Posted 4 years ago
kwqd
(1122 items)
This small pottery cup is 3.25" high x 3.25" in diameter at the top. The size is about similar to a Japanese yunomi for drinking tea and it may be an homage to that style. For some reason, it took me about four months after I first posted this to CW to decipher the signature on this piece. I keep it on my kitchen counter and frequently use it to get a quick drink from the tap. Yesterday, I was washing it and turned it over and suddenly read the signature, "Overcast", duh! A quick trip to Google and I found that there is a lot of information about this artist, who has been a professional studio potter for fifty years, including his web site. I sent an email to Mr. Overcast for confirmation that it is his work. I worked up a short biography from information found on line.
Roy Overcast has been a professional studio art potter since 1968 and has a BS in pottery from Middle Tennessee State University and an MFA in pottery and sculpture from the University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art. His work has been featured in Nashville Arts Magazine, Southern Living Magazine, American Craft, Ceramic Monthly, Country Living and at Jerry Park Photography. He has exhibited widely and his work is in private and public collections around the world. Overcast has made a living as a studio potter for nearly 50 years. For a few years he owned a production studio, Overcast Pottery, in Nashville, TN where he had more than a dozen employees and made clay works for Cracker Barrel, Bloomingdale’s and Opryland Hotel. He was a member of the Tennessee Arts Commission 1973-1975. His work is signed by hand "Overcast" or "Roy Overcast", similar to the example in this post.
Some links:
http://www.royovercast.com/
https://nashvillearts.com/2013/10/roy-overcast/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6xhdOT1yzM
I'd call it a typical 1970s pottery class project. The stoneware clay and glaze, and especially the way it is trimmed and signed, point more in that direction than to studio pottery or art pottery.
It's probably going to be impossible to identify the maker, since there were literally hundreds of thousands of pottery students making pots based on the Japanese examples they were shown in classes in those days.
It's possible the potter went on to make studio pottery, and later learned to sign more like a studio potter would, because this is a good example of the type of item a beginning potter would make.
@CanyonRoad - Thanks for the information!
Thanks for loving my pottery cup Kevin, Jenni and aura!
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Mystery solved! I suddenly realized what the signature says! Nice to be able to check off an unsolved mystery. One down, dozens to go!