Showing posts with label Piedmont Pottery Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Piedmont Pottery Festival. Show all posts

Sunday, September 27, 2009

2009-09-26 Saturday - Piedmont Pottery Festival

Saturday Minke, Melissa, Joe and I went to the Piedmont Pottery Festival in McConnells, SC in Historic Brattonsville. There were many traditional potters in attendance with a big emphasis on face jugs. It was a drizzly, soggy day, but it didn't seem to affect anyone's mood as everyone was in good spirits and buying and selling pottery.

I checked in with Adrienne Dellinger, Corine Guseman and Hal Dedmond. I stopped by to talk to Chad Smith whom I met at Hal's recent firing. I finally got to meet Michel Bayne and see his pottery in person. I talked to Michael Ball whom I met at the Mint Museum sale and I regret not getting around to check in with Brad Lail whom I also met at the Mint.

A wonderful surprise was meeting up with Peter Lenzo in front of Adrienne's booth. We had a nice conversation and I was pleased to find out that he hasn't stopped at 100 pots, but that he is currently on pot 103. In his words, "Well, I finished 100 and I was still alive so I thought I'd keep going." He currently has a show in Detroit where he once attended school and the pieces were selling well. He also told me that the piece he created at our workshop last year came out great and that he sold it for a good price. I would have loved to have seen the finished piece and I'm glad it sold.

He swelled with pride when he told me that (his son) Joe has developed quite the touch with clay and is making some impressive face jugs. Joe is not self-conscious of leaving features at the gesture stage where most of us would have to tweak it to make it more "finished". I understood completely: sometimes a gesture is enough. Something I still need to learn.

I also told Mr. Lenzo that Greg Scott and I have adopted his name as a verb when adding pieces to a pot as in "Lenzoing". "I'm going to Lenzo this thing onto my pot." He really got a charge out of that. I'm glad he liked it. It meant a lot.

I made two purchases that I will upload later (too tired tonight).

After slogging around in the mud and making our connections and purchases we decided it was time for lunch. We stopped at Groucho's Deli and picked up sandwiches before heading back to Joe and Melissa's for lunch and some of Joe's gourmet microbrewery beers. The food was good, the beer was delicious and the company and conversation was phenomenal. We also got a tour of their pottery collection, their comfortable home, the pottery shed, and gardens. Thanks Melissa and Joe for a great day!

Joe talking to Michel Bayne.


Mr. Peter Lenzo on the move.
Adrienne Dellinger and Hal Dedmond
look on from Adrienne's booth.


Adrienne staying dry.

Melissa, Joe, Minke, and yours truly.


Minke sitting at the coolest table at Joe and Melissa's.
It looks like a sideboard but table
slides out and you add five leaves.


Joe discussing pottery and pictures with Minke.


Melissa, Joe, and Minke eating
and sampling gourmet beers.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

2009-09-24 Thursday - Weekend Sales

This time of year gets crazy with all the sales and festivals going on. Here is what I know about for this weekend:

The Piedmont Pottery Festival is taking place in McConnells, SC. Greg's wife, Adrienne Dellinger will be one of the potters featured there.

Ron Philbeck is having his Fall Sale Saturday and Sunday in Shelby, NC. You can check his upcoming events here and be sure to check out his blog here.

Festival in the Park is happening at Freedom Park in Charlotte, NC. My pottery teacher, Greg Scott is going to be there as an Emerging Artist and will be doing demos.