Art is finding its way into daily life. Handmade dishware,furniture, and lamps made locally are
selling well to residents who are seeking something special yet useful for their homes

When it comes to acquiring useful yet beautiful items for their homes, Valley residents are proving that art works. Handmade lamps, dishware, furniture and other useful items can be integrated into anybody's decorating scheme and lifestyle, bringing with them the daily enjoyment of one-of-a-kind art pieces.

"Our customers are looking for something that's special, that you 
don't see everywhere," said Donald Clark. co-owner of Pinch Pottery in  Northampton. "These handmade pieces speak to them about the
process of how it's made, and the human effort that went into it." 

"Various areas of the country are known for making various
things," he said. "The Valley has a very deep and strong 
pottery tradition, which means people who live in the area have 
access to a wealth of things and artists unknown in the rest
of the country." 

Clark said his customers enjoy buying products that are made by local artists. "They really want to see what's made here," he said, "so we carry the work of a dozen local potters."

Supporting local artists

A local product represented at Pinch Pottery is the wood and tile furniture, mirrors, clocks, trivets and frames made by Easthampton husband-and-wife team David Levy and Marcia LaRocque. "Marcia does the tile and David does the wood," Clark said. "They have a wonderful way of marrying the two materials."

"These pieces are meant to be enjoyed every day," said LaRocque.. "They're sturdy and durable. And they are fun to have on hand, and more interesting than something mass-produced in Taiwan."

"Our home furnishings exemplify the synergy that springs from combing materials and styles in unexpected creative ways," she said. "Our carefully chosen colors of tile and wood produce a light-hearted look that's both casual and elegant, and can find a place in nearly every decor."

LaRocque said that her husband assembles each piece using traditional wood joinery, the sands lightly and colors them with milk paint to allow the wood grain to show through. She then adds her hand-painted tiles to "bring a touch of whimsy to the piece," she said.

LaRocque said she enjoys creating items that people can use and enjoy.

"It's a really nice feeling to bring joy into people's with our work," she said. "It's a meaningful way to have a connection with humanity."

Prices for Levy-LaRocque pieces available at Pinch Pottery range from $18 for trivets, $33 for frames, $99 for mirrors, and $128 for a large tower clock, which LaRocque said was "a good value for what they are getting." "They like the idea that that real people have worked this, and put themselves into it," she said. "They are lovely things to work with."

LaRocque said a wide range of people buy their work. "The pieces mix with everything from antique's to contemporary decors, and are harmonious with ceramics, glass, iron, " she said. "They slip into any room, and seem approachable and down to earth. People like having them around.

Artistic Connection

Patty Arbour owner of the Artisan Gallery in Northampton's Thornes Marketplace, said that selling fine craft items is pleasing to her as well as her customers. "I enjoy representing these artists, and participating in the creative process in this way, the final step of getting their work out to people," she said. "And my customers connect with items that are hand-made and tap them into the creative process that everybody has."

Arbour said that one of the best-selling items in her store is dinnerware made by Kaleidoscope pottery in Easthampton--which is decorated with impressions of real leaves. "I've never seen an item with such wide appeal," she said. "It is earthy and yet sophisticated, with a warm feeling and simple lines. I think it is very sensuous, with the movement of the leaves."

Kaleidoscope makes dinner plates, bowls, baking dishes, platters and spoon rests, all lead-free, dishwasher-microwave-oven safe. "They are designed with daily use in mind," said Christy Knox, Kaleidoscope's CO-owner with her husband Peter Feitner, and friend Evelyn Snyder. "Using them makes every meal special."

The pottery is made by pressing fresh leaves into soft clay, then spraying the piece with colored clay to leave visible images in dark blue-black of creamy white backgrounds. "They are kind of like instant fossils," Knox said. Knox said they fire the pieces at a temperature of 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, making the surfaces very durable and scratch resistant.

"We've had a customer tell us they had used our dishes everyday for 20 years, and said they are still as beautiful today as they were then," she said. "And they've only broken one of them." Knox said they make the pottery with 50 different types of leaves, from wild grass and Japanese maple leaves to ferns and Virginia creeper, all gathered from their gardens and the surrounding area.

Leafware by Kaleid-oscope Pottery is made by pressing
fresh leaves into soft clay,
then spraying the piece
with soft clay. 

"There is really something magical about the leaves," she said. "They are a natural element, very intrinsic in our lives. I think as society gets more technical, it becomes more important to find attachments to nature. These ground you somewhere."

Arbour agreed that the leaves were the product's big appeal. "People like that the leaves are grown and gathered locally," she said. "Sometimes we get customers who are moving away, and they will buy some of these to take with them as a reminder of the place." Prices for the pottery range from $12 for a spoon rest and $28 for a dinner plate up to $78 for a jumbo round platter.

"Eating meals off these plates and washing the dishes becomes kind of a personal daily ceremony," Knox said. "They are a utilitarian object, but very beautiful and special." "I just had a party, and it was a pleasure to serve the food on beautiful pottery platters and bowls," said Arbour. "When you spend a lot of time making special food, then to find just the right serving piece says the effort is complete."