The Blind Potter

Photos from Roy's Folks Show 2011

2011-12-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

the 2011 show was the best show ever!

2011-10-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Kerry Wilson the Blind Potter, entred the NC state fair with two pieces of art; 3D and sculptures.She won a 2nd place red ribbon for her tea pot lamp, and the white ribbon for her bird house.There were alot of exhibitors this year, 1st place went to a birdhouse made from 4 kinds of wood.What should I make next year ????Looking for the blue ribbon next year.

2011-08-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hi from the Blind Potter,Sorry I've been away so long. I have lots of new and exciting pieces of pottery that I'll post real soon!! At this time I have no events scheduled. Stay tuned for more new and exciting pieces from the Blind Potter.Kerry Wilson

Pandora's Books

2010-06-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

The "beyond sight" support group is on Facebook now.
Come join our group!! (follow link above)

On SALE at Pandora's Books

Coffee mugs!! Coffee mugs!! Coffee mugs!!

The mugs are made in Italy and are extra large.

They are $10 each and have been colored by Kerry Wilson

All proceeds will go to assist the visually impaired

We are working toward purchasing a CCTV for the book store.
The cost is $2800

Come by the book store or call Kerry for your special color. We also ship anywhere for $5 for the first mug and $2.50 for any additional mug. They are dishwasher and microwave safe.

House : (336) 746-7797 ~~ Cell Phone : (336) 240-1810

Pandora's Books
23 West Second Avenue Lexington, NC 27292
Telephone: (336) 248-2551

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP !!

2010-04-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Have a Happy Easter!

Good Bye to the Best of Texas Festival at Six Flags

2010-02-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

To all of my friends in Texas at Six Flags after 20 years of the Best of Texas Festival I am sorry to see it go. I will miss you all at Six Flags. Thank you for all of the great memories!
Kerry

Happy Holidays!!!!

2009-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Remember This December, That love weighs more than gold!

~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

Ramses

2009-12-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

Other

2009-12-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

2009-11-26T13:04:00.001-08:00

Roy's Folks Crafts Fair

2009-11-25T00:08:00.001-08:00

Roy;s Holiday show will be Nov. 18 and 19 2011 at the Oak Hollow Mall in Hight Point NC. alot of new items all one of a kind starting at 5.00 and up! something of everyone see you their.

Disney's Handheld Device Adds Audio Description

2009-11-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

I came accross this article written by Heather Hust Rivera. All of us love Disney and something like this could enhance the experience.

Did you know the Disneyland Resort has several services available for guests with visual and hearing disabilities? I am 40 percent deaf, and I didn’t know about Disney’s Handheld Device until last month.

I’ve never been able to hear all of the audio in attractions such as the Enchanted Tiki Room, and I’ve often wondered if I’m missing some of the rich storytelling that Walt Disney Imagineers carefully and creatively incorporate into all of the attractions at the Resort. Now, thanks to Disney’s Handheld Device, I won’t be missing those special details anymore.

Today, I thought I’d give you a quick rundown of this service in case you or someone you know can benefit from this really cool tool.

Disney’s Handheld Device is a palm-sized wireless device that was developed in 2002. The device features several services, including Assistive Listening, which provides amplified audio at 12 attractions, and Handheld Captioning, which displays text for 14 attractions.

A new service was just added yesterday. Audio Description, now available at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, provides narrated audio for guests with visual disabilities by describing visual attraction elements, such as actions, settings and scene changes.

The audio below is from the Audio Description for the Haunted Mansion. We’ve layered in some clips from the attraction to show what the audio is describing.

Audio Description is being offered at 19 attractions at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks: Enchanted Tiki Room, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, ‘it’s a small world’, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Disneyland Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters inspired by Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 2,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”, It’s Tough to be a Bug! inspired by Disney-Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” Turtle Talk with Crush inspired by Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! inspired by Disney-Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” and Muppet*Vision 3D – Muppet Vision 3D © The Muppets Studio, LLC.

So, now that you know all about it, where do you get it? Guests with visual or hearing disabilities can obtain a handheld device at the Guest Relations offices, near the entrances to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. The devices are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is a fully-refundable $100 daily deposit for use.

Here is the link to the original Disney posting
(posted on November 2nd, 2009 by Heather Hust Rivera, Manager, Print and Social Media, Disneyland Resort)

More Lexington

2009-10-20T16:00:00.001-07:00

A little about Lexington, North Carolina.

2009-10-19T12:23:00.001-07:00

Lexington is located in the heart of Piedmont
country in Davidson County, North Carolina.
Lexington was first settled in 1775 and it was
named after Lexington, Mass., the location of
first battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Lexington is nicknamed the Barbeque Capital of the World.

Uptown Lexington hosts an annual Barbecue festival along Main Street.
Since 2003, fiberglass pigs are elaborately and creatively painted by artists then paraded and displayed as part of the “Pigs in the City” project.
This pig has a home in front of the Candy Factory.
The first barbeque restaurant in Lexington
no longer exists.
The space was incorporated into the City Hall.

Lexington has a number of monuments honoring our fallen heroes.
Below is a picture of the VietNam War monument located in the
Town Square.

Did you know that Elvis Presley was paid $200 for performing at the YMCA in Lexington on March 21, 1956?

Emily's Project

2009-10-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Back in August we showed you Emily's High School project in progress.

Here is Emily working on her project.

Below are slides of the completed work.

Emily is a senior at Central High School in Davidson County, North Carolina. She has been a pottery student for two years. The vase she is painting is her Senior Project.
The vase is a flat piece that is covered with lady bugs, butterflies and dragonflies. It stands 20 inches tall and is 8 inches wide with leaves and a friendly little worm on the base.

Some whimsical work

2009-10-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

Blind Potter Update

2009-10-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Blind Potter Friends,

We haven't posted any new work for the Blind Potter for a few weeks now and we wanted to update all of you.

Kerry went to Texas to visit her friends and family and to participate in the Best of Texas Festival. On the first weekend, all of the North Texas area experienced rainy weather. This affected the turnout at Six Flags over Texas. Many folks did come by and said "hello" braving the conditions.

On her last weekend, at the Best of Texas, Kerry experienced a relapse with her PXE. She had felt discomfort with her right eye and it turned out to be a rupture. Kerry underwent surgery on her eye this Monday (9/28) and she is recovering well.

Kerry will be back behind the wheel soon!! The Potter's wheel that is!

BTW- Kerry heard yesterday that she is definitely scheduled to be at the Alabama State ACB Convention in November.

2009-10-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

More Best Of Texas

2009-09-23T20:43:00.001-07:00

At the Best of Texas Festival

2009-09-16T18:20:00.001-07:00



	UL: Our booth UR: The rain didn’t dampen their spirits. ML: More soaked visitors MR: Rain, what Rain? LL: The mask

Blind Potter at Best of Texas Festival (Updated)

2009-09-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

Come see Kerry Wilson at the Best of Texas Festival
The Blind Potter will be at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas
Saturdays and Sundays, September 12-13 and 19-20.
From 10:00am to 10:00pm

Directions to Six Flags over Texas

2009-09-08T13:04:00.001-07:00

By the Sea

2009-09-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

Egg Plates

2009-09-08T12:57:00.001-07:00

Kokopelli Plate

2009-09-08T12:18:00.001-07:00

Kokopelli is a trickster who loves to play games. ($25.00)

Believe it or not this plate is Blue with a Copper edge. For some reason it photographs this way.

Flower Bowl

2009-09-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

This flower bowl is just the right size for soup. ($15.00)

Sunflower Plate

2009-09-08T12:11:00.001-07:00

As summer comes to an end, this Chip ‘n Dip plate will make it seem like spring is here ($22.50)

Rose Plate

2009-09-08T00:47:00.001-07:00

This Rose Plate has three roses pressed into the clay. It is done in a “Red Wash” any mom would love. ($20.00)

Business Card Holders

2009-09-08T00:40:00.001-07:00

I have an assortment of Card Holders for any business
($10.00 each)

Roses Plate

2009-09-08T00:37:00.001-07:00

The Roses Pie plate is hand painted by myself in Wine About It and Ivory glazes. Makes a great wedding gift. ($25.00)

2009-09-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

On the Farm

2009-09-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

A few Flowers

2009-09-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

2009-09-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

Collage

2009-09-06T19:38:00.001-07:00

Photos from Davidson County

2009-09-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Lighthouses

2009-09-05T22:49:00.001-07:00

Heart Plate

2009-09-05T17:58:00.001-07:00

Leaf Plate

2009-09-05T17:38:00.001-07:00

Carnival Mask

2009-09-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Turtle Cup

2009-08-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

One of a kind turtle cup for a serious tea cup collector.

This is a part wheel, part hand-built design, all imagination.

($28.00)

Shot Glass

2009-08-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

"Jeff", a neon-colored fish is swimming around the punch
bowl waiting to kiss all the girls. This neon-colored fish when
turned up is a shot glass. Lots of fun for parties. ($15.00)

Work in Progress - Updated

2009-08-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

Heart Plates

2009-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

These Heart plates are great for candy, key chains, loose change or candles.

Frog Business Card Holder

2009-08-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Blind Potter at Work

2009-08-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Some of my Pottery

2009-08-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Egg Plates

2009-08-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

All the egg plates hold 18 egg halves.
Their rich, warm colors will dress up any table.

Orange Egg Plate - is an 18 egg holder with a crochet doily rolled into the clay design.
The color is Atomic Orange

All plates are dishwasher safe ($18.00 each)

Flower Plate

2009-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

This light blue pie plate with 3 hand painted roses are tied
with a bow and hearts.
It is a great gift for mom any time of the year.
($15.00)

The LightHouse Plate

2009-08-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

The LightHouse Plate is a wheel turned deep dishpie plate with laced edge. Imprint of lighthouse will appear on anything you bake.

This pie plate is one of my most popular pieces. Each one is hand painted, making them one of a kind.

Oven safe to 400° and dishwasher safe.

Unicorn Plate

2009-08-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

This 7" cake pan in Misty Blue glaze has a magical friend with a golden horn.

“Happy the Frog” Plate

2009-08-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

Happy the Frog on this 8" cake pan will cheer up any one.

He is the right size for a “JIFFY” Cake Mix or Muffin Mix. Oven safe and dishwasher safe.
Glazed in Neon Blue and Lucky Green. ($13.75)

Leaf Plate

2009-08-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

A deep-dish Pie plate with lace edge.
Ivory glaze and a Moody blue edge with a hand painted leaf in the center,
glazed in Ivory Towers and a Cobalt Blue rim.
Oven safe to 400° and dishwasher safe
($25.00)

Red Bowl

2009-08-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

This large wheeled turned bowl is the right size for a bowl of ice cream.
Big enough for 4 or 5 scoops with the works.

The glaze is Raspberry Ice. ($12.50)

Turtle Plate

2009-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Fun for parties!! Rick, Tim, Bob and Gary are having fun in the mud playing Spin the Turtle with Phil.

This 14" plate is great for Chips 'n Dip and will make people have fun!!!

($22.50)

Rebecca Pitcher - Grape Divine

2009-08-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Pitcher is done in Grape Divine glaze.
($35.00)

Emily's Senior Project

2009-08-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Emily is a senior at Central High School in Davidson County, North Carolina. She has been a pottery student for two years. The vase she is painting is her Senior Project. The vase is a flat piece that is covered with lady bugs, butterflies and dragonflies. It stands 20 inches tall and is 8 inches wide with leaves and a friendly little worm on the base.

Under The Sea Plate

2009-08-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Under The Sea Plate - is an oyster and shrimp plate. It is a 12 inch dinner plate.
Large dinner plate with fish bowl set in center, great for shrimp cocktail or chip-n-dip.

($25.00)

The Lions Club Pig

2009-08-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

The Lions Club Pig - is a pig created for "The Pigs In The City" annual event.

Jungle Plate Collection

2009-08-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Jungle Plate Collection - is an animal collection inspired by Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Pink Hatter Angel

2009-08-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

Not yet 50, Pink Hatters are a wonderful part of the Red Hat Society.

Black Plane Dish

2009-08-16T11:16:00.001-07:00

Black Plane Dish - is a candy dish, a change dish and a cereal dish.

It comes in a variety of colors.

White Plane Dish

2009-08-16T11:15:00.001-07:00

White Plane Dish - was made for weddings, for lovers, for newlyweds.

Snowman Dish

2009-08-16T11:14:00.002-07:00

Snowman Dish - is a candy or a cookie dish for Christmas

Lady Bug Plate

2009-08-16T11:14:00.001-07:00

Lady Bug Plate - is a 9 inch plate. It is one of 20 insect plates I have made.

Painted in Plum Blossom and Really Red glazes.
($12.00)

Red Hatter Change/Key Dish

2009-08-16T11:13:00.002-07:00

Red Hat Change/Key Dish - is 4 inch round dish. The color is Grape Divine with a Really Red hat.

Art courtesy of Michaela Davidson

Red Hatter Stocking

2009-08-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

Red Hatter Stocking

Business Card Holder

2009-08-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is a business card holder. It can be used for change or keys.

Work in Progress

2009-08-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

These are some pieces in progress.

You can see the Blind Potter's imagination in action below.

Granny Pot and the Turtle Pot

Red Hatter Plate

2009-08-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Red Hatter Plate - is a ten inch sandwich plate with a red pillbox hat in the center
and both are glazed in Really Red and purple hearts.
~ The Red Hat Society is a social organization founded in 1998 for women approaching the age of 50 and beyond. ~

Round Plate

2009-08-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Round Plate - is done in Norwegian lace.
The color is called Wine About It.

Palm Leaf Bread Plate

2009-08-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Palm Leaf Bread Plate - is a plate ideal for serving a variety of dishes. It can also be used for serving sliced meats; it will hold about 2 lbs. of meat. Other uses can be to serve slices of bread and buns on this plate.

Bread plate in the shape of a leaf painted in fall colors.

Mayco Color Chart

2008-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Click on picture for larger view.

Best of Texas Festival - Six Flags over Texas

2007-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Dad is helping me hang BirdBaths. "...a little to the left!!"

My brother built this booth for me.

Pottery helps woman adapt to sightless world

2006-12-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

A new life started for Kerry Wilson at the age of 37. Due to a genetic disorder called pseudoxanthoma elasticum, or PXE, she lost her sight and had to learn to adapt to life without seeing anymore.

Kerry Wilson teaches Girl Scouts as she paints at Beck's Lutheran Church recently. The scouts made pottery gifts for their families for Christmas, with assistance from Wilson. The scouts will also earn 'Try-It' badges for their efforts.

Bobbie Jamison/The Dispatch

Want to know more?Kerry Wilson teaches pottery at the Robbins Recreation Center from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday. Classes are $90 for eight weeks and includes all supplies. For more information on Wilson's pottery go to www.blindpotter.net or call 240-1810.

PXE is a progressive disorder that affects connective tissue, the material that supports and holds together different structures of the body. It causes the elastic fibers that are normally found in the skin, the retina of the eyes and blood vessels, to become calcified and lose their elasticity.
As a way to relieve stress with her disorder she began learning how to make pottery.
"I beat up the clay," she said. "It was relaxing."

Wilson, 47, was born in California. After being raised in Texas, she moved to the Carolinas for her children to have a safer environment to grow up in 1988.
While in the Carolinas, she worked in retail and furniture. That all changed in June 1997, when she lost her eyesight. Wilson has peripheral vision, meaning she can see shadows and movement.
After someone suggested Wilson learn pottery to relieve stress, she had to find a person to teach her the basics from scratch.

"I didn't even know what pottery was," Wilson said. "It was all new to me. I liked playing in the mud. It became very relaxing."

She said making pottery was helpful because after she lost her vision she became depressed and did not want to get out of bed. Wilson said creating pottery gave her a reason to get up in the morning.

"I couldn't wait to see what I could create for the day," she said. "I love it."
In a short matter of time, Wilson learned the key to pottery was the feeling.
"It came real easy," she said. "It's all in the way you feel."

In due time, Wilson was sculpturing angels, mermaids, birdhouses, bowls and plates. The bowls and plates ranged from holiday themes and pictures of flowers, turtles, frogs or anything you can imagine, which are hand-painted by Wilson.

She said every piece is made different or with a flaw.
"They're not all perfect, like we are," Wilson said. "They're all unique and one of a kind."
Wilson learned to paint scenery and animals from an artist who taught her how to stroke the curve of the items. She used big barrels to practice on and then learned how to minimize the artwork on pottery pieces.

Wilson does most of her creations in a room in the back of the house beside her kitchen, which she refers to as the "mud room." The room has more than 3,000 cookie cutters, decorative pieces and stained-glass window pieces of different shapes to help her.
She has numbers on paint bottles to guide her when choosing colors.
All of her art utensils are from houseware items such as a cheese cutter, garlic press, rolling pin and toothbrushes.

She can create up to 20 plates or half a dozen figurines a day depending on if she's preparing for a show or just creating ideas in her head. It's not hard for her to create the pieces of artwork, but it takes time to hand-paint them.

When Wilson is not in her mud room she can be found all over Davidson County teaching classes and doing shows, especially with Arts United for Davidson County. She never imagined after learning to make pottery she would also teach it.

"I enjoy showing people how to do it," she said. "I love working with kids because they have such a wonderful imagination. They're fabulous."

For the past seven years, she has been the artist for the annual chili cookoff trophy toppers sponsored by March of Dimes and 104.1 WTQR and held at Tanglewood Park in Forsyth County.

Last year she spent 14 weeks at Disney World doing shows and teaching. She has also had some artwork displayed at Six Flags Over Texas.
She has artwork on display at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in Nashville, Tenn.

An ultimate goal for her is to have her work shown at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
What started as a stress reliever led to a passion Wilson never knew she had.
She said none of it would have been possible without the help and support of her husband of nine years, Mark. She said he takes care of all the business for her while she's the artist.
Besides her husband pottery is one is the best things that has happened to Wilson.
"It's definitely a gift," she said. "I enjoy it. I'm always looking for new things to create."

Deneesha Edwards can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 213, or at deneesha.edwards@the-dispatch.com.

Published: Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 8:52 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 9:40 a.m.

Original Dispatch link

Holiday Marketplace

2002-12-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Bobbie Jamison/The Dispatch

Kerry Wilson, a blind potter, flattens a round of clay slip before using a rolling pin to make cookie cutter ornaments at the March Café Saturday afternoon during the Arts United Holiday Marketplace and the Blooming Artists Market in Uptown Lexington. Wilson makes by hand other types of ceramic pieces using her sense of touch.

Published: Monday, December 9, 2002 at 10:53 a.m.

Link to original Dispatch Article