Cousins in Clay: January 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

Containment, a Poem by Jack Troy

Jack Troy Cup

Containment by Jack Troy

I have picked up, moved, shaped,

and lightened myself of many tons of clay,

and those tons lifted, moved, and shaped me,

delivering me to this living-space

I wake and move about in,

space perhaps equal to that I have opened and enclosed

in plate, cup, bowl, jug, jar.

I am thankful no one ever

led me to the pit I'd help to make in Earth,

or showed me all the clay at once.

I'm grateful no one ever said, There.

That heap's about a hundred fifty tons.

Go make yourself a life.

And oh, yes, here's a drum of ink.

See what you can do with that.

I wouldn't have known where to begin.

This poem can be found on Jack Troy's website. The poem is from, "Calling the Planet Home" by Jack Troy. You can read more about his book of poems at Jack Troy's website.

Cousins in Clay

Pottery Show and Sale

Special Guests are David MacDonald and Jack Troy

June 1-2, 2013

Saturday 10-5

Sunday 10-4

at Bulldog Pottery - 3306 US Hwy 220 Alt

Seagrove, NC

hosted by Bruce Gholson, Samantha Henneke, and Michael Kline

On Sat. light buffet, music, demos, poetry, & conversations about all things clay

On Sun.at noon is the Potters Potluck- all are welcomed

Thursday, January 3, 2013

David MacDonald

David MacDonald - Platter

David MacDonald is a recently retired ceramics professor from Syracuse University, New York and will be our honored guest Cousin for the "Cousins in Clay" pottery event in Seagrove, North Carolina.

Excerpt on Syracuse.com Media

"He believes inspiration occurs on a subconscious level. He says many of the patterns on his pieces are an amalgamation from different sources, but he strives for something special with each one.

“I just kind of want my work to look Africanesque, but I try to avoid copying African patterns verbatim.”

His intention is to “capture the essence of them, the structure the patterns are built around. Usually, it’s a grid,” he says. “Sometimes I take a pattern, then reinterpret it.”

Reinterpretation and repetition don’t end there. “An idea will start somewhere, and eventually it will mutate in the process of doing it over and over again."

(June 23, 2011) - from the article "Retired Syracuse University art professor David MacDonald, who had a solo show at Everson, says he backed into career as an artist in clay"

To read this article about David MacDonald in its entirety visit blogsyracuse.com

Cousins in Clay
Pottery Show and Sale