Some of the humble beginnings of our branch of the Williams family tree. . Earlier this week I traveled with my dad to the old family stomping grounds in the rural areas between Orangeburg and Swansea, SC. This old house started as a two room cabin long ago and was home to my grandfather during the earlier part of his life. I never lived here but recall visiting many times when we lived in SC. The only remnants of the original cabin are the foundation stones on which it was built (you can see them sticking out of the foundation here and there) and a few wooden shingles that peak out from under the newer metal roof. . The house is hidden near the center of a large grove of long-leaf pines now, with a long driveway and a maze of fire-breaks to wander through, but in my childhood the trees were only along fence lines, and the fields were planted with soybean. The house is at the top of the hill, and one had a good view of the surrounding countryside. . I'll venture back and linger longer sometime soon. And my dad said he'd be happy to sit down with me to get some of the old family lore recorded. . . . . . #swanseasc #familyhistory #longleafpine #ancestralhome 
Happy Monday! 😃 I was greeted this morning by something I had entirely forgotten about from late Saturday, and it's like a little gift I hid for myself! . With quieter moments at hand, I've been playing around with the carve patterns on some drape mold pieces. After closing on Saturday, I stuck around to finish out the carving on a few pieces that were right at the perfect consistency for carving, when it occurred to me to shift my flower pattern so that the pedals fell on the corners instead of the on the broad edges. That worked out fine, BUT THEN I realized that I could square the pedals up a bit on the next one and achieve something closer to an Arts & Crafts style. . The dish closest to the camera is the Arts & Crafts-leaning one. I'm not sure why this thrills me so, but it does so why fight it? 😁 . Look for more of this as time passes! . . . . #pottery #potterylove #mondaymornings #artsandcrafts #carvedclay #ornamentalflowers #artsandcraftsstyle #decor #ceramics #ceramic #handcarved #ceramica #claystudio #drapemold #geekingoutonpottery #claylove #claylife #forgottengifts #lifeisgood #morgantonnc #burkecountync #downtownmotown 
Quiet studio day . . . . . . #hamiltonwilliams #pottery #potterystudio #ceramics #ncpotter #downtownmorganton #morgantonnc #wnc #828 #828isgreat #ceramicsstudio #ceramicsofinstagram #pottersofinstagram #handcarved #stonewarepottery #stonewareceramics #downtownmotown #burkecountync #burkeout #quiet #quietafternoons 
The 'before' shot. 🙂 . One of the things that will change this year is the studio space. In 2013, I moved my pottery production to this space in Downtown Morganton so that I could expand the number and variety of pieces produced. That plan did not originally include a gallery space in the other half of the building, but rather a small display of work in the front window of the gallery (to the right of the photo). But the effort to develop the building quickly expanded to include first a simple retail shop, and then a larger full-service gallery. It was the right decision, but resulted in pulling my full attention away from the studio. Through the years the gallery has been open, I have never fully realized my intentions for the studio space and thus it lacks sufficient organization and development. This year will be different, and I have committed to spending the time and effort necessary to get the studio organization hammered out. . The delay has been helpful, though, as I have had ample opportunity to figure out how production needs to flow through the space and where our problem spots are. One aspect of studio development that I had not previously given much thought to is aesthetics. This is a beautiful space with a generous amount of natural light and a gorgeous patina on the brick walls. I am loathe to alter this space very much, and I will make sure that any changes enhance the aesthetics of the space rather than diminish them. . . . . #potterystudio #aesthetics #brick #studiospace #studioprojects #pottery #ceramics #ceramic #ceramica #ceramik #stonewarepottery #warehousespace #downtownmorganton #morgantonnc #changesarecoming #ceramicsofinstagram #pottersofinstagram #beautiful #naturallight #craftgallery #hamiltonwilliams #studiodevelopment #design #studiodesign #wnc #828isgreat #asheville #appalachianmountains #burkecountync #burkeout