Janet Dunn's creative side shows in her pots

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 1:18 PM EDT

By Jessika Toothman
Fayette Neighbor Staff Writer

People show new facets of themselves all the time, and Janet Dunn is polishing her newest facet --- potter.

Pottery has been a hobby of hers for more than 15 years. Since she and her husband, Fayette Commission Chairman Greg Dunn, moved into a new home three years ago and renovated an old shed in the back yard into a studio, she has had the opportunity to dedicate more time to her artwork.

An exhibit of her pottery is showing through the end of this month at the Fayette County Public Library, and pieces will be on sale afterward at the Fayette Art Center and Gallery.

Very earthy and organic, Ms. Dunn's pottery has a country cottage feel, and she frequently uses mixed media techniques to augment this.

"I just have one of those experimental natures," she said.

Bits of nature often slip their way into the pottery. Items such as leaves and pine straw are incorporated by pressing them into wet clay for texture, and well as using them to accent finished products.

"I like mistakes. Some of my favorite things have actually turned out to be mistakes, where I was going in one direction and the clay or the glazes decided to go in a different direction," said Ms. Dunn.

The renovation of the old shed in the back yard into a studio took six months and the whole family to complete. It is built in a circle of trees, and Mrs. Dunn still has plans to improve it and the landscape around it, including adding ways to attract more of her favorite bird-the hummingbird.

The studio is a great airy space complete with all the equipment a potter could need, from a slab roller to a kiln to rows of glazes. It even has a one-way glass birdfeeder over the sink for covert bird watching.

To view Mrs. Dunn's pottery online, visit her Web site, www.hummingbird-hollow.com.