It’s been a while since I last posted – we are in the heat of summer (no kidding at 90 degrees every day for months!) and things are busy in the Smokies.

Pincu Pottery opened in May and I have had the pleasure of teaching some fabulous people how to play with clay.  It has really been fun!

I have had one-on-one sessions with people that had dreamed of potting for most of their lives and finally got a chance, families with six (that’s right, 6) children, Mommies and their babies looking for  foot & hand prints permanently affixed in clay, Mother/Daughter/Grandmother outings, friends, local folks, vacationers, hearing impaired folks, disabled individuals…..from seven to over seventy… the list goes on.

Everyone approaches clay with a unique eye and a range of abilities.  It is so great to watch the ‘deer in headlights’ look on some faces when they arrive turn into proud smiles as they leave.  I think the topping on the cake would be to see everyone use their pots in their homes… I bet it is one proud moment.  I remember using my pots for the first time.  What a feeling of having created a useful object that both functioned well and was beautiful!

This week I was visited by an awesome lady.  Laura said that when she was laid off (do I hear the word Recession?) she and her husband decided to sell everything and live – that is, they sold everything but their bicycles and headed East from Oregon.  They just arrived in Bryson City.  Two-wheeled it the whole way!    Check out the blog of their travels and post a comment to give them your well wishes on the roads to follow!

Laura throwing her first pot!