Very talented women potters in Fesi! Firstly I just spent as day just watching them making pots and burnishing and firing their works. I inspected their work, their gallery, their wood kiln and just watched those making pots.
The next visit I had made some sketches of new ideas, and designs, and talked to them about designs, proportion etc, and left them the sketches, and then when I returned next they had made every sketched piece, plus more with their own interpretation of the designs and it was amazing! They were remarkable! I was floored! They had even taken a image from my business card and made the quirky teapot off it!! I suggested they made local animals like anteaters, pigs, guinea fowl chicks buck etc, and their designs were truly delightful!
They are not interested in using their wood kiln supplied by Oxfam, because they do not want to fire longer than their open pit 25 minute bamboo and bark firings. I suggested that they did not blacken all their pots but left some with the rich colors of the flame on their deeply red earthen ware clay.
They need markets to sell their work in, they need flyers to been printed and posted at all the guest houses, and tourist bureaus in the area. And they need to answer emails that are sent to them! There is a possibility that Tim Dougherty the local Peace Corp man will reopened the art gallery for local artwork and they should certainly be part of that.
Great women, great potters and artists! Some 3 generations strong,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, incredible!
Peta Hall
Bloomfield, Ontario Canada
Kpandu Village
February 2008
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