 On Exhibit at Sheboygan Visual Arts As a member of a dynamic, local artists' group - Sheboygan Visual Arts, I have a few pieces on display during the current exhibition - Mystical and Magical. Marla Payne is the featured artist -- her work is a must see. The gallery is located at 1201 Erie Avenue and is open from 11 to 3 pm each Saturday. General 1 — Sheboygan Visual Artists. On July 20 and July 21, I will have three collections on exhibit and for sale at JMKAC's Midsummer Festival of the Arts. My work will be located in the Staff Booth along with the work of other staff artists. There will be over 100 artists' booths plus lots of exhibits and workshops inside and in the JMKAC art tent. Midsummer Festival of the Arts – John Michael Kohler Arts Center (jmkac.org)
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 For some unknown reason, I've had swizzle sticks on my mind since I first fired up my kiln in Sheboygan. I don't even own a swizzle stick. I doubt I know anyone who uses a swizzle stick. But the thought was pesky enough that earlier this week, I make a batch and put them in the kiln.
That night - or in the wee hours of the morning - I woke with the thought that this was sheer folly. No one wants swizzle sticks. That day I was working with a well-known artist and shared this with him, and he got excited. "I love swizzle sticks! I collect them! Swizzle sticks are cool!" Cough, sputter - okay then - someone loves swizzle sticks. And yes, I will gift him some. It takes little to encourage me, so I am on a swizzle stick making kick. Another dozen is waiting for me to fire up the kiln. Did you know that the swizzle stick originated in the Caribbean in the 18th century? They were created at a rum plantation in the West Indies using a branch from a Quaraiben turbinata - also known as the swizzle stick tree. The swizzle stick took a refined turn in the 20th century when it became of favorite of Queen Victoria and her lady friends to stir their champagne cocktails. In 1933, inventor Jay Sindler needed a way to remove the olive from his martini without using his fingers and as they say - the rest is history as manufactures began making plastic sticks and cocktail lounges customized them to promote their business.  Part sheets are a crucial part of many of my glass creations. So, what is a part sheet? It is a piece of glass that has been changed by a chemical reaction (many glasses contain chemicals, and these will react with other chemicals to create different colors) or powders, enamels, decals, or frit. Making a part sheet often takes several firings. Some of my part sheets were made with up to 4 firings which means they took 4 days to create. Many of the part sheets I use only take two or three firings. Once I have the necessary part sheets, then comes the real fun - creating something with them - often in a mosaic fashion. (Not to say creating part sheets isn't fun, it's just not the end game.) The image below shows a dish created from part sheets in similar hues. 
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