Get out of the house!

This was a perfect crisp fall day, so the family and I took advantage of the beautiful weather to skip housekeeping and go for a drive. The itinerary was as follows: first stop, St. Andrew by the Bay craft fair; next three stops, nearby artists on the Annapolis Pottery Trail; final stop, the Navy’s HSV-2 Swift docked at the Naval Academy.

The craft fair was enjoyable, and I gathered business cards from a variety of vendors whose wares had potential for holiday gift giving.

The first stop we made along the trail was about a mile from our house. Jayne Shatz is an established artist, educator, and ceramic historian. The majority of her work is what I would call “free form” or “contemporary.” She has a strong focus on wall sculpture, vessels, fountains and tiled table art. Relocated from New York, her studio is in the basement of her Arnold townhome, and she showcases some of her works in the front yard. Among my favorite pieces were Piano Forte “Grilled Porcelain,” “Ballerina on Point” (which would look awesome at the top of my stairs), and “Wheat Fan.” Before we left we picked up the official tour “passport.” Each artist on the tour would stamp your passport. Those who completed the entire trail over the two-day event would qualify to win one of nine pieces crafted by the featured artists.

Next was another neighborhood craftswoman, Aleida Renwick. Aleida’s Potter’s Place studio is at the back of her home in the community of Bayberry. Aleida is a spry, senior artist whose works often focus on natural images…fish, leaves. I wrote the note “leaf plates” on her business card because I would love to add some of them to my own home. A lot of clay artists create such plates, but Aleida’s stand apart. There’s almost a fossil-like quality to their detail, set in a highly elegant potter’s style. Aleida doesn’t have a website, but she can be reached at her studio at 410-757-2086.

Our final stop before the Naval Academy was in the Homewood section of Annapolis. Homewood Pottery studio is tucked away at the end of Brewer Avenue. As we walked through the high wood gate we were greeted by the crackling and whooshing of craftsman John Jensen’s raku kiln. My husband is partial to raku so this was a particularly interesting stop for us. John and his associate Jonnie Friedman have a cozy studio with a variety of pieces and styles. The majority of the raku pieces John had on display are what I call “crackled” finish. His stoneware pieces are richly colored and highly useful, microwavable and of ideal proportions for the family table. My favorites were those with detailing on the outside.

Where John’s stoneware designs are what I would consider more traditional, Jonnie’s raku works are quite unique. She has an exceptional teapot I would love to add to my collection (hint, hint Jeff).

Finished with the closest studios on the tour we headed for the Naval Academy.

The HSV-2 Swift is a high-speed catamaran, designed by the Australians and contracted for the U.S. Marine Corps. The ship can maintain an average speed of 35 knots, and its shallow draft has made it an ideal experimental vessel for mine warfare command and support.

Our first glimpse of the Swift was on our way over the Naval Academy Bridge. My son aptly began referring to it as “the brick.” Our view was of the aft decks, and the vessel looked like a big, gray, rectangular brick.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps exhibits that had been set up in the Swift’s cargo hold were barren—the crew had taken off for the Navy/Illinois football game. Regardless, the kids got to climb on some military hardware and prowl the heliport deck. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to see it, but what I’d really like is to see it at sea, cruising steadily at 35 knots.