Faith, Folklore, and Friends

If you read this missive regularly, you know that Jerry Brown and his art have a special place in my heart.  I wrote about his pottery  here,   here,  and  here .  Mr. Brown became ill early Thursday morning, and passed away late Friday.  Before his death, he insisted that the festival go on. Hub and I got to Hamilton about 11:30, and the Brown booth only had a few items left.  The people working there told us that the store was empty, and these shelves held the only items that were left of his work. I bought one last piece that Mr. Brown had signed, and stood in line a while to pay for it. Mr. Brown's work was always the highlight of the festival, but there were many more wonderful artists there. My friend, George Jones, Jr., with his fabulous handmade brooms. With Mr. Brown gone, I have to wonder about the future of this festival.  I really hope it continues.

Last Saturday, we drove to Hamilton for the Jerry Brown Arts Festival. There was a huge crowd and we had to park a long way from the building.  Thankfully, there were three police vans shuttling people from their cars to the building.  It was my first time in a police van. Painting on tin..... and on some gourds.   I loved the blue chicken gourd. Jerry Brown demonstrating his art. Master Folk Artist Charlie Lucas holding one of his tin sculptures. We go to a lot of art festivals.  Because I don't want to run out of room or money,  I have to limit myself to one item to bring home with me. This is what I bought at this festival. It was made by Scott McQueen of Northport, Alabama.  I loved everything in his booth, but this one called my name.  It was a hard decision, but I'm happy this is living in my house now.

Just a reminder that the Jerry Brown Arts Festival is this weekend.  As of right now, there is no snow, freezing rain, or ice predicted. This would be a wonderful place to go to get rid of that cabin fever we have. Hopefully, I will see you there!

Here it is, my anniversary present.  I have been wanting a face jug for years, and I finally got to bring one home with me. And, of course, it had to be made by Jerry Brown. I am aware that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this thing is slap-dab beautiful to me.  There were several to choose from, and it took a while to pick this one out. I have named it Henry. I think I will start a new tradition of buying a face jug every year on my anniversary. Henry even looks good from behind. Right now, Henry is sitting on the buffet in the dining room, a spot where he will be seen by anyone visiting during the holiday season.

Jerry Brown's Pottery Shop is located just a few miles from Hamilton, Alabama.  It is a beautiful place. There are shelves and tables of gorgeous pottery. Because it was Black Friday, Mr. Brown was offering 10% off everything in the store.  I really wanted one of each item, but I had to settle on one thing for my anniversary gift.  Decisions, decisions. Mr. Brown was also giving tours.  Here, he is explaining to Hub about how clay is turned until it is the consistency of play dough. Mr. Brown uses this mixer turned by a mule, just like his daddy did for many years. The elder Mr. Brown had Jerry helping with the pottery making when he was a very young child. Above: Mr. Brown with his mule, Blue.  Blue is thirty years old, and has been mixing clay for twenty eight and a half years.  Mr. Brown uses this gas powered kiln, and he also has two electric ones.  He told us the color of the glazes they use change according to which kil...

Archaeologists have found pottery in China that was made around 20,000 years ago.  I don't know when or how the first was made; maybe some one was wasting time by the river bank and found that it was fun to mold wet clay into shapes.  Maybe they came back later, after their creation had baked in the sun, and decided that it could be used to store things, to keep things dry, and drink out of.  If anyone knows who made the first pottery, please share that information with us.  I do know that it is still being made today, and it is just as beautiful and useful as it was way back then. I love pottery, and have several items that I have bought over the years.  At first, I bought every kind I could find, but I soon ran out of space and money, so now I buy only pottery from my favorite potter, Jerry Brown of Hamilton, Alabama. The pot above was made by Mr. Brown, and I treasure it.  If your interests include local pottery, I would highly recommend this b...