Meet the inspiration for one of my websites: http://stripedpot.com
“Stripe”, as it is fondly called here at the McBennett’s home, was discovered in a store room at the apartment building where we lived for about 12 years. It was about to be tossed in the trash during a clean out. It was dirty and dusty without a lot of character. But I saw the beauty beneath the crud and asked for it to come home with me. The maintenance person cleaning out the storeroom was more than happy to hand it off to me.
“Stripe” has a lot more in its personality than one would expect of a mere pitcher. It has never held contents since it became the namesake and inspiration for the website. It has been photographed several times in various locales. I think it would have been nice had “Stripe” been able to go on my travels with me, but I was worried it might come to harm. It is not a small pitcher. I also thought of having pins made of it and gifting them in my travels, but procrastination set in and I never did that.
“Stripe” also has cousins around the world. For some time, as I traveled, my eye would notice other ceramics that had stripes. I almost brought a few home with me to sit on the shelf beside “Stripe” but I usually managed to restrain myself. Living in a small space was restrictive for purchasing more items. If something came into the space, something had to go out. So “Stripe” lives alone without family members in the cabinet. But that is not to say “Stripe” is without company. Over the years, friends have traveled and brought me small gifts from their travels. Colorful bowls seem to be a popular remembrance. Those live in the same cabinet with “Stripe”.
I crave color in our home, the brighter and shinier, the better. We have a lot of dark wood and dark furniture, although our walls are still white, carpet is neutral and we have a lot of windows. So bright, shiny accents are my friend. “Stripe” is a proud contributor to satisfying my craving.
Although an inanimate object of my affections, “Stripe” is a member of our family if, for no other reason, through adoption and the inspiration that gives it personality.