I can change!

Yesterday I read a nice little article about a potter friend Blue Iris who took a giant risk to be a full time potter. In the article she is quoted as saying “ If it can’t be made beautiful , it shouldn’t be made at all!” I couldn’t agree more.

I read this on a day when I have been making what for most would be a hard sell. I am a huge fan of well crafted work. Iris Dorton is one of those makers. Go to her seconds sale this weekend at her studio in Guelph. I think you will be hard pressed to find a second. Nice article and well deserved Blue Iris.

While in Atlanta my buddy Doc Agel and I went on a field trip to Seagrove, NC pot shopping- what else? Doc bought a lovely sushi tray from Takuro Shibata. On return to Atlanta Doc being the classy guy he is took me to his favourite sushi joint and presented the tray to the chef as a gift. Very classy, Doc!  Well the meal was extraordinary and so were the pots. The pots were of the earth rough and textured.

I’m going to take up sushi if I can get my grill working again.

I have had two successful production potteries in my career. I knew how to do it then but times they are a changing . I am very excited to see potters successfully making a living in a very difficult market

I once said “ I make pots not pieces!” Shit, I have to back pedal again in my life. I now think of them as pieces. It’s Ok! Said with right

hand over my heart- I can change, if I have to, I suppose. Amen!

Now I’m considered The Old Guard and expectations of me are different both from within and in the clay world.

It’s when you’ve found out how to do certain things, it’s time to stop doing them because what’s missing is you are not including the risk- Robert Rauschenberg.