David Smyth, Potter

While driving through downtown Middleburgh, New York yesterday, by pure chance we ran into our friend David Smyth. We sat down together at the Middleburgh Diner for a bowl of chicken soup and a bagel, and we talked about making a living as an artist.


I sketched David's portrait as we ate our late afternoon snack. Some of his friends call him "Nimbus" because of his cloud of white hair.

David is a master potter. His shirt was covered with dried white slip. Lately he has been making coffee mugs and water-dispensing crocks.

The crocks hold 2.5 to 5 gallons of water. They have a filter mounted inside, and they work entirely by gravity. As the water drains down to the spigot at a rate of about a gallon an hour, the bacteria, chemicals, and odors are removed. It's an environmentally friendly alternative to bottled water.

More info at: Smyth/Cid Pottery