Lilies Bloom in Wolfeboro
The lily lights with their organic stems seem to grow right from the table. These signature works of ceramic artist Doug Blum start on the potter’s wheel and are then “pulled” upward, echoing the lines of nature. Finally a globe of translucent porcelain is added that glows with the light of a 60-watt bulb.
The oil lamps ($95 and up) also start on the wheel, but the stoneware vessel is collapsed to create a container for oil. Blum shapes whimsical heads, both human and animal, who seem to enjoy the attention as much as the owner.
Blum recently moved to Wolfeboro from Connecticut for a fixed home/studio/gallery space after spending 37 years on the craft fair circuit. It was at Monmouth University where he was first attracted to the glow of an outdoor kiln and soon developed an affinity for the process and people in the American craft movement that flourished in the ’70s.
Now his gallery, adjacent to his studio in Wolfeboro, offers display space for the lily lights ($130 to $380) with one, two or three stems; his oil lamps and stoneware vessels; and black-and-white photography — all with his reflective take on the balance between nature and humanity.
— Susan Laughlin
Doug Blum
The Studio Gallery
166 North Main St., Wolfeboro
Open May through December or by appointment. (603) 569-6764
www.dougblum.com