgeous, one-of-a-kind fountains and troughs. His garden pieces - including lanterns and planters - are frost proof and designed to withstand our severe seasonal fluctuations with aplomb. I particularly like one of his more recent designs - his columnar candleholders - which work beautifully in both formal and informal settings.

Returning for her second year, Eve Hyde of E.H. Knits brings her lovely knit creations. I met Eve less two years ago at an artists market and immediately connected with her - at least partially because of her delightful Catnip Mice. Eve's talents with needles and yarn yield warm and wonderful results, from whimsical children's hats and sweaters to daring fashion statements for us grown-ups. Eve uses the finest materials in her work, guaranteeing years of enjoyment: Hers are definitely "Happy Knits for Happy Humans". But my favorites are those mice - one for each kitty, please. Being a cat lover myself, I have a lot of cat loving friends; so, get to the Open House early if you want to bring one of these lovelies home for your resident fur person!

Also returning for the second year, Green Mitten Jam specializes in locally-sourced ingredients for their unique take on toast toppings. Focusing on small batches using the very best seasonal ingredients, Megan and Josh have created a delectable new take on preserves. I can personally vouch for the Peach Melba, Red Haven Peach and Mango Cardamom but don't take my word for it: stop on in and sample everything to decide which are your favorites to take home or gift (buy extras just in case). Due to seasonal availability of local produce, we're never really sure what exactly Megan and Josh will be bringing - it's always a treat, though!

Joining us for the first time, Debbie Groat of Saverine Creek Heirlooms has been my host on my travels to Midland more times than I can count, opening her home and feeding me the best meatloaf and chicken and biscuits I've had since I left home. Really. Debbie makes beautiful jewelry using heirloom and exotic seeds, many of which she grows herself, as well as semi-precious stone beads. (She's also a champion home-canner who has introduced me to the delights of Corn Relish and Dilly Beans, among other yumminess.) Debbie's attention to detail is expressed in every one of her designs, from a spare pair of earrings to a complex multi-strand necklace. Each piece is hand-made, from selecting and drilling each seed to mounting, resulting in one-of-a-kind conversation pieces to complement jeans or an evening ensemble.

Since 2011, we have featured a local author at our Holiday Open House. This year, we are pleased to welcome Anita Pinson, who will be sharing her new children's publication, Voices Across the Lakes: Great Lakes Stories and Songs. Anita - a music teacher as well as an author - combines original stories with genuine songs, creating a narrative that defines the Great Lakes States. Anita will be signing her book - the perfect gift for that favorite child or grandchild - during the open house.

And, of course, we'll have Black Cat Pottery products as well, including our new Winterberry Serving Suite - bowls, trays and other designs perfect for entertaining all year long.

Hope you can join us!

2012: The Year in Review

It seemed to me a good thing to recap the events of the last 366 days - a lot has happened and I have many people to thank. I know I'll miss some of you; if I have, my apologies - I know there are folks out there who have helped me in ways of which I'm completely unaware but I am nonetheless grateful for all you've done to help make 2012 a successful year for Black Cat Pottery.

Our events this year started out slowly (it's never helpful when we have mizzly, drizzly weather for our Clematis Pruning Workshop in April) but we had outstanding turnouts for our Summer Garden Tour - 150 people! - and our Holiday Open House. Friends Theresa Dearhamer, Sharon Bass and Catherine Dumke-Derbyshire lent essential assistance in making these events the success they were, as well as the other participating artists - Chris Hopp, Don Schulte, Tim Hanks, Glenda Hopp, Karen Hooper and Bob McGowan.

I decided pretty early in the year to start focusing more on getting my work into galleries and shops throughout the state of Michigan, with an eye to growing the wholesale/consignment side of my business. I took a lot of road trips - often with my friend Theresa Dearhamer (during a recent break to take in the Barbra Streisand/Seth Rogan flick The Guilt Trip, we concurred that the two of us would not make it through an eight-day cross-country odyssey). We made two trips through the center of the state up to the Leelanau Peninsula and then up into the Upper Peninsula, as far north as Copper Harbor. (I believe that's as far north as you can go and still be on land in Michigan, except for Isle Royale.) I also took several trips on my own, including points west and east of Detroit. As a result of these efforts, I was able to add 14 new accounts.

As I've said, I've had a lot of help doing this. Many friends have been instrumental in recommending galleries to me or recommending me to galleries, including (but not limited to and in no particular order) Andrew Lathrup, Renate Favour, Melanie Boyle, Janine Bauchat, Joyce Diemond-Mcgowan Janicki, Chris Hopp and Chelsea Martin, Blue Dingman, Cleve Hayes, Glenda Hopp, Karen Hooper, Jackie McMahon, Trish Hacker-Henig, Lambro Niforos, Julie and Bob Peterson, Theresa Shepherd and Sharon Bass. And the suggestions keep rolling in. Not all of them are "right" for the direction I'm taking with my work but I have diligently checked out each and every one (in person if possible). Through these suggestions - and the faith these and other folks have had in my work - I was able to exceed my 2012 wholesale/consignment goal.

It hasn't all been good news. Some relationships were not sufficiently productive; sometimes getting the right "fit" is tough, regardless of how hard the artist and business owner work together to make it happen. Other opportunities disappeared due to the ongoing difficult economy. Probably the most disappointing development for me in 2012 is the closing of Firebrick Gallery and Pottery Studio in Rochester, a business with which I had had a fruitful professional and personal relationship for many years.

Owner Christine Laikind, like so many businesses, was hit hard by the economic downturn, coupled with an eight-month, wall-to-wall renovation of Main Street. Christine is a marketing genius - partnering with other businesses in the area for art openings and charitable causes (her Empty Bowls Fundraiser was a yearly highlight). She also provided eclectic and varied creative opportunities, from painting workshops to studio memberships. We were able to put together a series of very successful pottery workshops in the fall of 2012 which brought in record enrollments and we were planning an additional series for 2013.

Although those opportunities will no longer exist for us in Rochester, Christine and I are still working together to keep the energy going at Black Cat Pottery. We are looking forward to doing some printing workshops in conjunction with the two annual Garden Tours (June 1 and August 17, 2013) as well as stand-alone pottery workshops. If you were interested in doing a Beer Stein Party with Christine - don't give up! We're going to try to make that happen, if folks are interested.

So, the lesson for 2013: There is a silver lining to every cloud. I am excited about developing more programming here at Black Cat Pottery, in addition to our annual Pruning Workshop, Garden Tours and Holiday Open House. I will be doing much, much more on my Etsy shop - look for us there at TheBlackCatPottery. If you see something you like - or don't see something you'd like to see there - let us know!

I'll also have an article on non-vining Clematis in Michigan Gardener this year as well as an article on native plants in that same publication in 2014 - and I'm still working on my adult fairytale, The Raccoon's Bride. I will also be speaking on the restoration of a typical urban lot at the upcoming Wildflower Association of Michigan conference at Michigan State University in March (where I'll also be sharing Black Cat Pottery and Notable Greetings notecards and prints), as well as various other speaking engagements (and even the occasional conference) throughout the state. Check the calendar to the left for current information.

If all goes well, I'll be at Royal Oak Clay, Glass and Metal in June and Art and Sole in Grosse Pointe come September. If you miss me at one of those events, I'm always happy to meet with customers at the studio. And I'm hoping to push the boundaries and work on getting my work out of state. So, if you know of a really great gallery or shop where you'd like to see some Black Cat Pottery - in Michigan or points beyond, let me know!

Thank you so much for your support in 2012 and best to you all for 2013!

2013 Calendar of Events at Black Cat Pottery (Tentative)

Clematis pitcherii

Clematis Pruning Workshop


Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10:00am-12:00n

Long perceived as “difficult” or “temperamental”, Clematis are actually proven performers that can give years of gardening delight. Join us for a hands-on workshop to learn about the care and culture of these garden gems and specific pruning techniques and concerns for various species and hybrids. Bring your favorite (by-pass) pruners and a chair. $10 pre-paid/nonrefundable registration includes one hour of instruction, an hour of supervised hands-on experience, refreshments and a comprehensive hand-out . Pre-enrollment required, including your name and contact information in case of inclement weather. Limited enrollment. Two hours of education for Master Gardeners. Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information and to register.

Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs leading

the hypertufa planter workshop at the

2012 Summer Garden Tour

Annual Spring/Summer Garden Tours

Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00am-2:00pm

Saturday, August 17, 2013, 10am-2:00pm

Free and open to the public!

Cheryl's life-long love of Clematis and more recent obsession with native plants are both immediately apparent as you arrive at her garden.  Designed as a teaching and learning space rather than a design show-stopper, her garden includes over 50 Clematis, representing over 10 species as well as large-flowering hybrids, and over 180 species of native plants, ranging from Spring ephemerals to large trees.  Take advantage of this opportunity to become acquainted with some of the lesser-known small-flowering species Clematis varieties and the beauties of our native flora.  Cheryl's garden was featured in the July 2009 issue of Michigan Gardener and she penned the first article on native plants to appear in that publication, in May 2012. She has an upcoming article on Clematis in 2013 and another article on natives slated for 2014. We also feature local garden art, live music and refreshments, possibly chair massage "samples", as well as at least one hands-on workshop - last year's hypertufa planter workshop, led by Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs, was a huge success, so we'll be offering it again; we may also be offering the opportunity to work with local artist Christine Laikind to create a botanical monoprint or cyanoprint using plants from the garden. (There is a charge for the workshops. The rest of the event is free and open to the public.) The 2012 Summer Garden Tour was a great party, with over 100 folks enjoying the gardens, art and programs. Stay tuned for further developments! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information and to register for the workshops.

Hot Pepper Tile Table with
Black Cat Pottery Manager,
Pandora Grace Diane ("Dora")

4th Annual Holiday Open House

December 7, 2013 (Saturday), 10:00am-4:00pm

Free and open to the public!

Join Cheryl English’s Black Cat Pottery and other Michigan-based artists for a day of holiday cheer. Meet the artists, enjoy holiday goodies and take care of your last-minute gift-giving needs with handmade art for the home and garden! In addition to Black Cat Pottery's garden-inspired creations, we’ll be sharing our studio space with five other local artists, including Don Schulte of Notable Greetings with his line of exquisite note cards and prints (many of them featuring images photographed in Cheryl English's garden) and Chris Hopp of Farmbrook Designs with his beautiful hypertufa lanterns, fountains, planters and other garden accoutrements, as well as a local author joining us for a book signing. Locally-sourced refreshments and musical accompaniment round out the day. Join us for some holiday cheer, get to meet and chat with the artists and take care of those last few special folks on your list with unique locally-made creations!  Bring a friend and spread the word! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information.

Workshops

Various projects and dates to be announced
We are also planning a series of creative workshops throughout the year featuring not only pottery projects but also other art forms, led by local talent. Stay tuned for further developments! Contact Cheryl at cenglish@blackcatpottery.com for additional information.

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Charlie Palazzola

Charlie in his studio

That's right - only one day until the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer! This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists. This is the last in a series of posts introducing the artists contributing to the event - a series of posts intended to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.


Charlie Palazzola is a Detroit-based singer, songwriter and fine artist.  He was heavily influenced during the 1960s by local AM Radio and performers such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Motown sound and the diverse and original talents of that era. In the 1970s, his interests expanded to include an interest in singer/songwriters and soul artists on FM Radio including James Taylor, Elton John and Al Green, as well as rock groups such as The Who and Pink Floyd. Sequeing into the 1980s, Charlie continued to develop his guitar "chops" with significant influence from musicians including Jeff Beck and Keith Richards as his individual style continued to evolve. Charlie honed his musical talents in numerous bands during his early career, including Funkster, Tin Soldier and Blue Room, each with its own distinct sound and personality, each a platform for Charlie's eclectic musical influences and talents.

Self Portrait. 2011.

In a break from his musical evolution, in the 1990s Charlie chose to fully embrace his long- time interests and talents in the visual arts, eventually graduating form Wayne State University with a BFA in painting. Numerous canvasses later, he is once again also revisiting his musical side, returning to song writing and live performance. Charlie is currently refining his songwriting skills, producing a number of new compositions including instrumental blues/roots music while experimenting with alternative guitar tunings.


Charlie is another person who joined my family this year. I met him through sheer happenstance. My best friend, Catherine Dumke, was getting a house ready to sell the summer of 2011 and needed someone to do some painting; her real estate agent recommended Charlie, who makes a living wielding a larger paintbrush to subsidize his more creative pursuits. Catherine mentioned him from time to time, what a nice person he was, his obvious talents, how much she enjoyed working with him on the house. I don't have a lot of time during summertime, as I'm gardening and doing pottery, so I hadn't had a chance to meet him, although we all thought it would be a good idea, if we could just find the time.

Untitled

Well, when the power went out at my house for the umpteenth time this summer, I found the time. I needed someplace to store my perishable foods and Catherine offered the use of the refrigerator at the house at which Charlie was painting. So we met. And had this great conversation. And had another one when I picked up the food. And another when I came to help Catherine with some stuff around the house. I mentioned my August garden tour and he asked if he could come and, if so, how much admission was; I said all he needed to do was bring his guitars and play us a song or two.


There are these perfect, rounded moments in life, moments that are so refined and whole the memory of them is indelible.  Such was the moment Charlie launched into his first composition at my garden tour in August 2011. The music rose up through the garden and drifted out over the neighborhood, a perfect union with a late summer day, redolent with warm colors and glowing scents.


Need I say more?

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Jennifer Flynn and Urban Attic

That's right - only one day until the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer! This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists. I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

Jennifer Flynn, owner of Urban Attic, a unique gift shop located in Ardmore Park Place in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, graduated in 1985 from Michigan State University with a BA in Advertising. She worked in communications in Chicago at MTV Networks and Katz Communications and in Texas at the Arbitron Rating Company and Harrington, Richter and Parsons, another communications firm. Despite embarking on a promising career in the communications industry, Jennifer took herself out of the workforce in 1991 in order to focus her energy and time on her family, especially loving and raising her two sons, Patrick, 20, and Andrew, 17. Multi-talented and uber-creative, in 2010, she decided to strike out in a new business venture, a unique gift shop to showcase her work and the talent of other Michigan handcrafters and artists. Thus was born Urban Attic.

Tea Bag Caddies crafted from vintage handkerchiefs

I first heard of Jennifer early in 2011 through my friend, Don Schulte, who had happened on her shop in when he and his wife stopped for a bite at the Ardmore Cafe, in the same building. He suggested I look into the gift shop as a venue for some of my work. I then happened to meet Jennifer's mother-in-law when giving a presentation for the Grosse Pointe Garden Center at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. Recognizing the workings of fate, I contacted Jennifer and set up a  meeting, having determined that her shop - an intimate space chock full of unique Michigan-made goods - would be most suited to my smaller pieces: Mini sunflowers and daisies, fairy houses and lace bowls. After an initial meeting, I felt I had met yet another kindred spirit and, indeed, I count Jennifer as the first of four people to join my family of choice in 2011.

Paper cones fashioned from old wallpaper samplebooks -
what a great alternative to the traditional stocking!

Although we're featuring Jennifer's baked goods at the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - including her famous Mom's Bananas Nut Muffins (ask me for the story behind this recipe title), aside from her family, Urban Attic is now her primary focus. And although she carries products produced by local artists and artisans (including various work by Black Cat Pottery and notecards and prints by Notable Greetings), her own creations are some of the most interesting and inventive objects I've ever seen. Jennifer is a past master of "up-cycling", taking goods other folks would simply discard (hopefully, recycle) and giving them new life. Whether it's taking an old book of wallpaper samples and converting them into beautiful decorative cones that would make a Christmas stocking envious or creating a beautiful paper rose from the page of an old musical score, Jennifer exemplifies the magical evolution of the silk purse from the proverbial sow's ear.

Every time I walk into Jennifer's shop, unless she's catering to the needs of a new or long-loyal customer, she has new ideas to share. Folks ask me when I sleep; I know Jennifer doesn't! She has an unerring eye for the "finishing touch" - the little detail that brings out the heart of a piece, whether it's a bottle of olive oil next to one of my tiny lace bowls or the "gratitude" cards available at her "counter", an up-cycled sideboard. As the year has progressed, Jennifer's love for baking has finally taken a back seat to her dedication to her new-found home, Urban Attic.

"As long as I can remember I've found joy in making little things for people who come into my life. Today, the place I sit down to write or to create what is in my head, just feels like the right place to be." - Jennifer Flynn

Find more information about Jennifer Flynn and Urban Attic at www.urban-attic.com.

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Timothy Hanks and Bird Homes by Tim

Tim at work in his studio

It's only a few days until the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer!  This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists.  I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

Tim Hanks, owner and operator of Bird Homes by Tim, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University, exploring numerous media during his studies. The offspring of two creative parents, Tim was never discouraged from his creative pursuits but it wasn't until about ten years ago that he found his metier. While shopping for a gift, he noticed that most bird houses sold to the general public were of very poor-quality, often made on the cheap overseas. He decided to make something better; more than bird houses, he wanted to make bird homes, using his woodworking expertise and the artistic skills and sensibilities that had been finely honed during his sojourn at Wayne State.

Tim's time at WSU was an important period in his growing awareness as a fine artist. "While attending art school, one particular class, Native American Art, strongly reaffirmed my ideals about the role art could play in people's lives," he says. "Despite not having a word for art, historically the aboriginal tribes of North America infused everyday, utilitarian objects with representations of spiritual figures and potent symbolism, taking what could be a simple, mundane object and transforming it into a spiritually charged piece. My approach to artistic expression is, at its core, one that echoes this concept."

Duotone

The resulting products, Bird Homes by Tim, combine strength and elegance with features designed to protect and shelter songbirds over many years, relying on the specifications developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Each home features the ingenious use of repurposed antique hardware to help protect the entrance against interlopers. They are also made with proper drainage, ventilation, and access for seasonal maintenance, maximizing comfort and functionality.

"With each home I create, I seek to produce an aesthetic design that does not interfere with its function," said Tim. "Form has to follow function above all else." Each Bird Home by Tim is a one-of-a-kind creation, built of durable, 3/4-inch-thick, top-grade California redwood, with integrated hardware decorations, sometimes with complementary pyrography. These charming designs are built with an attention to detail that shows a true craftsman's touch, reflecting a spirit of Old World attention to detail.

I met Tim several years ago at the Indian Village Home and Garden Tour, where we were both vendors.  During a brief respite at my own tent, I took a quick tour around to see the other artists at the event.  I was immediately to Tim's booth - partly due to the extremely high quality of his work but also because of the pieces themselves; although I am not a "birder", I am always interested in the birds in my environment and find their behavior fascinating. Over time, I was able to become friends with Tim and his wife Barb.  I remember the first time I went out with the two of them for a meal and a movie and that I felt like the referee in a tennis match, so quickly was the conversation progressing between the two of them, with no input on my part - quite a feat, for those whom are aware of my tendencies to verbosity!

Since then, Tim has become one of the folks in my network of artists whom I try to promote and with whom I share opportunities, and he has certainly returned the favor. But more than that, Tim (and Barb) has been there for me at some very critical times, especially in the last year or so.  He called up at the last minute the night before the first Holiday Open House - right after my friend Chris had called to say he would not be able to make it down as early as he hoped due to a business obligation - and came over to help me clean up the basement. Briefly put, Tim voluntarily took on cleaning tasks I would not ask of anyone, ever.  And he and Barb also, at the last minute, helped me break down from an event during a period when I was in a lot of pain due to a chronic health condition. But most importantly, Tim was there for me earlier this year when I had to let my cat Alexander Ulysses go - a debt I can never truly repay. Tim has truly been a friend in deed.

I find Tim's work both beautiful and functional, a combination sorely lacking in most of our current cultural artifacts. I never tire of hearing about his newest artistic challenge - a challenge, more often than not, he has imposed upon himself. Some of my favorite conversations with Tim are discussions of recent finds of vintage hardware, the progress of recent designs and new ideas on synthesizing his training and his evolving aesthetic. It's always exhilarating to hear the excitement in his voice as he describes the evolution of a design, the resolution of a conceptual barrier or the discovery of a gem amongst a box of dross.

"As a young man, my sense of the wonder of nature was developed by exploring the wooded, undeveloped areas near my family's home in Warren, Michigan, as well as during vacations at my grandparents' lakeside cottage in rural mid-Michigan. It fed my fascination for our avian wildlife species and their habitats, a fascination that continues as I have been able to successfully channel it into my craft." - Timothy Hanks

See More of Tim's work at birdhomesbytim.com.

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Chris Hopp and Farmbrook Designs

It's only a week until the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer!  This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists.  I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

Chris Hopp is a Southeast Michigan native, raised and educated in Royal Oak. After high school, Chris experimented in several careers in service and technical fields, finding them immobile and unrewarding. In 1999, a backyard hobby of making small planters and leaf imprints from hypertufa transitioned into a part-time business venture. Farmbrook Designs was established as a partnership including Chris and his Mom, Glenda Hopp.  (The company's name is derived from the address for a piece of property Glenda sold in order to finance the business's start up.)

Often used in the manufacture of decorative indoor and outdoor accents, Hypertufa is a light-weight concrete substitute consisting of Portland cement, perlite, vermiculate and peat moss, making for a more natural-looking finish to the pieces in which it is used.  About forty percent lighter than traditional concrete, hypertufa is every bit as strong and can sustain the freeze-thaw cycle of the typical Upper Midwest winter - even buried under several feet of snow!  "Hypertufa has been a great medium to work in," says Chris. "I can turn my inspirations into practical hypertufa home and garden designs anyone can enjoy and appreciate."

Chris's inspirations are many and varied, including Japanese lanterns, indigenous cairns and other stone structures. These have evolved into his current designs, including a five-piece snow lantern, inukshuks and even large monoliths, inspired by naturally-occuring fractured basalt obelisks. "I'm always tweaking my designs," explains Chris. "It's interesting to look back at my original lanterns and see how they have evolved over the years." The pieces conceived and crafted by Chris and his Mom early in the business have evolved into even more sophisticated designs as Glenda has retired to work on her own business, So Many Colors, and Chris's long-time girlfriend, Chelsea, has stepped in on a limited basis to contribute her own unique voice.

Farmbrook Designs's pieces range from the whimsical to the truly magnificent, including hypertufa mushrooms, planters, lanterns, fountains and garden furniture. Chris is constantly developing new designs inspired by traditional garden accents, such as European Saddle Stones and Millstones.

I met Chris in East Lansing, at the 2007 Master Gardener College on March 17.   I had run into him previously, at previous conferences, but had never really "met" him.  He was back for the (???) time, sharing his work with a very enthusiastic and supportive Master Gardener audience, along with his girlfriend, Chelsea Martin. At the end of the conference, he and Chelsea came down to my table and purchased a number of my toad houses to use in some of his planters in preparation for an event later that Spring in Chicago.

I continued to run into Chris and/or Chelsea over the next year or so at various gardening conferences and tours, gradually getting to know one another better.  I had long admired Chris's work but hadn't really seen a design that grabbed my attention. In October 2009, Chris and I were at a conference in Saginaw, where he lured me out to his van (a whole story there) to show me a absolutely gorgeous large trough he had planted with dwarf conifers.  I was stunned.

A new candleholder concept from Farmbrook Designs
featuring a vintage insulator

Even though Chris has not had formal art training and is largely self-taught, he is one of the smartest, most creative folks I know. He not only has this inimitable ability to conceptualize a form and the means to make a mold for it (engineering and industrial design talents), he has this natural knack for combining his hypertufa pieces with appropriate plants and carefully selected stones and mock mulches in genuinely beautiful compositions. I knew - seeing this beautiful trough planted with dwarf conifers  - I was getting closer to the type of piece I wanted for my garden. Heading out on a limb, I asked Chris that day if there was a design he had wanted to develop but had not yet had the opportunity to do so. He shared his vision for a very large trough on legs. Hearing his description, I placed my order, to be delivered before my first of two annual garden tours in May 2010.

Chris delivered the trough on a Tuesday evening.  I clearly remember the conversation we had about placing the trough - I wanted it to be a "wall" for an outdoor room, delineating the drive from the back yard proper.  As Chris was placing the two supports, I expressed my concern about whether the lawnmower would knock the trough over one of the three or four times a year I actually cut my lawn.  Chris gave me a look (with which I am very familiar now!) and patiently explained that the trough, empty, unplanted, weighed 200 lbs and that each of the two legs weighed between 80 and 100 pounds.

I shut up. Really. I did.

Two evenings later (he's a bit of a night owl, is Chris!), he came back to plant the trough for me.  I remember coming home from teaching a class at the Anton Art Center in Mt. Clemens, MI, and rushing to the back to turn on my outside lights to see his finished handy work. It was amazing.  So amazing that, this Spring, during my annual Clematis Pruning Workshop in April, when things (including the Sedums and Sempervirens Chris has planted in the trough) were barely waking up, the workshop attendees were universally amazed at how wonderful it looked, even still shrouded in their winter's sleep.

This year, Chris installed two more large troughs on legs (at different heights from the one I bought last year) and I finally found a place to put a fountain. Next year it's going to be a lantern. Once I figure out where to put it!

It is always a pleasure to run into Chris - he always gives me a really big hug and there are always new ideas the two of us are working on - sharing them helps us along in the design process.  Chris is the very best younger brother a creative, driven girl could ask for.

"The opportunity to envision and develop a concept and, finally, transforming that concept into a beautiful and unique finished and functional object is one of the most rewarding of human experiences." - Chris Hopp

See more of Chris's work at www.farmbrookdesigns.com.

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Glenda Hopp and So Many Colors

We're quickly coming up on the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer.  This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists.  I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

A sample of one of Glenda's
hand-dyed fabrics

If you were to meet Glenda Hopp today, you probably wouldn't begin to believe the road she's traveled in her journey to So Many Colors. But then again, her experience isn't that much different from that of so many creative folks out in the wider universe. Glenda earned a BA in Social Science from Michigan State University, followed by a Masters of Arts in Vocational Rehabilitation from Wayne State University. Ten years of employment in social service followed, succeeded by  clerical work in a fast food regional office where she learned the first version of Lotus 1-2-3, tapping into a heretofore unknown passion.

Glenda at the Rust Belt Market
with some of her wares

Glenda fell in love with software, initially expressed through teaching DOS and the first versions of Windows, later while developing a talent for writing software instruction manuals and teaching business software - skills that seem sadly lacking in the current era.  She carved out a niche teaching and consulting on software designed for ISO 9000 requirements, all the while raising her son Chris as a single mother. In 2000, her employer eliminated her business unit, leading her to the realization that she could no longer work for anyone else. Ever. Again.

She and Chris started Farmbrook Designs, a creative enterprise dedicated to designing and fabricating unique, durable garden and home accents using hypertufa, a light-weight cement substitute, tapping into an entirely new side of her personality: "I never thought I had a creative bone in my body until I designed our molds for our lanterns," she says.  Glenda "retired" from Farmbrook in 2009, seeking other creative opportunities. She had always loved working with color but never thought she had an talent for it until she started dyeing fabric later that year, focusing on 100 percent cotton knits, an under-represented niche in the yard-goods market. "Seeing hand-dyed woven fabric for quilts inspired me to try something different with the low-water immersion process, getting the same sort of mottled colors, to create unique knit fabrics for clothing," says Glenda.

So Many Colors. So Many Looks. So Little Time.

In yet another example of "The Best Laid Plans", Glenda had originally intended to sell dyed yardage at sewing expos but an injured back and then ankle led to three missed shows. The resulting hiatus gave her the opportunity to reassess her creative trajectory.  She is now a permanent vendor at The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale and on Etsy selling scarves and other accessories fashioned from her unique fabrics. Cutting out the middleman, she's starting a clothing line of her own, probably to be called "Plan B" - because things don't always go as planned - coming out in 2012. "I have to do something with the hundreds of yards of hand dyed fabric!" she says - and has had interest in the clothes she's made so far.

Infinity Scarf - Green 

I first ran into Glenda the summer of 2007, at the Yule Love it Lavender Festival in Leonard, Michigan. I had met her son earlier that year but did not know him particularly well yet. It was nice to meet another member of the family and I really appreciated Glenda's dry, matter-of fact perspective on things.  I remember being particularly impressed at how she was able to just throw around those hypertufa things - I mean, they are "light weight" but they're still cement, for goodness sake!  As I got to know the family better, I realized that Glenda and her Mom lived not far from me - and I mean not far - less than a mile, I'd guess. There were times when we'd pass one another on I-94, running the stretch from Cadieux, near both our homes, to Roseville, where the Farmbrook shop was located for many years.  And although she's not directly involved with the company anymore, she does sometimes help Chris out at the occasional event, so I do get to see her on the circuit occasionally.  Glenda has always been one of the most independent people I've known - it's not easy to get her to let you help her - but she's also one of the most generous, level-headed folks in my personal universe.

Glenda Hopp
Founding Member, AARF
(American Association of Retired Fairies)

Earlier this year, we both got caught in a torrential downpour as we were breaking down at a local garden tour.  Even though she was completely finished and could have left, Glenda very generously helped me through the experience.  It was raining so hard and everything was so wet that I was contemplating just leaving the bloody tent there in that field by the Van Hoosen Farm in Rochester, but Glenda patiently helped me pack up and get me on my way.  By the time I got somewhere dry, I peeled off my jacket to see the tell-tale stains of either being caught in the rain or having a serious panic attack - probably both!  I don't know if Glenda really saved my life; it sure seemed that way at the time!

Although Glenda and her mother, Mildred (yet another inveterate cat lover!) live so near, I don't see them nearly as often as I'd like.  It's like that with family, I've found. So sometimes I drop by for a brief visit (to drop something off or pick something up, usually) after a quick call or invite them over to visit my feline family, see the latest creation I've purchased from Chris or just to enjoy the garden (Glenda, too has training as a Master Gardener). Somehow, we always have a lot to talk about when we do manage to get together.  Oftentimes, when we don't have the chance to meet "face to face", I find myself calling in to shoot the breeze as I pass the turn that would take me to their house - on my way to some other destination.  And I always have a great conversation with Glenda, about the creative process, what's happening in the garden today, dealing with cats, the crazy city situation.  And, finally, it's just about finding our own individual joy.

"One of the hardest things I've had to learn, and one of the best things, is not to struggle when your plan goes wrong. The reason behind every change in my life has been because something got in the way of my original plan. I've learned that if I don't struggle against it, new ideas and new opportunities just seem to... appear."  - Glenda Hopp

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Cathy Dossin

We're quickly coming up on the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer.  This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists.  I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

Sunflower Stool

The year Cathy Dossin received an art kit for Christmas – a box of paints, brushes and canvases – was the year she discovered her voice. The experience and adventure of creating something from apparently nothing was a heady and uniquely rewarding one. Everything about the paint – how it felt, its smell, the glossiness and malleability – engaged her. One of her first efforts – an attempt at a serious, life-like image of a young farmer boy in a straw hat and jeans – became a touchstone for her continuing evolution as a self-taught artist.

Cathy continued to experiment on her own in conventional formats and traditions for ten to twelve years, at one point turning out a painting a week, some of which are still treasured by their recipients. Constraints of process and circumstance became more frustrating than freeing, as she put down her paints to raise her son as a single Mom.

The turning point came in 2001 when she purchased a piece of painted furniture at a local art event: “I remember buying the coffee table I still have. Someone had painted it and I thought, ‘I love this idea!' I didn’t know you could do something like that, painting furniture, painting anything you wanted. I went home and thought about the piece all night and ended up going back the next day and buying it. It was so far out of my comfort zone – in so many ways – but it was so unique to me that I was willing to sacrifice anything in order to have that piece of furniture in my life.“ With that inspiration, Cathy stepped outside the box and into her own creatively whimsical universe.

Detail

Cathy is also a plantswoman. She started gardening in 1994, digging up all the grass in her front and back yards in order to plant 80 rose bushes. Which might be considered as demanding as raising a like number of children. But the catalogs kept coming. And the colors and flower forms and sizes and habits and names – they were all so different! Between having to work a full-time job and raising her son, however, there just was not enough time for 80 more kids.

Now, Cathy has her “Bed of Roses” – a garden bed delineated by an actual iron bedstead – and about ten additional roses scattered throughout her property. Other plants have taken their place, including Clematis, Hydrangeas and Lavender. (Some of Cathy’s roses and clematis are featured in a set of note cards and prints from Don Schulte’s company, Notable Greetings.) Combined with repurposed found objects and her own art work, Cathy has created a “New Wave” cottage garden.

I met Cathy in June of 2008. In addition to working for my own clients, I was doing some work for A Southern Gardener, which also employed Cathy. We ended up working on an installation on the hottest Friday of the year (so far) – and Mil Hurley, the business owner, generously took us all out for ice cream at a local coffee house, now defunct, when we finished. I ended up being scheduled to work with Cathy again the next Friday. I remember that, when I got out of my car at the job site, the first thing I said to her was, “It’s Friday. Do you want to go for ice cream?” And from there a friendship was born.

Words To Live By

We went for ice cream just about every Friday that Summer. Whoever wanted to go went, giving us all a chance to get to know one another a bit better. It got to the point that the soda jerk knew all our orders – Cathy’s Strawberry Chai freeze, Alaine’s Boston Cooler and my chocolate malt. I remember our confusion when another employee, upon returning from leave, observed that it wasn’t special if we went every Friday. And today, if we need to meet, more often than not it’s going to happen at Sander’s in The Village over a Hot Fudge Cream Puff. Even on the coldest day of the year, to date.

Cathy is one of the kindest, gentlest, most generous and imaginative folks I know. Her garden, even as it has evolved, continues to be a key inspiration to her work. Botanical imagery – especially plants and insects – figure prominently in her custom-designed, hand painted furniture, bricks and slates. Old or new materials – both are fair game for Cathy’s aesthetic. Each piece is a new relationship, as a battered dresser or an unfinished stool takes on fresh life.

"I love getting my hands in the dirt and I love getting my hands in the paint. I started gardening and it brought the art back. It seemed I needed some art out there. When I ran out of space in my house and garden, I started giving it away because I just had to keep painting. And now it’s become part of the work I love to do."  - Cathy Dossin

Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House - Meet the Artists: Don Schulte and Notable Greetings

We're quickly coming up on the Second Annual Black Cat Pottery Holiday Open House on December 10 (10a-4p), during which we open up the studio to fellow local artists and all of our fans for a day of holiday cheer.  This year, we'll be featuring artisan baked goods and live music, in addition to five unique garden- and home-inspired artists.  I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you so you could get to know each of these amazingly creative and generous folks a little bit better.

As a boy in the late-1960s, Donald Schulte was fascinated with the complex machinery of his grandfather's cameras and the mystery of the photographic process. It was a time when magazines such as Life and Vogue became his first look at the revolutionary influence of photographic masters including Gordon Parks, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon.

Apples with Pitcher

At an early age, his paper route was a vehicle to earn money for the first camera he could call his very own. Soon, he was building his own darkroom and winding the tangled skeins of experience into useful technique.  Later, while attending Grosse Pointe North High School, he was encouraged with awards and opportunities to help teach photography and assist local portrait and commercial photographers. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the prestigious Center for Creative Studies, several years of professional photography in Detroit and New York City further polished his work.  He continues to work in the commercial sphere, focusing on portraits, product photography, interior work and food photography.  His still life of Apples with Pitcher exemplifies his photographer's sensibilities coupled with his consciousness of the ongoing artistic tradition; I have seen few "modern" images so utterly reflect the traditions of the early Netherlandish still-life.

Don's awareness of the art historical context, however, is as modern as it is grounded in the past.  "I have always admired the work of abstract expressionist painters such as Clyfford Still and Mark Rothko," he says.  "Their work documents the energy of the artist and communicates emotion with color and form. I also admire the magnificently vibrant color, the subtle transitions and the rich variations seen in the work of artists who work with pastels. Their works inspire me to push the boundaries of the photographic medium and strive to work with color and value to evoke a mood or feeling."

Food Photography for Ardmore Cafe,
at Ardmore Park Place in St. Clair Shores, MI

I met Don at the Grosse Pointe Garden Walk in June of 2007.  Our tables were adjacent to one another, I with my pottery and he with his notecards and prints.  I thought his work was beyond competent, let alone beautiful, and he had a really effective way of handling his customers - deferential yet knowledgeable.  When we finally had a break, I looked through all of his notecard sets and commented that he needed more Clematis images.  He responded that he didn't really have a garden of his own, was having to rely on the gardens of his sister and parents and the occasional trip to the Arboretum or other public garden to pursue his botanical interests.  As we parted ways at the end of the event, I mentioned that I knew a lady who had a whole bunch of Clematis in her garden, that she was a bit weird but utterly harmless (unless very provoked) and he should contact her.  And gave him my card.  He made it to my garden less than two weeks later, on June 30 (I was out of town, that's why I remember!) and shot the first of a series of Clematis notecard images.

Since then, we've just been galloping along.  We're up to six sets of Clematis notecards (there are six different images in each set, no repeats), nineteen sets and counting of Michigan Wildflower notecards (all of these also from my garden), as well as herbs, Sunflowers, Hydrangeas, Autumn color and more, many photographed in friends' and clients' gardens with their generous permission.  Don has also been a tremendous help to me with my business, doing portfolio photography of incomparable quality, and listening to my rants at our sorta-Quarterly Panera Summits.

Four of Don's Flower Images

Having the opportunity to watch Don work in my yard has been an adventure - mostly one of observation but sometimes one of holding a card to handle the light or restraining a rambunctious plant. Through it all, I am constantly reminded of his technical sophistication, coupled with an intense awareness of his surroundings, on many levels.  The shift toward digital has certainly enhanced the immediacy of his process, an immediacy reflecting the inherent ephemerality of his subjects.  "Today, digital technology brings the immediacy and freedom of plein aire painting to photography," explains Don, "while adding a whole new level of sophistication that expands the possibilities of the medium. I find it satisfying to communicate my vision though this medium of photography. It is most rewarding when people have related personal stories and treasured memories when inspired by the patterns, colors and subjects of my work."

It's been exciting to watch Don's work evolve over the last four-plus years; as accomplished as his work was when we first met - and it certainly was, he continues to challenge himself (and his equipment!) and comes up with some truly, truly, exceptional images, images that ratchet up the bar exponentially.  It is with great humility that I consider myself fortunate enough to be a part of that process.

"I seek to reveal the richness of color and diversity of form in the natural landscape. With careful exploration, I find that the results can transcend the moment and become a spirited collaboration of light, color, form and texture. The photograph is not just a cold record of something - it is evocative of a thought captured, a memory recalled, a feeling shared."  - Don Schulte