Rock Pottery name came from the middle name of Herbert Rock Fort.
My name is Darlene Fort and my husband, Herbert Rock
Fort.We call him:Rock.He is also a potter who specializes in face jugs.I specialize in making animals, but I like to make face jugs also.
We live in Harlem, Georgia, which is near Augusta, Georgia.
I am a full-time potter now.But in the past I was a Bookkeeper.I have a BBA in Finance.
Rock is retired from a Welding career.But he is still working daily at making face jugs and other pottery.
We are a team that enjoys most of the same things.We looked for something special to do in our retirement years.We have seen several face jugs in shops and on the internet that we started to collect them. We admired the characters on these face jugs so much that we wanted to try to make them ourselves.We attended several classes and workshops learning how to make the pottery.We have read many books about pottery and we practiced for hours on the pottery wheel.We both enjoy working with our hands. Rock has made and sold over 1500 face jugs in the last 5 years.
Every face jug is special in its own way.There are no two face jugs exactly alike.
Rock signs his pottery: Rock FortorRockorR F
I sign my pottery: Darlene Fort or D. Fortor D F
Artist Statement – Darlene Fort
An artist’s work is often an expression of a personal experience which may convey feelings across time and space.The objects of this work are presented for others to view, react, and understand in many different ways.
I find joy in working with clay as it continues to have a mystical quality I can use to transform ideas into my reality.Experiencing the quiet nature of hand building to the rhythmic pleasure of making pots on the wheel, clay offers understandable relaxation. My art is play, not work!
Most of my pots are whimsical and communicate life to those who encounter them.Animals are a continual source of design inspiration which I use to create small sculptures and animal face jugs.Fortunately, it is an endless creative journey that I travel.
