WNCPF

On a dreary drizzly day at the Western NC pottery festival in Dillsboro, NC, the enthusiasm for great pots was not dampened. My son and I arrived just around 4 pm on Friday and although the street was empty, the air was festive. Our first stop was Tree House Pottery where we reacquainted ourselves with our old friend Joe Mckee. Joe's work is an enthusiastic embrace of alternative firing techniques. His rotund vases and covered jars are decorated with horse hair raku, bright red raku, or ferric chloride fuming. He also produces a nice line of high fire (gas) reduction ware. I purchased a nice mug that will hold a full 16 ounce beer.

 As we rounded the corner coming out of the Tree House Pottery, the acoustic sounds of a trio of guitarists drew us to a lone white peaked rain-shelter. Among the players was a friend I have known for some time over FB; John Bauman. This is where FB is cool. I found out that John and I share a mutual friend he grew up with and had lost contact with. John is a bit of a creative writer, poet as well as a jam-up potter. I have appreciated all of these skills over the years on Facebook.

Friday evening we stayed with our friends the Sherrills in Batcave NC. I always love getting caught up with what Michael is up to.  His recent work involves the combination of his extrusion and colored porcelains. Check out his latest stuff here: http://www.michaelsherrill.net/lh-project-work/

Saturday morning after a great breakfast and good conversation, we set out for Dillsboro and arrived around 11am. There we found a street filled with white-tented booths with pottery of all colors and sizes. Potters from all over the states were represented by..... themselves and their friends or significant others. We made a beeline for John Baumans (http://www.baumanstoneware.com/) booth and loved what we saw. Just this week John had a killer shino firing with great carbon trap markings. Here's the one I purchased:

Another pleasant discovery was the booth of Royce Yoder (http://royceyoder.com/). Royce hales from eastern PA and has been potting since the 70's just like John Bauman. His product line has matured over the years to include vases, pitchers, covered jars, and bowls that combine the beauty of ash glazes with a fantastic Tenmoku. I picked one of his vases.

Nancy Green is a younger artist that presented her work at the show. Working in the Athens GA area, her work echos the influences of other Athens potters Michael Simon and I'm betting Carter Gillies.
In addition to training locally in Athens, she took advantage of an oversees program to study in Japan for three summers. Her work represents an aesthetic that is at once quiet and vibrant. She uses mostly shino glazes in combination with soda fuming to create some beautiful subtle effects. I purchased a bowl that captures the essence of her style.

All in all an enjoyable day on Saturday. Chow.