Like clay in the hand of the potter Part 2

 

 
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experience visiting a potter in a local village down in the south of our country.  http://pinklaundry-kelli.blogspot.com/2010/05/like-clay-in-hand-of-potter.html.  To the left is a picture of some of my finds.  One is used by the locals to mash herbs and the other is for drinking water.  This particular piece of pottery is "magic".  It's made with a hole both in the top and in the bottom.  However, when you pour water in the top, it doesn't come out the bottom and vice versa.  Even if you hold it upside down the water doesn't come out.  It will however pour out the little opening on the side.  Let me be the first to confess that I have not at all mastered the art of drinking out of one of these.  They hold it up above their mouths and pour in the water.  Actually, they do the same thing with water bottles as well.  That way they can share.  Each and every time I have attempted said skill, I end up with water running down my front and very little in my mouth...  Anyway, I digress.  I wanted you to see the beautiful pieces I bought last time and then tell you the rest of the story. 

As wonderful of an experience as it was, I was sad that Jason and the girls weren't with me.  Last weekend, along with some other friends, the whole family was able to go back and visit our potter friend and once again see him at work.  (for the precious pictures of this man performing his skill see the link above).  We got to see some different things this time that we didn't see before.  Below is the daughter of the potter busy at work painting the completed pots.  They gave Naomi one that was chipped to paint with her.

You can't see it very well, but for her paint, she is simply using a bowl of clay-like rocks that they dug up and added some water to for the deep, reddish brown color.  What you can't see well is the variety of handmade paint brushes that she is using to decorate.  

Naomi was very happy for the opportunity to get in on the action... (notice the beautifully painted pieces that the daughter had already completed just in the 10 minutes we had been there- it was absolutely amazing how fast she worked)

Jason had the brilliant idea to buy some pieces that were unpainted so that we could bring them home for the budding artists in our family to work on.  Maddie and Naomi were thrilled (Abbey I'm sure was somewhere with a book and not interested in being artsy...)

Now I have even more beautiful pottery to add to my collection!