Jane Furca

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, that’s the old adage! Well, I guess I
will have to disagree. I was over 70 the first time I sat at a pottery wheel
and now I spend most of my free time throwing pots and mugs and
whatever else happens to come off the wheel.
I had the desire to learn this beautiful craft for many, many years, but life
sort of got in the way. A single mother of two boys, working two jobs, did
not leave much time, (or money) to learn a new skill. Once they were
college bound, I left corporate America and turned my attention to selling
real estate. I became a licensed Realtor and spent the next 27 years in a
profession that I truly loved. I now had the money to learn this new skill,
but sometimes working 100+ hours a week left no time! I retired from real
estate to care for my beloved mother who had been diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s. Definitely no time to take on a new challenge.
Mom passed away, and life eventually returned to normal, but by now I
had forgotten about my desire to learn pottery. Then, the world was
turned upside down when we were all faced with a pandemic. My son
Matthew, worried about how his A-type personality mom was going to
make it through this crisis, decides what I need is a pottery wheel, and
proceeds to buy one and have it shipped to me. And so it started, and
here I am, loving pottery as much as I loved selling homes. I started
watching video after video on throwing and glazing and everything else
related to pottery, but just could not get the hang of it. With all of the
studios closed due to COVID, I wasn’t sure I was ever going to be able to
make anything. Finally, through a good friend, I found someone who was
willing to give me private lessons in her home. And so it started. Once the
crisis subsided and studios opened up again, I began taking lessons from
Debbie Altschwager of Gildersleeve Pottery. I was in awe of all of her
beautiful creations and how much she knew and was willing to share with
me. I continue to learn new skills and techniques and work with new
glazes and I have such a great sense of satisfaction that one gets from
crafting something with their own hands.
I am the proud mother of two boys, five grandchildren and one great
granddaughter. I have lived in Granby on and off from 1983 and have
been here consecutively since 1994. I was honored last December to be
accepted into Granby Artist’s Association. To be around such talented and
amazing artists of such diverse backgrounds is a privilege!
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