My father used to bring over bouquets of fresh flowers from his garden, scooped up from the masses of flowers he planted, leaves in tacked and oak leaves stuck between the stems. I love the natural approach of receiving a bouquet from an artist. I would stick them just as I received them in a pottery vase. There is just something so right about putting garden flowers in a clay pottery vase. My father gave all of us pottery vases that he purchased at the Meramec College pottery sale, where you may buy students pottery for 5-10 dollars, some signed by the students.
Having a potter and art teacher for a brother- in- law, Guy Sachs, is another reason I have become familiar with St. Louis and Midwest pottery. Some of my favorites are, of course Guy Sachs, he is busy teaching pottery at Ladue High School and coaching, although you may on occasion find him selling his pottery at Art and Air. Bob Allen, James Ibur, both also teachers. I could listen to Guy's story about his friend potter Don Reitz a hundred times about how he was getting ready for a retrospective art show and needed one more piece, grabbed the dog's dish, wiped it out with his shirt and a few days later it was on watch at a museum by a security guard. Don Reitz's pottery sells for tens of thousands of dollars per piece. I often say to Guy, tell me the story again about Don Reitz.
Having a potter and art teacher for a brother- in- law, Guy Sachs, is another reason I have become familiar with St. Louis and Midwest pottery. Some of my favorites are, of course Guy Sachs, he is busy teaching pottery at Ladue High School and coaching, although you may on occasion find him selling his pottery at Art and Air. Bob Allen, James Ibur, both also teachers. I could listen to Guy's story about his friend potter Don Reitz a hundred times about how he was getting ready for a retrospective art show and needed one more piece, grabbed the dog's dish, wiped it out with his shirt and a few days later it was on watch at a museum by a security guard. Don Reitz's pottery sells for tens of thousands of dollars per piece. I often say to Guy, tell me the story again about Don Reitz.
This year, after my father's unexpected death, my sister and I cut flowers from his garden for my mother (and ourselves), stuck them in one of our pottery vases and it really cheered us up!
I always encourage people to go to students art sales and support young art. Ten years from now fame may come to one of the young artists, so -their pottery looks familiar to you and you pick up a piece that you purchased for 5 dollars and find that you have one of the artist's first pieces.
Pottery, art and flowers, all natural. Photo above: Flowers planted by E J Thias. The potter unknown.
