Apart from the actual making, which I love, the thing I like best about being a potter is the people I meet across a table filled with my work at an exhibition, event or show. When I sell a piece online, I am always slightly disappointed that I can’t strike up a conversation with them about why they have chosen my work or who the piece might be for or perhaps their love of ceramics in general - but most people buying online are making a decision and then a transaction and haven’t time for chatting!
Last month I was exhibiting again at Celebrating Ceramics at Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. It was my third time, and I always leave a year in between, so I have been exhibiting there on and off for six years. To say it was hot in the marquees is an understatement of some magnitude, but it didn’t put off the visitors who poured into the beautiful grounds over all three days and in amongst the many new visitors were some lovely familiar faces. People who have bought from me in the past would saunter up to my stand expecting not to be recognised but to my amazement (and theirs) I remembered them all. They had come back to say hello, to show me pictures on their phones of where they display my work, to talk to me about how much they love their pieces and often add to their collections or buy for friends and family.
It strikes me that once a true connection is made with another person over something made by hand, they are imprinted on your mind. Not only did I recognise everyone who came back but I also remembered what they had bought and specific things about them like the gentleman who came with his partner and mother six years ago. His mother had an unusual aversion to gold and so they had had to take her into another marquee and distract her before he could return to make his secret purchase! At the very end of the last day just before we were about to pack up and go home, another collector returned to say hello – it was a joy to see him and to hear how he still loves his black and gold pieces and, as always, we picked up where we left off two years ago without missing a beat, discussing life, art and design, and most importantly, the preciousness of ceramics made by human hands.