Page 85 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2017

since 1981. She and her younger brother, potter James “Jim” Anderson, are the bookends who keep the pottery going as the second generation of the family. Jimmy can be found in the Workshop, a few hundred yards down a winding one- lane road from the Showroom where Marjorie works.
Helping them as a partner is their older soft-spoken sister, Patricia Anderson Findeisen, who works in the Annex painting her designs on pottery. The three miss their oldest brother, Michael Anderson, who died in 2014. He had worked in the Annex where the molded pieces are created.
Jim joined his father at the pottery in 1965 after he went to college, but didn’t find anything that “grabbed” him like creating pottery at Shearwater.
“I guess I was in the same situation as my dad. I went to college, but nothing grabbed me. I was working part time at Shearwater, and probably started full time around 1996,” said Peter Wade Anderson.
Though the two men create pottery with their own distinctive style, it’s obvious they keep returning to the shapes based on those created by Peter Anderson.
“When I’m looking for something to do, I actually go back and look at his forms or look at the museum in the Showroom to get inspiration,” Peter Wade said.
Working with Patricia in the Annex is Adele Anderson Lawton, the youngest daughter of Mac Anderson. She paints the molded pieces and decorates thrown pieces in her own time to sell in the Showroom.
Beth and Peter Wade represent the third generation to work full time at Shearwater Pottery. Beth likes to see that the displays throughout the Showroom are not only the traditional Shearwater Pottery created by Jim and Peter
Wade, but pieces that represent the talents of other Andersons. The back room showcases silk screens and giclee prints by Mac Anderson. Works for
sale by Walter Anderson descendants are by Mary Anderson, Leif Anderson, Christopher Stebly, Jason Stebly, Mary Annette Mueoka and Caroline Muneoka.
“Shearwater is kind of different. You go out there, see the world, and you see how special this place is,” Beth said. “I have no intentions of retiring from here.”
BETH ASHLEY
MARJORIE ANDERSON ASHLEY
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October 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 85
ADELE ANDERSON LAWTON
FINDS
Glam Boho Corbata Tie Dye Dress. This dress
is 100% cotton and is designed in Austraila. By Ruby Yaya.
Beautiful handpainted Fanciful Flasks. By Valerie Winn.
DESIGN
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