Potter's Wages

This cool dog is home from The Hamptons land of the hot dogs. One of my student’s potter Steve Jones took me for a tour of the area on Saturday and pointed out the houses of Madonna, Billy Joel, Jerry Seinfeld, Bacardi family, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and many big shots I don’t know. If they haven’t starred in or sung in a pottery video I don’t know them. The wealth and the disparity between the very rich and the poor is really appalling actually. There is actually a house on the waterfront that is 106,000 square feet with a 27 car underground garage. That is my house times 106  stuck together. Well actually that is a subdivision all for one family to summer in.

 Steve took me to an amazing garden called Longhouse which is the creative genius of Jack Lenor Larsen the internationally known textile designer, author and collector. Jack is one of the world’s foremost advocates of traditional and contemporary crafts. I didn’t get to see his ceramic collection which is said to be outstanding. Here are a couple of recognizable pieces in the garden Chilhuly and Kaneko. There were multiples of these.

This garden was mind blowing but what it did for me was to reaffirm my admiration for my friends Robin Grass Hopper and Judi Dyelle who have put together a wonderful destination garden built on potter’s wages. Being at the top of your game in pottery means you are blessed to actually make a living from your craft. Being at the top of your game in music, film or big industry means millions of dollars and in many cases multi millions.

So here’s to you potters that work for potter’s wages and have built wonderful homes, gardens and lives with your own hands.  It is a lifestyle choice and from this cool dogs place in my little dog house

 I wouldn’t trade it for love nor money. Hey let me think longer on that!