Nostalgia Sunday

I made this pot in the autumn of 1979 as I was winding up my time at the Winchcombe Pottery. That was 40 years ago, an impossible concept to comprehend. Exactly 39 years ago this week I arrived in Fredericksburg to become the manager of the Fredericksburg Pottery and I still call ‘the ‘Burg’ my home today. It is a community that I came to love and it has been very fertile ground for my creative endeavors.

It’s hard to imagine how different the town was that September…2 out of every three storefronts were empty and no one lived above the shops. I started a wholesale business because there just wasn’t enough trade in town, but over the years as Fredericksburg was ‘discovered’ again my business grew and eventually I sold all of my work from the storefront downtown.

Of course, there are legions of tales I could tell about those early days, from dancing on the bar at Sammy’ T’s to building an art center (Libertytown), but I don’t need to go there just now. It’s just that I am looking out over the mountains here at the Penland School of Craft as I write, feeling nostalgic for my adopted home.

This is also the 39th anniversary of my dear mother’s passing. I arrived in Fredericksburg that year with a very heavy heart and my memories of those days are always tinged with a little sadness.

My mom was a simple soul, but full of wisdom. I asked her once what she thought of my pottery infatuation…she replied that she had no idea what it was I was doing, but if I thought it was the right thing than she was all for it. That was a gift. It’s important to have people who believe in you.

I’m feeling out of practice as a writer of blogs. I know this is somewhat random.

5 Responses to “Nostalgia Sunday”

  1. gz

    Blogging occasionally is ok..fb sucks writing energy.
    I like looking at your old posts to see how your work has developed.. can’t do that on fb.
    Wish I had got to Winchcombe before you left!

    Reply
  2. Tina Jones

    Oh my goodness Dan I cannot believe it has been that long. I had been at UPS almost two years and I remember those days of you or Phil coming in to ship packages. You’re still making pots and I’m still there shipping them. I am so blessed to have met so many interesting people at work but you’re among the dearest.

    Reply
  3. Crawford Horne

    I enjoyed reading this latest blog and I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing you at the North Carolina Potters Conference in March. I’d love to learn more details about your firings as I also have a Bourry-box and I continue to ‘tweak’ the approach to each firing…

    Reply
  4. William B Hauser

    Nice memory Dan. I succumbed today and ordered some pots. I expect to enjoy them very much.
    Cheers, Bill

    Reply

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