Pottery by Nanette (Mazzuco)
The Walworthians
A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209
by Kate Chamberlin
Pottery by Nanette (Mazzuco)
Wouldn’t you love to chuck it all and do just what your heart desires?
Nanette Mazzuco did that a couple of years ago. She was working for a small independent convenience store chain and felt burned out. An opportunity to be employed part-time rekindled her latent love of throwing pots. She took the chance.
She certainly sounded like a happy camper when I had my
telephone interview with her. She enthusiastically told me how working with pastels and clay sculpturing in college and a Creative Workshop she’d taken at the Memorial Art Gallery, never really left her. She often thought about doing pottery on a more professional level but being fully employed, she didn’t have spare time.
Once in her part-time situation, she did a lot of reading, research and a type of apprenticeship before she actually started throwing pots again. Although functional pots are her bread and butter ware, she is quite excited about a very old, but new to her, technique of firing pots in saw dust.
It is similar to primitive raku but with a modern flavor. She shapes white stone clay on her potter’s wheel and fires it once in her “indoor” kiln. After burnishing, she fires it from 12 hours to 3 days in an “outdoor” kiln fueled with sawdust mixed with organic and inorganic materials.
“It leaves flashes of carbon and other colors on them,” she
said. “Different saw dust and other materials will leave different splashes of color. It is unique and random and very
challenging. When it works, it is quite beautiful!”
Nanette is experimenting with various sealants in her vases, so they can be used for cut, fresh flowers as well as dried arrangements. Most of her sculptures and vases are for the people with a discriminating taste for collecting art.
“Surprisingly,” she said, “a lot of my pieces are bought by men.”
When she was showing her pieces at the Arts in the Arboretum, on Klem Road, last July, the CEO of a store found in the malls called World of Science. He liked her work and she is trying to decide if that is the right way to go.
She will have her work in the High Falls Art Show sponsored by the United Rochester Area Art Groups beginning January 22, 7:00-9:00 PM. The show and sale will run for a month.
Nanette has lived in Ontario for fifteen years. She participates in a number of artistic groups including the Western Wayne Art Group; The Arabesque Art Gallery in Geneva; the Four Corners Emporium, Penfield; Potpourri of Gifts, Walworth; and the L. W. Emporium, Ontario.
According to the brochure, the Lord Willing Emporium, located in the old Plassche lumber yard with over 15,000square feet, “is part of the a unique Antique and craft shopping experience! 65 of the Finest Antique and Craft Shops located in a Turn of the Century Village!”
Walworth is a turn of the century hamlet and we are delighted to feature Nanette’s work At Potpourri of Gifts. She joins numerous other local artists who come to Edie Pasquini’s consighment shop to display and discuss their fine arts, crafts and collectibles.
You can contact Nanette Mazzuco by phoning her at 524-9410.
*L. W. Emporium, Rte. 104, Ontario, NY (315)524-8841.
*Potpourri of Gifts, 2256 Walworth-Marion Road, Walworth (315)986-7999.
*Western Wayne Art Group meets every third Tuesday, 7 PM in the Walworth Town Hall, Lorraine Drive, Walworth.
2018 Up-Date: no current information