August is a lovely month for enjoying the abundance of blooms from the gardens all around us. Beginning August 2, Maine Potters Market has a special display of David Orser's beautiful atmospheric fired vases.

One of the driving forces for David is the pursuit of beautiful, intriguing, glazes and surfaces that speak of the awe that he experiences in witnessing the natural world. Stones, leaves, water and fire, all inform the work. Most fascinating to David is when the work speaks not of the maker, but of the forces of nature that are present in the depths of the glaze.

David's work has its roots in tradition that is not easily seen in practice today. He draws influences from traditional American folk stonewares, Korean inlaid porcelains, medieval English forms, Japanese Haniwa architectural forms, and Chinese and Japanese tea wares, as well as the sculptural concerns from the modernist, cubist and futurist art movements.

David says, “The act of making work with the same tools and motions that would have been used centuries ago can give one a sense of what these people might have experienced, at the very least on a tactile level. I cannot experience the cultural context in which these historical works came into being, but I might glean some insights into what those who made them might have felt.”

One of David's pieces in the home imbues the space with that same spirit. What better way to display the beauty of nature than in a wood- or salt-fired vase by David Orser of Cedar Mountain Potters.

ABOUT DAVID ORSER—David Orser is one half of Cedar Mountain Potters, the husband and wife team of Laurel MacDuffie and David Orser. They have been working in their studio at their 1800s-era farm in Parsonsfield, Maine since 1999. David has been making pottery and sculpture for more than 30 years. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree at Cranbrook Art Academy. His work has been exhibited nationally and is in numerous private collections.

ABOUT MAINE POTTERS MARKET—Founded in 1978 by a group of potters who envisioned a cooperative market where they could educate customers and sell their wares to the public, Maine Potters Market currently consists of 14 potters from 12 Maine studios. The rich variety of handmade work available for sale keeps Maine Potters Market customers returning.