ERIN EDGEMON-Sept. 14, 2008
Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2008 7:26 am

TMP Photo by Kelly Hite. Judy Heim works on her latest creation.

Retirement is looking pretty good for Bill and Judy Heim.

Judy laughs and says she actually tells her husband to strike that word from his vocabulary.

She says she may be retired from 30 years as a schoolteacher and Bill from his career as an engineer, but they are far from being ready to put up their heels and take it easy.

Instead, the pair has turned their attention toward a love they both share — pottery.

“It just evolved,” Judy says. “It started out as a hobby and turned into a business that we absolutely love.”

They retired three years ago to focus solely on their business, Red Oak Pottery. Now, they spend at least five days a week working in their pottery workshop.

The Heims draw inspiration for their array of functional works from the lush landscape of their 67-acre Lascassas farm.

Their signature oak leaves that decorate their vases, dishes and coffee cups easily distinguish their work.

Judy developed the technique for creating the leaf shapes on the pottery.

“I wanted to find something that was different and unusual,” she says.

When the clay is about as hard as leather, Judy traces the leaf shapes around the particular piece and depending on the piece carves portions of the leaves out.

She then smoothes out the clay she has carved. Then she paints the design and prepares it to go into the kiln.

Judy attempts to put as many extra details as she can in the pottery.

“That is one thing that we hope people will recognize is our attention to detail,” Bill says.

Bill has practiced pottery for more than 15 years after learning the art from his sister. Before meeting Judy, he had never taken an art class.

Soon after meeting each other, Judy invited Bill to take a pottery class with her.

Judy, who has taken pottery classes in college, said at first she was worried about inviting him. She was afraid they wouldn’t get along and would be stuck taking the class together anyway.

Fortunately, they got along and still do.

Even the competitiveness that can develop between artists hasn’t affected them.

“We complement each other well,” Judy says.

Besides, they have their own corners to work in.

Bill does much of the throwing of the clay, which is molding the clay on a potter’s wheel, and Judy does the detail work.

The Heims spend about eight to 10 weekends a year at juried art shows around the Southeast including the White Oak Craft Fair in Woodbury and the Greenway Art Festival. They also have their wares for sale at such locations as the Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville, the Arts Center of Cannon County and several locations in Ohio, Massachusetts, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Despite their accomplishments, the Heims don’t do their artwork to make a living. They do it for the enjoyment and to afford the little extras in life.

“We are retired,” Bill says. “If it becomes a job, I will quit.”

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com.

Red Oak Pottery is open by appointment or by chance
2925 Spain Hill Road, Lascassas
273-2147
www.redoakpottery


FYI…
The White Oak Craft Fair featuring more than 90 artists from Cannon County and Middle Tennessee continues today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Arts Center of Cannon County.

The fourth annual Greenway Art Festival is slated for Sept. 20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Thompson Lane Trailhead of the Murfreesboro Greenway. More than 70 artists will display and sell their work along the trail; the festival will also include live trailside music, food vendors, children's activities and more.