Jane Rekedal, a local potter and ceramics instructor of 32 years at Gavilan College, will host her bi-annual Aromas Pottery Studio Open House – an event she’s held since 1975 – from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 3-4 at 1560 Cannon Road in Aromas.
Open to the public twice a year in the spring and late fall, a visit to Rekedal’s working studio is well worth the leisurely 15-minute drive from Hollister. Lush landscapes of green hills folding into themselves en route is something out of a painting – a simple reminder of the pastoral sublimity specific to the Santa Clara and San Benito communities hugging Highway 101. The final destination is a cozy wooden hideaway with glass paneled windows and ceiling-high brick kiln, calling to mind the artist communes rooted in the intimate, cliffy alcoves of Big Sur.
“This place has magic,” agreed Rekedal of the space, which she has been renting for 36 years.
Visitors interested in purchasing locally handmade treasures will find eclectic creations of aesthetic and textural appeal. Some items may include raised cake plates, rotund teapots with spouts sculpted into horse heads, garlic keepers, deep bowls with undulatory anatomies and thick mugs coated in shimmering glazes.
The canons of locale penchants can be seen in an array of her works, standouts including a whimsical crop of garlic keepers for the Gilroyans, deep-bellied acorn jars with matching lids in a live oak tribute to Morgan Hill and a family of bowls fashioned after otters in a nod to Monterey Bay’s iconic marine life.
Details: For more information, call Rekedal at (831) 566-4576 or email jr***@ra*******.com.
