Salty Lemons

exterior of Clinton Pottery
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive

pottery
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive

"Berry Bowl" line
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive

pitchers
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive

August 15, 2011

By Hand

I needed a break from the city and a friend needed help moving, so I made the five hour journey on the train to Upstate New York to the Utica area. As soon as I disembarked the train, I knew I was in for an interesting weekend. Within minutes, I spotted an Amish family, the males wearing brimmed hats, the females wearing bonnets, and they were carrying luggage. Not rolling suitcases, but leather luggage of a reasonable size that you carry by hand. The little boy, probably three years old, kept curiously looking at me, and me at him. He was a real cutie with his blonde ringlets flowing out from under his straw hat.

The highlight of the visit, obviously, was not the act of moving. But the many finds that my friend and I discovered just driving from one place to another. The local library was hosting their annual book sale where I picked up Paula Deen's "Living It Up, Southern Style" for $3, Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" for $4, "Lowney's Cook Book" (inscribed 1914) for $1.50, and Roger Tory Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds" (1947 edition) for $1.50. Believe me when I say I could have bought many, many more books. At that point, I could foresee more finds in my future, so I withheld.

On the way to a farm market and a farmers market, where I hoped to find unique types of garlic bulbs to plant, my friend and I found a roadside dish sale. There was a table set up with dishes, prices, a metal box for the money, and no one around. This was a "honor system" yard sale. As we perused the offerings, a woman came out of the house and asked us if we were looking for anything specific, she hinted she had many more dishes. Naturally curious, I asked to see the others. She led us down the driveway to a small barn and opened the barn's doors. Gasp. The entire barn was stacked thigh high with dishes. Her late husband was a dishware dealer. She joked the stockade was her inheritance. I walked away with eight Syracuse China dessert plates for $0.50 a piece and a smaller creamer, made in India.

The uncontested discovery of the trip was a visit to Clinton Pottery. Upon walking into the studio, I was in awe. The English Potter, Jonathan Woodward is a true craftsman. He clearly has been honing his craft for years. His business card reads, "Twisting Clay for 38 years." At one point, he even impressed himself. While I compared pitchers, he was suddenly struck at the consistency in the form and size of his works. Each piece is thrown by hand, no molds, including the plates. I purchased the "Berry Bowl" and the middle pitcher in the photo above. If you were to visit my apartment, you would find the bowl alternately filled with garlic or tomatoes from Plot95, and the pitcher filled with iced tea every day, without fail.

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