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Last weekend, I went to a folk pottery festival in Cleveland. Cleveland, Georgia, that is.

Folk pottery is a big deal in North Georgia. These red clay hills have provided the raw materials and the artisans for generations, and you can find a pottery show somewhere just about any weekend.

I have a modest collection of North Georgia pottery. Nothing special or expensive. Just 20 or 25 pieces that caught my attention for one reason or the other. Some I bought from the potters themselves at shows, others I bought in craft shops. They’re everywhere, too.

Last Saturday in Cleveland, one piece that caught my attention was a clever, medium-size face jug made by a 17-year-old beginner, Luke Fincher. Luke said he comes from a family of potters, and it shows.

My habit is to take the asking price or leave it, not try to haggle. I paid Luke the beginner-level price of $30.00 for a brown, alkaline-glazed face jug with buggy eyes and the tongue stuck out.

Another piece that grabbed me was a smallish face jug made by Wayne Hewell, a well-known potter from Gillsville, Georgia.

I liked this particular jug because both eyes are looking to the right. I already have a similar jug, same size, whose eyes are looking to the left.

Left-Eyes is one of my favorites. When I bought him a couple of years ago, he frightened my granddaughter Maddie, who was then age two. We solved the problem by covering up his scary eyes with sunglasses.

I figured Left-Eyes and Right-Eyes would make a nice couple on the shelf, so I asked Mr. Hewell the price. He said $50.00. I said, “Done.”

As he began to wrap Right-Eyes in newspaper, I reached for my wallet.

“I hope I’ve got enough,” I mumbled as I leafed through the bills.

Drat! I only had $30.00.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Hewell,” I said. “My mistake. I don’t have fifty. Sorry.”

“How short are you?” he asked. I held the wallet open so he could see me count the bills.

He looked at me inquisitively. “You comin’ to Gillsville on the 3rd?” He meant the pottery show in Gillsville on October 3rd.

“Yeah, I plan to. I live in Jefferson.”

“Okay, then give me thirty now, and you can drop off the other twenty in Gillsville on the third.”

He extended his hand, and I extended mine, and we shook on it.

“Thanks,” I said. “I really appreciate this.”

“No problem. Who made the jug with the eyes cut to the left?”

I couldn’t remember. “I’ll let you know when I come to Gillsville,” I said.

When I got home and unwrapped Right-Eyes, I turned him upside down. Inscribed in the clay is Wayne Hewell 2009.

I placed Right-Eyes in the display case and picked up Left-Eyes.

Inscribed on the bottom is, Wayne Hewell 2006.