The Usual Suspects

The cold wind from West Virginia U blew in one of the cast of characters at the Cactus Lounge. Andrew was here to catch up on happenings around the lounge and of course give his love to Jack. We had a family dinner which included the usual suspects- Pastor Clennell, Scratch, Jack, Uncle Jimmie in the form of a jar, Andrew and me. I fully expected Uncle Don to roll in with a new Springwater Packers ball cap for Andrew. Andrew is the only potter I know that would like to make pots part time and be a butcher the other half.

Andrew loved the Uncle Jimmie pot with the sprig of the Chief on it. Wait till I get my hands on one of his early “Chinaman” sprigs. Put it in context- it was the fifties and there is a story to go along with it.

Here is Andrew’s Christmas present to me. This architechtonic (relating to architecture)  stacking jar. I learned that 10 dollar word from Bruce Cochrane in a description of his work.

In another life this jar might have been used to contain the products contibuting to an illegal smile. The Pastor didn’t always soar with the Angels and was known to have his halo slip once or maybe twice. But like Bill Clinton he never inhaled.

I really do love this jar. Andrew’s profs told him he had finally shaken his early references – Bruce C, Ronnie the Rat and moi. There is an evidence of a love of the material in this pot that I hope he never shakes.

His faceted knob that I loved on his thrown work now serves as a chimney. The edges are playful and not fussed over and mauled to death with a Shurform tool or a sponge. Other images he showed me had birds on the roof and elsewhere. Always being the teacher I told him to look at the work of Ian Godfrey in England.  His grad show is in March so I’ll pack the gang in the car and we’ll head on down to Morganstown, WV. I’ll have Scratch buy a belt and hoist up his trousers, Jack needs a new sweater, The Pastor has got to be straight and I need to hide my pride. Hope this dysfunctional family isn’t an embarrassment.