BootsnAll Travel Network



La Borne

                                                
              Besides the odd other jobs I’ve been busying myself with like building a sandbox for Frankie’s granddaughter and stacking wood, (Everything I ever needed to learn about stacking wood I learned at Farmer Tom’s in Galena)  I have also gone on a few road trips so far, and I’ve only been here two weeks! 
  Last Sunday we went to La Borne,  which back in its hay day was a huge mecca for woodfire potters. Well, I have to say it wasn’t or isn’t what they say it used to be.   There is a huge concentration of potters there, and honestly we didn’t have the time to visit them all so I don’t want to give a generalization about them all but most of the work was aimed towards selling to tourists and was a bit of a let down:(   I did have the chance to see an anagama built by a Norgeweian potter who had been in La Borne 30 years                      
 I did have to prod him a  bit, but it was the highlight of the trip and the anagama was on fired twice!!  Oh how I want to convince that guy to let me fire that kiln! 
   It seems no one woodfires anymore, unless it is for their own enjoyment.  I guess the general tourists are only into shiny colbalt glazes and molded tigers.   Quel Dommage!! (What a pity!!)    It is really hard for potters here, no one wants to buy pottery and for the general population it is unheard of to have a hobby like pottery let alone pay someone to take a class.
The potters in La Borne have this attitude that it’s over, they are barely surviving and it’s almost not worth it. 
            It is usually just one person that comes from Paris to check out all the local work and if you don’t have what he or she thinks is it then you’re screwed.   It really shows on these potters, the dejected look of defeat, Oh it’s so sad!  Not to say there isn’t hope.  Everything in life has an ebb and flow and hopefully it will come back to La Borne someday.              
                I did hear of a woodfire kiln somewhere in Berry, down the D10, I will ride my bike there soon and make friends with the guy, hopefully I can convince him in my terrible French that there is a silver lining..
 Until next time
 
**big hugs to all**  Jessica
 
  

 

 

 



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2 responses to “La Borne”

  1. James says:

    Sounds like you’re off to a great start in la belle France. Hope to see you there soon!

  2. landry says:

    sounds like you must have been in la borne in february or something; i found la borne very much alive and one of the most creative and energetic pottery places on earth. maybe next time eh?

  3. admin says:

    poop, i must have missed it..

    La Borne, wasn’t what I thought it would be, however, what really is in this world?

    the best places have yet to be descovered, YAY for the unknown,

    I still be searching, let me know if you know of anyone in the south pacific

    xx
    miss
    j

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