Nashville Jess

I had the pleasure of shooting this lil sweetheart in Nashville this past fall. Shot on film in her home in East Nashville.

Photos by Amanda Leigh Smith

Words below by Claire Everson

Potter, Jessica Cheatham, has been selling hand spun pots, bourbon cups, bowls, planters, and adorable little matchstick holders out of Nashville, TN for just over two years. She was kind enough to invite photographer Amanda Leigh Smith and I into her home for a visit and glimpse of her personal space. 

A Tennessee native, Jessica lives with her dog George, whom she lovingly calls, “Georgeous” and her kitty, Kitters. She is the type of woman who knows someone everywhere she goes, and can make any man or woman swoon with her seductive two-steppin’ out on the honky tonk dance floor. Her home and closet are ridiculous—perfectly worn metal cabinetry and family photos—closets stuffed full of old men’s work wear and delicate slips passed down from her grandmother.

Only a woman with her ease and grounded demeanor could pull off this carful balance of grace and utility. And you can see the same practical southern utility and delicate touch in her pottery. Simple lines and colors make her bourbon cups not only a home necessity, but make you wonder, “Why have I not alway used these for whiskey swiggin’?”  Her pottery sits on your shelf and in your hand like an heirloom, each piece stamped with a simple bobby pin as her signature. 

Jessica works out of her studio in the up and coming Buchanan Arts District in north Nashville. You can find her pottery around town in shops, including at the neighboring hair salon, HOLIDAY or through contacting her on Instagram @cheathamjess. If you’re passing through town some time and want a creative southern bungalow to call home for a few days, hit her up on AirBnB and see if she has any openings. Maybe you will get to meet sweet Georgeous. Either way, check out her pottery, buy some for yourself or a friend and I promise your plants with be happier and your whiskey will be tastier.