Still Raining. I suppose that means there is little to do. Oh so wrong Obi-Wan…
(Continued)
Yup. And it is still raining on and off. I am hoping this works and this continuation posts as a new blog entry because I am not wanting to cut and paste what was already entered.
Yesterday was a continuance of the Great Cape Cod Pottery Studio Tour. On Monday we visited some of the local potters’ studios. It was quite edifying. We met The Nasty Potter at his studio but did not let him deter us from our quest. Customer service was not his strong point and the idea of tact completely escaped him.
We then visited Kemp Pottery Studio in downtown (if you could call it that) Orleans. This was enlightening and it was great to see a potter who enjoyed talking to people even if they were not customers. Talent and creativity surrounded those who stopped in to see what he had done and what he was capable of.
Then, after rocketing past two potters who had their studio poorly marked and on the wrong side of the road we managed a turnaround and got back to meet Drunk Potter. He was quite a strange duck and wanted to share all of his experiences in pottery, building construction and his recent divorce. It is always so much fun having a conversation with one so anxious for company but so unable to cope with standing upright.
The next studio was the home of a very nice man who also had his studio at his house. He worked and interacted and took time out to share his point of view. We soon left and visited Heart Pottery, home of a talented escapee production potter who talked of working piecework for $.25/cup and managed to achieve an incredible 60 cups an hour on someone else’s wheel before she gave it up and went into business for herself. She was the only potter on the cape that we visited that did some Raku. There is a loosely knit organization of potters here who have formed almost a Co-op and buy and advertise together. Diane showed off her $20K kiln that was as big as a small city apartment. She is hosting a workshop in the winter for the Cape Cod Potters and hopefully will videotape it and publish it to a DVD for sale per my recommendation. She was enthusiastic about the idea and I will be in touch with her electronically to see if she follows through.
The next stop was Scargo Pottery & Art Gallery – home of a long time going concern of five production potters and their wares. Scargo is in the small town of Dennis and it is a place not to miss whether you are a potter or not and visit the cape.
Last studio of the day was of an art teacher who abandoned her steady job with benefits to open her studio. Mill Stone Pottery was the home of Gail Turner and was also in Dennis which was voted as the most charming town on the cape of the towns visited.
We took the long way ‘home’ if you can call the guesthouse from hell that. At first glance it appears to be a B&B but do not be mislead in Massachusetts a ‘guesthouse’ is equivalent to the eighth or ninth level of hell. I think Dante is the only guest I have not met and he is one level below us in the basement.
Despite the weather, The Nasty Potter, Drunk Potter and our hostess we are having a wonderful time.
© steven d philbrick 08/24/2010 sr+ DakotaDawg
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