One of Rodney Leftwich’s elementary school teachers once wrote on his report card that “he should listen more in class and not draw so much.” Some things, such as artistic talent, should not be ignored.

When he was a young boy, his father gave him a large lump of clay and, within an hour, he had fashioned a farmer, a baby chick, a giraffe, a seal with a ball on its nose, and a small basket with a handle. His career path was set.

His wife Kim (they met in 2000 while he was demonstrating pottery at the Mountain State Fair) is an accomplished potter in her own right. She says nature has always been the main influence in her work, though she adds that she’s never thought of herself as an artist, choosing instead to make things for her personal enjoyment.

Her current work includes face jugs with wire hair and pottery decorated with possums, turtles, and singing dogs. She and Rodney sometimes collaborate on pieces.

Rodney primarily uses the potters wheel, while Kim prefers to work with clay slabs, coils, and modeling. Their pieces are fired to high stoneware temperatures and are quite durable.

From the outset of his career, Rodney has been fascinated by the historical pottery traditions of Western North Carolina. He began studying their forms and glazes and methods of manufacture, as well as those who made them. “In 1977-–78, I assisted Burlon Craig of Vale, North Carolina,” says Rodney. “He was the last of the traditional mountain potters. From him I developed skills in firing and a greater appreciation for the history behind the pots.” Based on his years of research, he co-authored North Carolina Art Pottery and wrote Pisgah Forest Pottery and Nonconnah: The Potteries of Walter B. Stephen

Rodney’s early pieces were copies of old crocks and milk pitchers and also face jugs. As others began to do the same types of pieces, he began incising scenes on his pottery, eventually cutting out around and between the images to create decorative vases and candle lanterns. The process he employs requires hours of intricate cutting, incising, and glazing. “This style, while rooted in the historical pottery traditions, is unique in its approach,” he explains.

Both Rodney and Kim treasure the historical pottery traditions of our region preparing their glazes, as did the potters in the 1800s, using wood ashes, clay slips, crushed glass, and iron rock. The resultant surfaces are warm earth tones.

Rodney is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the couple’s pieces are sold at the Guild’s Folk Art Center in Asheville and they display at several regional craft shows, including the Arts and Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn and the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival in Hickory.

Rodney and Kim host a sale at their home studio in Mills River the last weekends of April and October, or by appointment other times of the year. For more information, email artleftwich@yahoo.com or call 828.890.3053.