Loose Leaf Notes

This was the first fall 16 Hands Studio Tour that the tour didn’t include my house. For the past 7 years, my son Josh Copus, a 16 Hands member, has been showing his pottery at our cabin, his childhood home off The Blue Ridge Parkway. This year, he’s showing at Benji Obsborne’s woodworking studio on Black Ridge Road, also off the Parkway. (That’s Benji, second from the left, and his wife Becky and son on the far right).

Benji, the newest member of 16 Hands, is a woodworker who makes custom furniture and kitchen tools. His business is called This Was a Tree.  Josh and Benji both grew up here in Floyd and went to school together.

It’s amazing how small our cabin was in comparison to the space in Benji’s studio. It was nice to see Josh’s work spread out.

The space was easily big enough for three artists to show. Benji’s guest artist this year is Ellen Kochansky.

Ellen, who is from South Carolina, makes sculptural quilts and leads community art projects using found and collected objects.

The twice yearly tours are always a family affair and a chance to catch up with friends.

Floyd’s Fat Bean taco truck was set up outside, serving up tacos and loaded fries. Joe and I had lunch at the studio, as did other friends we ran into.

There was also music to enjoy and time to catch up with our friend Abe Gorskey.

Tour goers and collectors streamed in and out during the three hours that Joe and I hung out.  There was plenty of shop talk and purchasing decisions to make.

This year is also the year that the tour includes Terra Floyd, a new generation of potters, several of who have apprenticed with some of the 16 Hands master potters. Joe and I have friends in town who we’ll be visiting at the Primland Resort, so we won’t be able to check out the Terra Floyd studios this weekend.

Signing off for this year! But there’s still time for you to take this self-guided driving tour through our mountain county.  Studios are open today from 12 – 5.  Check out a map HERE. 

____________Our World Tuesday