The Early Years

A few months back, potter blogger Lori Buff, posted some photos of her early pottery and sculpture from her high school days. It was really fun to see her beginning work as a budding young artist. As most of you know, we are getting ready for a move. I have been slowly weeding through "stuff", determined to de-clutter my life. 

Unfortunately, I am also hopelessly sentimental.

I have come across two pieces of early work that I have schlepped around for more years than I care to count...

 I made this weed vase in 9th grade. It was in Mrs. Costa's art class. She was the most inspiring and encouraging teacher that I ever had. She was also a potter, with a studio at her home. I had my first wheel experience in her class. I was the only kid that had a successful pot that could be fired. I don't know what happened to that one, but I have hung on to this slab built piece. It has had a place in many of the homes I have lived in. The macrame was replaced sometime in the last ten or twelve years.

The story of the lidded jar:
I made this jar during the first year of pottery at the NH Institute of Art. It was the first thing that I ever made a lid for. When the academic year ends, NHIA has an exhibition of the continuing ED student work. My teacher was none other than Jeff Brown. He asked me what I was submitting to the show. My reply was, "Nothing, I am don't make pots good enough for a show!".

He was really disappointed.

He said that no one from his intro to wheel work class was putting anything in the show.

I felt really bad, so I agreed to put this piece in. It obviously didn't sell because all these years later, I still own it. The next year I was much more confident and submitted a goblet for the show...
and was totally shocked that it sold! I interrogated all of my friends, certain that it was one of them that bought it. So far I haven't seen it in anyone's cabinet.

As much as I cringe at some (most) of my early pots, it's good to have them around as reference point... or heavy weapon should I ever need it.