pitchpinepottery

fall is in full swing here in Vermont. it’s been difficult to quit gawking at all the foliage and get some work done, but we aren’t exactly mad about that either ☺️ i’ve been collecting leaves to study and sketch, so i guess it’s a little bit of work and play all in one go 🍂 how many species can you name? hint: one of them isn’t found on land 🙃

pitchpinepottery

here’s a shallow serving bowl in cinnamon and cream that matt and i made together. i threw the pot and he did all the glazing. a potter friend told us once that if we could pull off this kind of teamwork, we would be unstoppable. we still have so much to learn—literally multiple lifetimes worth. but i know we’re on the right path, i couldn’t be more proud, and we’re just getting started ✌🏼

pitchpinepottery

i spent a lot of my life living in fear. i was taught at a young age that the outside world was a scary place. so i was afraid of everything. long drives to new places, traveling, making new friends, taking chances, being alone. somewhere along the way, i chose to move 2300 miles away from everything i’d grown up knowing. my religion, my family, my friends. matt and i very much so needed a fresh start, with nothing familiar or painful around. i kept telling Matt, i felt like i wasn’t awake. so away we went. far away. and you know what happened? i turned a lot of those fears into challenges. don’t get me wrong, i still failed at half of them, about half of the time. with new friends, i’d share too much or not at all. i’d panic if we didn’t have a plan, or got lost on the road. i trusted when i should have listened to my gut. but i kept telling myself at least i was trying. these days, there’s nothing i love more than a long car ride to nowhere familiar. the other day i got in my van after a therapy session and just drove. up a mountain near the house, just to see the view from the very top. i took a big breath of cold autumn air, watched some ravens flying above, then came back down the mountain. to a house i bought unseen, to a life i could have never convinced young Tara i’d have one day 🍂

pitchpinepottery

i don’t know about you, but my creativity goes out the window when my heart and mind are being torn in other directions. i’ve been navigating a lot since moving back to the northeast. the reality that our problems follow us, wherever we end up. our insecurities need facing, and our hearts need opening. so this summer looked a lot like facing family, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new ones. seeking professional help for the first time, and getting more familiar with the woman i see in the mirror. it’s been a whirlwind, to say the least, and despite the vagueness i hope you can relate in some small way. it’s about growth, and reaching for the stars even when all else seems heavy. photo taken by my best friend, @ghostsofgondolin , on a particularly still and starry night. so bright we could see the milky way, and the stars shimmered in the water by our feet ✨

pitchpinepottery

Autumn moon mugs for days, especially rainy cozy ones 🍂

pitchpinepottery

Uh huh, that’s right — acorn dishes are coming out of the kiln and for once in my life I feel like I’m on-trend #autumnishere 😘🍁

pitchpinepottery

tomorrow’s restock is particularly transformative for us to share. for as long as i can remember, it’s been difficult for me to step aside and relinquish control. i’m someone who hates asking for help and always has something to prove. but with each year, Matt shows me what a partner is, and takes a task off of my own plate and happily places it on his own. this is the first batch that Matt has taken the lead on glazing. not only did he glaze this entire collection, but he also made each and every glaze himself 🍂 this is a turning point for pitch pine, and we’re excited to see where it leads us. we took a celebratory canoe ride this afternoon to commemorate the occasion 🛶 cheers to new and exciting possibilities ✨

pitchpinepottery

Detail shot of the top of a russet fox jar 🦊 Foxes are one of my favorite animals to create, and I’m often drawn to what I imagine their curious lives are like: rollicking in the meadows, nuzzling in their dens, and chasing each other by the light of the moon. On a side note - after a ton of hard work from the two of us, I’m happy to reveal that the next shop restock is gonna be this Thursday evening at 8 pm eastern ✌🏼