New Hampshire Pottery

I wasn't going to post today, but I have been noting that many people end on up on my blog because of a search for Peter Sabin, a NH potter. I decided to post some pictures of some of the New Hampshire pottery my husband and I have collected over the years. I remember growing up with my family and we took long drives to basically nowhere (remember gas at .75 cents a gallon??) whenever we would pass a handmade sign half in the woods saying "Pottery" and some hand painted flowers and an arrow, my mother would shriek and point for my father to turn. I remember being bored as my mother would try to choose a piece to bring home. She always gravitated towards covered casseroles, large serving platters and mugs. I loved the studios of the potters. They were usually warmed with a wood burning stove, out in the middle of no where, with a friendly dog and a lazy cat around to pet. I was amazed at all of the beautiful things. My father always went along with a smile, though sometimes after 3 or 4 of these stops, her would just wait in the car with my brother while I would go in with my mom.

When I got engaged my mom would take me to the January sale at Granite Lake Pottery near Keen NH to start a collection. I started with a grey stoneware with blue flowers on it. This type of pottery is very common around here.

When I worked at the Currier I fell in love with their extensive pottery collection, especially the one housed in the Zimmerman house, a Frank Lloyd Wright house owned by the museum. I was asst. Site supervisor there for a while. At about the same time I became friends with a woman who runs a area art gallery. Her gallery carries a great collection of area potters. It is through her that I have honed my taste in pottery.

My husband has actually even jumped onto the pottery bandwagon. He loves the ones we have in the house. I took him to an open studio of Susan Babine, a Goffstown potter and I was thrilled to see him fondling the pots. He chose a couple for himself that day.

Another well known area potter is Gerry Williams, founder of Studio Potter Magazine. He is in Dunbarton. I try to go to his open studio every November. In the little potters building warmed with a wood stove, you will find Museum Curators and high end collectors rooting around for the latest acquisition. From my education at the Currier I started collection Ed and Mary Scheier pottery. Sadly Mary passed away in the last year. Ed is still alive creating digital prints that are sold in NYC.

Jane Kaufmann is another favorite of mine. She is located on the seacoast and does wildly irreverent pieces imbued with a wicked sense of humor.

Natalie Blake, while not a NH potter , (she lives in Vermont) is a member of the League here and her shapes and colors are so captivating, you could focus a whole room around them.

I have a few Donald Campbell pieces, they are very tactile and refined and primative feeling at the same time.

Peter Sabin is another NH jewel. His pieces are understated, but upon closer look, the purity of line and the subtle decoration is a joy to live with.I have a scattering of Mission era pieces, I love the color pallet, the blues and greens of the time. I have one Otto Heino piece which I accidentally bought on ebay. I was showing a friend how to bid, I used the piece, knowing that I would be outbid. I wasn't. Oh well, I guess the piece wanted to come home to me. I love it now for its form and delicacy. It is different from most of his pots that I see out there.

For Christmas my friend Sarah got a new shipment of Peter Sabin pieces into the gallery and I saw one I liked a lot. She asked If I wanted her to call my husband and drop a hint (which is how we do things) my husband, being in the middle of a lot of chaos at work put it off until Sarah, tired of waiting, bout it for me from her. 3 days later when my husband called to have her put it aside. She told him it was sold. The card that came with the bowl is to never wait for a man!

YOu can find more information of New Hampshire potters HERE

Oh, and I forgot, one potter I absolutly lust after and do not have a piece of hers is Diana Thomas from maine.

Pic from top to botton, left to right

Jane Kaufmann's mermaid

Natalie Blake large blue bowl

Scheier bowl with face, Kaufmann beach house, Scheier bowl with face

3 Blake vessels, Kaufmann orb

2 mission era vases

Couldn't put all of the collection on, only allowed certain # of pics.