Diane Savona

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The Pine Barrens, part 5: bricks

In addition to the bog iron and the glass jars, the Pine Barrens was famous for ceramics. The place  is full of sand ....and clay. There were many brick manufacturers: The Pasadena Company was better known for a scandal than its manufacturing, and the Sayreville company (later Sayer & Fisher) made bricks that are still around today.  In reading about all these bricks, I decided to make some textile bricks.

My plan was to spell out the story in embedded letters, and arrange them in a sort of tower..... 

...a short, ugly tower. This is why you have a critique group, to help you face the awful truth. So I disassembled the pieces, and made them into individual bricks (stuffed with the cut-up cushions from the couch we were throwing out).

And how to display the bricks? In a wheelbarrow, of course! I found one on Craig's List, painted it white, and it was perfect.

Here they are, beautifully lit at the Noyes (thank you, Dorrie!) with the mason jars in back. And perched atop the wall in the very back is the Jersey Devil. That story is up next.