There's a new shop in town. Julie Moore has moved her business, Dirty Bird Pottery, from Virginia to the former John Edwards Jewelry space, in the old Key Bank building at 4 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor.

The name of her shop comes from Moore’s love of bird watching and the fact that she is usually up to her elbows in clay. “And I realize that it is kind of a derogatory term, but I’m fine with that,” she said. “I’m pretty laid back.”

Moore was getting her store ready to open on May 14 when a man wandered in and started looking around. “I opened kind of by accident,” she said. “I didn't have the lights on or the door propped open, but he came in and picked out a couple mugs he wanted, bought them — and then I was open!”

Moore said the main motivation for moving north was quality of life. “My husband Ken and I are both retired, so we were looking for a place where we'd really enjoy living. And to get away from the heat.”

They came to Boothbay Harbor after searching online for a good place to relocate their pottery business. “I walked up and down the streets here on Google Map View, and talked to a lot of people on forums online asking them where the best place to live and have a pottery shop would be,” Moore said. “And Boothbay Harbor kept coming up.”

She said they came up in November and walked around, and immediately said, “This is where we want to be.”

Moore said she looked in the window at 4 Townsend Avenue and thought it was probably out of her price range. Then she got back to Virginia and kicked herself for not at least asking about it. She went back to Google Map View, zoomed in, and found the number for Pottle Realty on the sign in the window. “I called Mr. Pottle. He sent us pictures and took measurements for us and we signed the lease without ever stepping in the door. And we bought a house on Fullerton Street in January.”

As visually appealing as the pottery in Dirty Bird Pottery is, it's practical too. “All of my pottery is meant to be used, and I'm offended if you don't,” Moore said with a laugh. Everything is stoneware — lead free and dishwasher and microwave safe.

The potter has her wheel set up in the window so passersby can watch her in the process of creating her art. She starts with a 25-pound bag of clay, and makes everything displayed in the store. There is a dazzling array of beautifully glazed mugs, French butter dishes and butter platters, spoon rests, bowls, salt ‘pigs’ and clever little egg separators that look like a chicken head with its mouth open. The whites come out the mouth and the yolk stays in the vessel. Clever, cute, and practical. One of her best sellers is a tea mug with a little pocket to hold the tea bag. And there’s a mug that reads, 'Where in the heck is Boothbay Harbor?'

Moore has been practicing her craft for 25 years. She worked out of her home in Virginia and sold her pottery at craft shows and online. She also makes “shaving scuttles” for an online marketer. She said she got hooked up with a community on the internet that's into old fashioned wet shaving techniques. “Someone called me and asked if I made shaving scuttles. I didn't even know what they were.” What they are is stoneware vessels to hold shaving cream that is nestled in a reservoir with warm water, keeping the shaving cream warm. Moore has been making them for five years now, 20 or 30 hours a week, and shipping them to 42 countries. “It's hard to keep them in stock,” she said.

“I'm going to love being here this summer,” Moore said. “Where I live in Virginia I don't see faces unless I go out somewhere. It's so nice to be among people again.” Nice people.

“When the kiln was delivered it was left out on the sidewalk in front of the shop. My husband and I unpacked it and had it ready to transport in. We were bending down getting ready to lift it when a man called out, “Wait, wait, stop,” and came running across the street, shooed me away and helped my husband carry it in. He talked to my husband for a few minutes, said good luck with the business, and walked away.

“This is unheard of where I come from. It's like a whole different world. The people here are so friendly — it's remarkable. This is a terrific example of what a great community this is.”

Call 207-370-7022, or visit the Dirty Bird website or the facebook page.