Roadtrips and pottery

Let's just say my roadtrip this weekend didn't live up to expectations. Not even close. Too much driving, too many u-turns, too much really bad coffee, not enough road signs, too many mistakes in the Mapquest directions, too little reception for the cell when the tire no longer has enough tread, too few tow trucks when the two truck carrying our car also blew their tire, and way too many bug bites from sitting next to a cotton field waiting for someone to find us in the middle of nowhere. Now I have whined about it for too long...

So we got home last night very late. Piled a U-haul truck full of stuff for my stepson and his family. Doesn't seem to have made much of a dent? Scarey, a truck full of stuff and there is still too much here! Our next shipment is on Thursday...maybe then it will seem a bit more managable!

Needless to say I haven't gotten any stiching time in so instead of talking quilts I decided to show some photos of my other love...pottery. (I saw Laura's collection on her blog Pine Ridge Quilter and really enjoyed them!) I love the feel of hand-thrown pottery. I particulary like it if I get to meet the potter or know something of them. A majority of my collection is either from Ireland, the southern U.S. or New Mexico. A few I've made myself...the two face jugs at the top of this posting are mine! Edgefield S.C. is famous for it's facejugs made in the late 1700's so I felt I should make one...paticularly since that was the only way I'd ever be able to afford one!

The center piece is a Majollica dish my Mother gave me. She bought it in England when she was stationed ther during World War II. How ironic that it will make the trip back there again! The blue and tourquise vace to it's right is typical of what I buy when I'm out west. On the shelf below are several Irish pieces fromNicolas Mosse Pottery. I visited his pottery back in the early 1980's and have continued to add pieces ever since. My earlier pieces from him are a lovely grey with a blue dove on the side. (those are aleady packed.)

The purple-blue round pot is from Polly Whitcomb who has a gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. The glaze on this one is so unusual I love to just stare at it! The round dish next to it comes from Carlsbad N.M. Whenever I visit my sister who lives there I go to the Artist Exchange downtown. A group of artist share exhibit and sales space. I've never walked out of there empty handed or had buyers regret! I particularly like Bill Crabb's work. He uses lots of blue and tourquise glazes which I am obviously patial to!


The raku vase in the photo on the lower left came from Dave Warfield in Maryland. The smaller jar with a top was made by Jack Mason from around Atlanta, Georgai. He also painted and did sculpture pieces. This piece has traveled with me a long way...over twenty years! And unlike the couch, clothes or even plates that I bought back then, I still love this jar. Most of my pieces are already packed or are in places I've made unaccessable due to huge piles of "stuff." I'm acually looking forward to just getting there so I can refind things again!