Made with love in Fauquier County.

“I like to describe my work as functional artwork, with a ‘Patuxent River Aesthetic.’ “ The aesthetic dimension applies to the blues and greens that today inform many of her pieces.

“Growing up, I spent every day down by the water,” recalled Mrs. McGee, whose family lived in Saint Mary’s County, Md., along the Patuxent. “And that water changes tone based on the light. Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes it’s green. It’s like this interchangeable hue.”

And “just down the river was a cypress grove,” she said. “You really don’t see those trees there anymore. I would get in my canoe and hang out. It was a really special place.”

In some ways, the work lets her hold onto and re-interpret that world, Mrs. McGee suggested. “I wanted to give it some permanence in my mind, pay homage,” she said of the river and all of its riches. “It just seemed right.”

The potter produces practical, durable pieces for everyday use. “That’s what really draws me back to ceramics over and over again,” she said. “It’s not just something you can frame and just put on the wall. It’s something you can use to give you nutrition — to eat and drink out of.”

by Don Del Rosso, Fauquier Now

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