River finds its way into crafters' hearts, wares

CLAYTON — The artwork created by the mother-daughter team of River Seasons pottery and jewelry isn't just inspired by the north country environment — it contains pieces of it.

"I guess a lot of us never got over playing in the mud," said Dawn E. Rusho, who operates River Seasons with her daughter, Kelly Rusho Boyer.

In their small shop located about four miles east of Clayton on Route 12E, there's a collection of pottery, jewelry and Christmas ornaments. Mrs. Rusho began creating her artwork shortly after graduating from SUNY Potsdam in 1997 with a studio art degree. Her daughter joined the endeavor in 2002 after she and her husband moved back to the north country from Florida.

River Seasons is one of more than two dozen vendors booked for the Holiday Victorian Faire Friday and Saturday at the Jefferson County Historical Society, Watertown.

The mud Mrs. Rusho referred to is connected to the necklaces, bracelets and earrings she and her daughter create.

"My husband (Leon) and I were walking along the shoreline of Grindstone Island," Mrs. Rusho said. "He noticed the deer tracks didn't wash away. Being a potter, I realized the clay might hold its shape after firing. I scooped some up, put it in the boat and brought it home."

The clay is turned into terra cotta-colored beads on the jewelry. Many of the pieces also contain pendants of semi-precious stones found on Grindstone Island. For example, clear quartz signifies droplets of water and tree agate reflects the evergreens on the island.

"We try to take in what we see in the trees and everything else around us because it's such an inspiring area," said Kelly.

"That's what we like about the river clay," Mrs. Rusho said. "People can take a piece of the river home with them."

The earthenware pottery at River Seasons includes plates, small platters and hot plates. All of the pottery pieces include artwork related to the St. Lawrence River area, such as loons and lighthouses. Many of the plates have impressions of flowers that were pressed into the earthenware during production.

"People ask us for new things," Mrs. Rusho said, recalling a person who wanted a handful of minnow tiles created to highlight her bathroom.

Mrs. Rusho said their business is becoming more than a hobby and River Seasons plans to develop a Web site and to accept credit cards to deal with the increased demand. She and her daughter began attending arts and craft shows about three years ago.

Kelly said it's a treat to be able to work with her mother. "If I have a necklace and something in mind for it, I can bounce the idea off her," she said. "We work well together. She'll say, 'Well, let's see if we can try that.'"

To contact River Seasons, call Dawn Rusho or Kelly Rusho Boyer at 686-4308 or e-mail them at riverseasons@gmail.com.