Pottery and Paintings

Hey there Sportsfans!

Today was virtually a whirlwind of a day... as Nathaniel ran a local 5K to support wounded Marines and thier family memebers, and later the three of us headed out towards Fairhope, Alabama.

Yes, we were a day late.

However, we were warned of a fierce cold front moving through the area, and advised that travel would NOT be the best option. So we waited.

And I'm really happy that we did, as the day was great with Nathaniel.

First - a stop at Tom Jone's Pottery. Some readers may know that I have a not-so-secret passion for pottery. In particular, I collect pottery tea pots. Just something that I can't explain - I love the shape, how each one is different, the love and care that was taken to create each one, the vibrant colors, the feel of the clay, and how each teapot reminds me of a specific area that we've lived in OR stands for something meaningful. Today we bought a beautiful Cobault Blue one that had sea creatures on the side.

And second - we walked up and down the strees of quaint Fairhope, a small arts community across the bay from Mobile, Alabama.

Last time we were there, Nathaniel and I fell in love with a few paintings done by a local artist. When we returned to the shop, we found that we held the same feelings for these special pieces of art.... To Nathaniel they reminded him of Southern Spain. I loved the colors and feeling of the bigger of the two, while the second's colors matched the first, yet the vantage point was high above on a cliff. It looks as though it would be the perfect lookout on a high cliff after a tough bike climb. Surely a Cat 1... In Spain... or Italy... or France. Somewhere beautiful.

After a little barganing, more thought, some discussion, and a little more bargaining, Nathaniel and I settled on a price and bought the pair.

And I'm so happy.

While the two painters who worked at the studio were wrapping the pictures, one commented that color was, "nourishment for the eyes and soul."

I believe that it truly is. These paintings - along with the pottery tea pots - are all creative, all beautiful, all original, all unique unto themselves. Like people - no one is exactly the same. We may look similar, my share the same opinions - but at the end of the day, we are all unique. We are individuals. We are all ourselves.

The pottery, the paintings - they speak to me. They make me happy, and they make me appreciate their own unique beauty. I am grateful to the creative minds that shape the clay, that find inspiration with the brush. It makes me look at their crafts, and appreciate the world that much more.

My pottery teapots. From L-R (Green Turtle Teapot, Alabama Tom Jones Teapot, North Carolina Seagrove Teapot, Minnesota Layer Teapot, Nordic White Teapot)