Lynne had a team of people who volunteered to help. Most of them were "veterans" from the last Hamada exhibition. Some of them stayed at the Rogers' house and some stayed in town. Nigel and Eileen (who I met on the trip to St. Ives) came up for it. Nigel wanted to stand in the line to get a pot but Eileen helped out by washing dishes and preparing food. A couple named Ray and Shirley came down from the north. They were in charge of parking. Lynne's friends Joan and Pauline came over. They both made food in advance. Pauline made six coffee cakes that looked like they came out of a food magazine. They also helped with food prep and selling the pots. Lisa Hammond and Yoji came up from London. Yoji helped Phil pack the pots as they were sold and Lisa was in charge of the line. Hal and Barbara are an American couple who have a second home in Wales. They helped by making receipts and by selling all the books. Also, a man named David Binch came. He was here and there doing various tasks. Jennifer Hall who is a potter in a nearby village came and helped with food and drinks. Because of all the generous volunteers, the day went smoothly.
The night before the big day Lynne invited all the helpers over for dinner. During the week we had made some lasagnas for Friday night and chili for Saturday night. It was nice to have everyone over for a visit. Shirley was especially animated and lively. She has been a teacher for a long time and told us many stories.
Phil had asked that no one show up to stand in line until 7:30 am. I got up at 6 and there was a car in the driveway. Some people are just extremely determined! While someone started making the coffee, I started making muffins. I think in total I made 6 or 7 dozen. As people started to arrive they were offered hot drinks and warm muffins. They were given numbers in the order of their arrival. They could wander into the showrooms and view the exhibition. Most of them wrote a list of the pots they wanted so if one was sold, they would pick their next choice. The selling of the pots did not take place until 2 pm so many people came, received their number and left again. There was a steady stream of visitors but everyone said it was not nearly as crowded as the previous exhibition. Although it was a bit chilly and overcast it did not rain. We were all extremely thankful the weather stayed dry.
By mid morning, the crowd had quieted down. Lisa wanted to take Yoji up the Elan Valley to see the big dams. Since there was a lull in the action, Lynne said I could go with them. Yoji had never been to Wales before and he seemed to really appreciate the landscape. He also enjoyed the sheep and lambs (it is hard not to love them). Lisa is planning on moving to the country in the next few years but she currently lives in London. She seemed to also enjoy the rural nature of the countryside. After a bit of getting lost we found the dam. I had been to it in the Autumn with Lynne and Phil but there was no water running through it then. We walked for a bit and followed the trail right alongside the dam. The noise of the cascading water so loud you could barely talk to one another. A fine mist was in the air and all the motion was hypnotic. It was an impressive sight. No matter how many times I see the landscape of Wales, I am always struck by how beautiful it is. We did not stay for too long; I was anxious to get back in case it had become busy again. Needless to say it was relaxing and enjoyable to take a drive and see how the season and weather had changed the landscape.
Closer to noon we started putting out the savory snacks. The sun was shining by then and it was nice and warm. Lynne had made mini pastry shells and small toasted bread. Pauline, Joan and Lynne had made many different fillings and an assembly line was formed. When I returned from the brief valley excursion, all the women were filling up plates with colorful, delicious bites. Feedback from the viewers was very positive. They praised the exhibition and the food. Phil was going around talking to everyone. He has such a great wealth of knowledge concerning Hamada and his pots. There was a little polite competition between people who wanted the same pots; however, I think they all enjoyed being around like-minded people. It is nice to have a crowd of individuals with one common interest.
At 2 pm the line reformed and we all took our places to assist with the selling. Lisa would call a number. The person who had that number would go up to the showroom and pick out the pot they wanted. There was only one person or couple at a time in the gallery. Pauline would write down their information and send the pot and box lid to me. I would find the box that went with the pot. Joan would take it downstairs to Lynne and Hal who were handling the money. After it was paid for and recorded, it was brought out to Phil and Yoji who were packing them up. At first it got a little backed up because I could not find the right box for a pair of yunomis. Pauline in a very organized fashion worked out a little system for us to make the whole process faster. It took a few hours for everyone to go through and pick out their pots. There was around 30 people who purchased pots. Some people purchased more than one. Slowly the showroom emptied and the pieces went to their new homes. With the exception of one person, everyone was able to buy a piece on their wish list.
There was a scare when one of the customers could not find a Shimaoka plate they had bought. I could remember packing it up and sending it downstairs. We could not find it and were afraid the wrong person had taken it by mistake. My stomach was in knots as I looked for it. After a frantic search the customer remembered she had set it down on a shelf and walked away. What a relief it was found!
Slowly, the new pot-owners said their goodbyes and went home. Some of them had traveled quite far to buy pieces. We took the food in and started washing up. There was some food left over but not a huge amount. I am so glad Lynne had found all the wonderful help because it made cleaning up go so much quicker. We took out the chili for dinner and had another communal meal. By the end of that I was sick of food!
The kitchen and living room were full of people laughing and talking. Everyone was pretty exhausted from the day but there were smiles all around. Phil gave gifts to everyone who had helped out and made the day a success. He gave me a small pine box. When I opened it there was a lovely yunomi inside. It was tenmoku glazed with finger-wipe decoration on the outside. I could not believe it- was this a Hamada pot? It looked similar to a few that were in the exhibition. Phil said it was thrown by one of Hamada's assistants but was surely decorated by the master himself. It was a truly generous gesture that touched me deeply. I will take special care of this pot. I know as I handle this vessel I will learn from it.
This exhibition was a huge learning experience for me. Not only did I see what it takes to put on a big event, I was able to look at so many pots. I had learned of the Leach/Hamada tradition at college and was taught how important it was to modern studio pottery. I knew Hamada was one of Phil's influences. Once I saw all the pots set up in the gallery I saw the direct connection between Phil's pots and Hamada's. Seeing them in a group made me really look at them and try and discover why they are so important and respected. I know I still have much to learn but my eyes were opened to this type of work in a new way. I glimpsed why they are beautiful. Some may say they are simple but it is this very thing that makes them great pots. I am very fortunate to have experienced this. Helping put on the event was fun but the impression the pots had on me as an artist will truly leave an impact.
Take care,
Kari
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