retell. But here it is, and it stands for many others, all equally moving.

As a storyteller, either in song, prose or paint, Kesl has a legitimate gravity in his delivery. His voice is a seasoned baritone; some notes round, some thin, some with a little sand, some with a little gravel. His diction and phrasing are poetry, period. This afternoon he is playing his own CD, Mood Swings, and singing along with himself as he paints. The first cut is “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (Herb Brown and Gus Kahn, Leo Feist, Inc.) and the lyrics ask:

Could there be eyes like yours,
Could there be hair like yours,
Could there be teeth like yours,
Honest and truly?

Kesl’s brush moves in ballad time and he lifts it to sustain a phrase. The song ends with, “safe in my arms, here in my heart.”

Moments later, his thoughts turn to the long-ago death of a friend. As he shares their story, his eyes tear and his voice hesitates. He stills his brush for just a moment and looks down at the thirteen young faces on his plates, each looking back at him. He collects himself and resumes the process of painting life into each countenance. Perhaps this is one of those moments when intellect and intuition appear at the same time. It seems like a little bit of magic. Kesl finishes his story with a gentle but penetrating stare. Then he reminds all around, “You can’t be a passive listener.”

Nor should we be passive viewers. It is not often that we come across a full body of mature work that has remained relatively unknown; especially work made for over twenty years. This partnership and these pots provide us with a rare look at a sustained involvement of like-minded, knowing and passionate individuals. To say it again, these guys cook.

Further information on the work of John
Tilton can be found at www.tiltonpottery.com

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