PAULA J. BARRY

Three fall/winter shows down, one to go.  It’s been a busy season.  I have just completed the annual Dunstable Artisans Show, The New Hampshire Potters Guild Show, and a show at the Bedford Village Inn. 

This weekend, on Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5,  I will be at the Fitchburg Art Museum for their annual craft show.  Every year the event gets better, and the art and craft presented for sale is also improving.  The craftsmen are situated within the museum, among the great art…what a fantastic idea.

I love doing shows, though they are exhausting.  The customers are fantastic, and it is nice to get feedback on my work.  The craftsmen and artists are a lot of fun as well.

Classes at my studio , as well as in the Nashua NH location are running.  During the month of December, I am offering 4 “Escape from shopping” events.  2 hour handbuilding classes, designed to help you relax from the hussle and bustle of holiday shopping.  If your curious, check the website for addition info., under Classes and Workshops.

  Just the other day I ran into an old friend.  We laughed again when hashing over her efforts to get me to a pottery class.  I had expressed to my friend that I wanted to be a potter.  It would be a lot of fun and I could take a class or two and go sell pots . ( little did I know).

  As I am quite insecure when it comes to things new and different, it took my friend an unusual amount of effort to convince me that the art center was only 15 miles away, 30 minutes, and it would really be okay.

  Finally, off I went…shaking in my boots (sneakers).  I was so nervous and wanted so badly to do well.  Thanks to an awesome instructor, who was incredibly patient, the adventure began.  There was far more to learning the process of making a pot than I ever realized.  So many steps to progress and so many steps along the way to mess things up.

  But I had a great time going to classes, and being with others interested in the same things.  I spent over 4 years at the Sharon Arts Center in the pottery studio.  Since then I have ventured back for an occasional class in different mediums.  In addition the the Sharon Arts Center I have actually gone on to attend classes and workshops at other locations in the area.  I havent quite gotten up the guts to travel far from home….yet.

  Now, with a knot in my stomach I participate in some very nice craft shows, instruct pottery classes of my own, and have work in galleries…..It has been such a wonderful thing.

  Thank you DEB and GEN!!!!  You did it.  We did it.