A piece of pottery is not just a functional work of art, it’s a story.
It’s the lessons the potter sat through, experiments tried and failed and successes celebrated. It’s the time spent sitting at a wheel, mixing materials, washing the floors (again), and waiting for things to dry.
It’s the classical music playing in the background, the rolling chorus of bird cheeps, shrieks and hoots, the smell of fresh bread and flowers wafting through the window.
It’s a stray cat hair garnishing the clay right at the moment it dries, the meals eaten standing up (or forgotten entirely), the swears muttered and words uttered.
It’s the smiles and cheers and the searing heat of fire; of grainy textures and smooth glazes.
And it’s the moment you step into the studio and greet the potter. All of this is embedded into the clay.
So it’s not merely a mug or a plate or a vase or a wall hanging, it’s a memory of a moment where your life intersected and entwined with the life of another human. Pottery is a useful and beautiful, tangible experience, and it’s the story of a lifetime.
The Denman Pottery Studio Tour is happening 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. There are nine potters participating at eight different studio locations around the island: Tom Dennis, Lilac Sun Pottery, Gordon Hutchens, Linda Adair, Sandra Shaffer, Raucous Raven Pottery, Ember Blair Hutchens, and Gilded Petunia Pottery.
Visit denmanislandpotterystudiotour.com to learn more and to plan your adventure.
What stories will you hold in your hands?
