Part of the joy of having these pieces is, of course using them. When we entertain I use them as serving pieces, but as I take them out I am reminded of stories, places, and history.
All are signed by their creators and the signatures often tell stories as well.
I have several pieces from Birch Mountain Pottery in Tolland, CT. They are a nearby pottery and I often give the work of Susan Gerr as a wedding gift. I have commissioned her to make my pasta bowls. The first piece I got was gifted to me as a thank you gift for work on a community project. I don't remember if it was Super Duper Day or Freak Night but both were great kid events.
By Alice: Gift from my daughter and son-in-law
Somerville, MA has an extensive art and craft community and small galleries and open studio events occur regularly. It is at these events you can get handcrafted work from artists the are just beginning, not yet production studios. The above bowl plus the two below came from such events.
Sand:
Lisa ?
Newell of Wallingford
This bowl came from a Wesleyan Potters show. They are a pottery teaching center in Middletown, CT and there is a showroom which often sells the work of students and members. Love that it is dated as well as signed. I also like the combination of a carved signature emphasized with an applied oxide.
Kaleidoscope Pottery
Kaleidoscope Pottery is a regular at many northeast craft fairs. I purchased a set of salad plates at the Guilford Craft Fair years ago. All are imprinted with leaves and each is unique. The Guildford Craft Expo is July 19-22nd, 2012. That's next week for those of you that are local and looking for a top notch craft event.
Judy Jenson, Rochester, VT
We purchased a couple of mugs from artist Judy Jenson during our recent trip up Route 100 in Vermont. I have started doing that, buying handcrafted mugs in pairs to create an eclectic set.
Deirdre Wilson is a craftsperson from Canada and she shows regularly at the Paradise City Craft Fairs. I have added several of her bowls to my collection.
Hidden on another back New England road is Sturbridge Pottery. They have a gallery showroom full of beautiful work.
Our collection of pottery represents years of gathering. In fact I have gotten to rebuild it. Most is displayed in the glass shelved cabinet in our dining area (see fan Flair). Several Christmas' ago I was preparing for a large Christmas Eve feast with the extended family. Shortly before eighteen guests were to arrive, the brackets holding one of the upper glass shelves let go and my beautiful collection pancaked together as everything tumbled first down and then crashing out onto the floor. The noise and mess were both enormous. Luckily, because I was preparing for a large dinner, many of the dishes were already out of the cabinet but I did lose many pieces. Through the gifts of family and trips to craft fairs I am back at full capacity!
If you don't have a similar collection, start collecting!
Previous posts of Interest:
©2012 Ashbee Design, Marji Roy
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