The First Annual Pot Party
1. It was the party I never let Josh have when he was a teenager. Although I think he had a few behind my back that weren’t condoned by me. This one was not only condoned, I helped with the planning. “This is the kind of party I can handle,” I said to him as he was setting up pots for a Hometown Pottery Show and I was warming cider on the stove. “It’s constructive, has a theme, and a time frame with an ending.”
2. My house was transformed to a storefront studio. Every surface was enlisted to make room for pots, teapots, bowls, bottles, platters, and plates. They spread throughout the living room and kitchen. A few were on the front porch.
3. “How did you hear about this?” I asked potter Tom Phelps, who along with his wife, Carol, was one of the first arrivals. “I heard it from you, Colleen,” he answered smiling. I needed that validation after the announcement I wrote didn’t make it in the Floyd Press. Tom, who was Josh’s first pottery mentor, also saw one of the flyers I hustled to hang just days before to make up for the lack of press.
4. “Did you see the balloons I tied to a tree out on the Parkway?” I asked Jody who came with her daughter looking for mugs.
5. A slide show of photos taken by Frank Bott that were playing on Josh’s laptop was mesmerizing. Frank is a photojournalist covering the growth of the River Arts District in Asheville where Clay Space Co-op, the studio and gallery that Josh founded, is located. The photos show the newly renovated Clay Space gallery, a warehouse space that was once Josh’s home, and the most recent wood-firing at the Community Temple kiln.
6. A steady stream of people flowed in throughout the day. Quite a few were fellow potters, like Zack, who is Donna Polsena and Rick Hensley’s apprentice. Later in the day Donna and Rick, two of Floyd’s “Sixteen Hands” potters who also live on the Parkway, dropped by. Donna was happy with the plate she picked out to purchase and pleasantly surprised when I took her in my bedroom and showed her one of her ceramic sculptures on my dresser.
7. My living room chair got relegated to a hallway. “This is where you can sit and tell Santa what you want for Christmas,” I told all the guests. “All I want for Christmas is a roof on our house,” said Chris Deerheart, who with his partner Alina is living in a workshop studio while building a house.
8. By the late afternoon it was sleeting ice and the front steps on the porch were slick. Josh and I got back to our kitchen table Scrabble game while Joe, who had just come in from hunting, made us all supper.
Post note: See the action video clip where Josh makes a spoof sale HERE. Click and scroll down HERE for more photos and narrative on Josh’s wild and wood-fired clay pottery. Part II of this post is HERE.
December 16th, 2007 5:35 pm
LOL! This looks like it was a success. Years ago my mom and some friends invited other women over for a “mugging” – that was a Christmas coffee party they held, asking each guest to bring their own mug, so that no one had to rent and they didn’t have to use paper cups.
December 16th, 2007 6:39 pm
Glad your party was such a success!
December 16th, 2007 6:39 pm
What a fun looking party! And, Josh’s pottery is beautiful. In Photo number 5 is that a little teapot sitting in front of that big vase???? I would love some info on it – if it is.
I hope Josh had a great day…both financially and emotionally from hearing all the great comments he must be hearing from everyone who was there…
December 16th, 2007 9:25 pm
Idyllic comes to mind as I read this entry and let the pictures absorb themselves into my mind. I can practically feel the spirit of the party through your words. Thanks for this, Colleen.
December 17th, 2007 1:17 am
That all looks like fun, Colleen, especially the Scrabble game!
December 17th, 2007 1:17 am
This is amazing. What beautiful works for sale. I love the closing photo of Scrabble. I hope your weather is better… we have more snow coming we hear.
December 17th, 2007 9:17 am
love his work
December 17th, 2007 9:48 am
Looks like a great party, Colleen. Josh does some really great work!
December 17th, 2007 10:14 am
It looks like it all worked well and I am happy for you and Josh. I still want mugs too.
Josh looks great.
December 17th, 2007 1:33 pm
While buying two new lamps for my living room from a potter in Sanford, NC, you and Josh crossed my mind. His work is amazing. Love the pics.
December 17th, 2007 2:45 pm
Oh I wish I could have come by and seen your house and Josh’s pottery…I love your post name. I am betting you get quite a few Google hits on that one.
December 17th, 2007 3:10 pm
I like to dance to “Can’t Touch This” too. I just thought Jeremiah was plain hokey compared to all the great music of its time. Glad you caught my innuendo on the title. I originally had “The Pot Party,” but thought that sounded just too graphically dramatic. I don’t want any helicopters flying over my house.
December 17th, 2007 6:51 pm
Warm and wonderful telling of what appeared to be a warm and wonderful day. I was left thinking….I hope I have relationships like that one when my children get older; they are 5,9 and 12…thanks! jodi barone
December 17th, 2007 10:23 pm
the sale looks like it went fabulously. we can’t wait till our sister(in-law) receives the vase we bought in asheville directly from josh
December 18th, 2007 11:33 am
Wow….I wish I could have come! That picture of your tree in the living room looked very magical. So too, I bet, is all the beautifully made pottery by Josh. I’m on my annual 2 week vacation and enjoying all my free time!
December 18th, 2007 11:46 am
So good to hear from you, Trish! And to know you are enjoying some free holiday time!!