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by Holly Matthews [email protected] RICHMOND TOWNSHIP � Don Lombardo decided to take a risk. He would pursue his artistic talent on a full-time basis. The Centerville resident is a potter and creator of stained glass pieces, all of which he fashions at his Brown Stone Studio. Lombardo had been employed at Victorian City Art & Frame in Franklin for 4� years � all the while creating his unique handmade pottery at home. The pottery work is time-consuming, and Lombardo found he didn�t have the time to create adequate pieces to take to shows. He said it�s often necessary to pay fees for shows many months in advance and he found he was tying up his cash in show fees while not being able to create the necessary inventory. �Something had to give. I decided to take a chance and work in my studio full time,� Lombardo said. Besides shows, Lombardo�s pottery work is available through several galleries, including one in Westfield, N.Y., and Leslie Blake�s Back Home Studio off North Richmond Road. Blake, well-known for her original paintings and limited edition prints, took time Thursday to discuss Lombardo�s work and creativity. �He�s a hidden talent. I don�t know of anyone in this area who does what he does � and I admire his decision to take this risk to make a living as an artist,� Blake said. Blake added that all of Lombardo�s work is done by hand. �There�s no slip casting,� she said. That is a process in which liquid slip (clay) is poured into a plastic mold to make pieces of pottery. He also pulls clay to create each handle, she said. No extruder is used. Blake�s studio is featuring a variety of Lombardo�s work including mugs, bowls, berry baskets, puzzle jars and honey jars. Speaking of honey, Lombardo noted that he was a beekeeper for a time. One day he saw a beekeeper�s hat lying on the floor and was struck by its form. He decided to create forms in clay based on that hat. Lombardo said he adds a new color of glaze to his collection each year. Last year he devised a navy shade and this year many of his pieces are seafoam in color. He admits that sometimes his efforts have failed. For instance, he tried to create a burgundy and it wasn�t to be. With a laugh, Lombardo described a final product as �flamingo pink.� He said he worked with stained glass for about 13 years at which time a friend who was a potter influenced him to try his skills in that medium. He sat down at her wheel and his first creation was an unexpected success. He mistakenly decided that throwing pottery was easy and purchased his own equipment. �That first year I had more grief than it was worth,� he recalled. A year later, however, he had found the shape that his work has since taken. Firing the clay, he said, poses a number of risks to the product � including cracking. An occasional piece will explode in the kiln if there is too much moisture. The first firing is at 1,100 degrees and the second at 2,300 degrees. Each firing takes approximately seven to nine hours and Lombardo lets his pieces cool for a day. Becaues of the time involved, he says he tries to pack his kiln as full as possible. Lombardo humorously will relate that his mistakes and broken pieces have filled a former ditch behind his studio. �It�s my pot cemetery,� he says, wondering what archaeologists of the future might think if they should come upon it. Lombardo also hangs from trees some creations he cannot use, and thinks it would be interesting to watch a tree trunk grow around a piece of pottery. Lombardo signs each piece of his work. The dishes and mugs, Blake points out, are strong and fully functional. �They are microwave and dishwasher safe.� Blake is especially fond of a hand-painted pattern of Lombardo�s. The pieces � cups, plates, bowls, candleholders � boast a flower pattern and because they are hand-painted each is somewhat different. No stamps are used. Blake has titled this work as Lombardo�s �wisteria pattern.� Lombardo works with a commercial mix of clay and purchases 300 to 800 pounds at a time in 50-pound boxes. �I store it in my living room,� he said. �I got rid of my kitchen table and moved my wheel in there,� he said. His three kilns are in the basement. �I used to make terrariums in the basement, but pottery has taken over,� he said. Lombardo also continues to create stained glass pieces and windows upon request. Each of his designs is unique. �I don�t think you should see your window in someone else�s home,� he explained. Blake�s Back Home Studio features the work of five artists, including husband, Gary, who fashions custom handmade furniture, trunks, boxes and other wood items. She said Lombardo�s style is earthy which compliments the other pieces there. �Our minds are on the same level,� she concluded. Lombardo�s pottery can be seen at the studio during its business hours which are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It is located one quarter mile off Route 77. Add a comment |
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