A Potters Hands

This is Joel who is a visitor from Germany.  He came to New Zealand as a wine maker but he has been side tracked by pottery making.  He spent time with a potter in Golden Bay who gave him some lessons to get him started.  He contacted my sister and has come in his camper van to spend a week with her and her husband at their pottery.  This shows him unpacking the pieces he had made to show my sister.  He has such an open, friendly face and an obvious love for his new found skill.  He will be able to use the pottery in exchange for manual labour about the place.
In Germany his grandfather has an orchard and vineyards.  I think he may be planning to open a pottery there when he returns home.  He has worked in West Auckland and Blenheim and is amazed by the size of our vineyards.  He was planting new grapes on a huge block in Blenheim.
This morning I have started a project to photograph the pottery collection that is here.  I've got a spread sheet started with the image number, the potter, a description and date made.  38 objects done so far. I'll print it and they will have a catalogue  of their collection.  It is good to hear them recalling how and why certain things were made.  In the 1990's they did a lot of wood fired vessels.  The soft orange surface on these is lovely.  My brother in law took up pottery when he had had enough of the vagaries of growing apples and pears.  The old brick shed from yesterdays blip housed the pottery he sold.  I'll ask my sister to write up a history and it can been included in the book.