I have bought them to use as serving pieces for a meal, to hold flowers, or just to sit in the house and look beautiful. But I had enough or so I told myself and I broke the purchasing habit a few years ago. Then last year we saw Walter Ruston's work at his gallery, Westwood, and I really did hanker for buying myself one... or two or... Well I resisted-- at the time.
Because on that visit I hadn't a camera with me, I told the potter that I'd like to do a blog on his lovely gallery but would have to come back. Life tends to get in the way where it comes to such plans.
Finally, on the second day of the new year, we decided to wander around the hills, checking out the backwoods (further back than us even). I love owner built homes sometimes hidden in narrow canyons, along creeks or under big fir and cedar trees. Days like this one, when it's raining and the mist hangs heavy in the air, it pretty much is as good as it gets for me. I think that comes from being a native born Northwesterner.
Farm Boss and I talked about how we had always wanted to build a home like the one above with lots of natural wood and various wings sprouting out different directions. I have books full of the stories and photos of people who have built ones like that. We are iffy about whether that would be a little too much work at our ages; but the yearning for it hasn't lessened even as much as we do like our home and land.
One of the things on my mind this drive was to revisit Westwood Gallery, and I came both with a camera in hand and in the mood to buy. I am very happy with the three pieces I added to our farmhouse. The stoneware bowl is microwave and dishwasher safe which makes its practical for serving meals.
The other two are fired in a pit, not the kind of process that enables them to be flower vases but they sure do look pretty. The first one he calls horsehair for the process which means horsehair is laid into the glaze to cause the dark patterns by reducing the glaze from a clear oxide to a dark pattern.
On our mantle, they join a Navajo wedding vase and a sculpture we bought some years back when in Nogales, Sonora.
6 comments:
Pottery is such a nice thing to collect, except it takes up so much space. I like it when it can be used in more practical ways. YOur pieces are really lovely.
Beautiful Choices, dear Rain....I can see how this could border on, OR Become an 'addiction'...! But what better or more beaitiful things to be addicted to?
These are such beautiful additions to your collection. And that house, isn't it amazing!
don't forget that the garden is a lovely place to stage pottery. Not as a plant vessel, just a sculptural joy.
I very much like those pit fired pots -- and love that there is horse hair in there. They look so primitive and invite ancient speculation.
I really like these pieces -- most attractive.
Rain--Congratulations upon your finds and aquisitions. The horsehair treatment gives much surface interest. (I still love your tapestry above your mantel!)
Cop Car
Post a Comment