Jugtown Inspiration

I just returned from a pottery road trip with two good friends. We headed out on our 16 hour excursion from Kansas City, MO to Seagrove, NC last Thursday morning. We visited The NC Pottery Center, Jugtown Pottery, Dean and Martin Pottery, Ben Owen Pottery, Chris Luther Pottery and Bulldog Pottery to name a few. There are so many potteries in the Seagrove area that they actually renamed hwy 705 "NC Pottery Highway". This town of potters were some of the nicest people I have ever met. In every studio we visited, pots were being thrown and glazed, and kilns were being loaded or fired in preparation for the big festival next weekend.

The busy studios did not prevent these generous artists from sharing their time with us. We heard personal histories from all the artists. Some of them came from a long line of area potters and can trace their roots back to the Stafforshire potters of England. Others moved to Seagrove within the last year of so. One Seagrove potter actually graduated from the same high school in Independence, MO as my husband. It really is a small world. They all shared info about their clay, glazes, and firing methods. They were also kind enough to recommend other area potters to visit and raved about area talent.

After a few days in Seagrove we headed back west toward KC. On the way we stopped and visited Penland School Crafts. I was glad for the detour. It gave us a chance to drive through the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Penland is amazing and my visit there just confirmed my desire to attend an 8 week concentration in the future. This coming Spring, the teacher will be Kathy King, whose work I am infatuated with. I will be in Seattle for NCECA in March so I can't attend then. I am crossing my fingers for the Fall 2012 schedule.  I am hoping for an atist that interests me. The final stop on our pottery excursion was just 15 minutes away in Bakersville to the studio of Michael Kline. Yet another amazingly nice and generous potter.

After a good nights sleep last night, a little catching up at home and some unpacking of pots, I headed to the studio around lunchtime. When I got there, this little jug was slipped and just waiting to be carved. I think it knew I had been at Jugtown.