Fuschia Blossom by Ivan Potter now on display.

(Clinton, KY - March 17, 2016) Twenty photos taken over a span of thirty years by Ivan and Mary Potter will be on display in the Hickman County Arts Council display case in Hickman County Courthouse in Clinton through the end of March.

The couple has been taking pictures together since their marriage in 1984. There are thousands of photos in their digital collection. Choosing just twenty came down to picking the ones already printed. At left, Ivan Potter's March Flowers.

Ivan Potter began taking photos of political events when they lived in Frankfort. Taking their own photos of public figures became a good way to publish for their political paper. One photo taken during the early nineties is of his daughter at age 8, surrounded by national reporters and camera crews at a Ross Perot appearance in Frankfort.

Ivan's photos of the Capital building in all seasons were taken often while walking the family dog, a Brittany spaniel named Dolly. He remembers holding the Dolly's leash on his foot while he took pictures.

"I got some weird looks from tourists" he recalls.

Mary didn't think she was a good photographer and hated "wasting film."

When the Potters moved to the Jackson Purchase, and digital cameras became the medium, she got her own camera. Driving through the Purchase, they grew to love the area with its vast fields and waterways. Their first series of photos became a calendar in 2011. "Back Home in Hickman County" followed by a calendar every year that they share with friends and neighbors. Several of the calendars are also on display in the courthouse.

Ivan Potter enjoys taking multiple pictures of plants and flowers. Many of his photos are taken in the gardens around their home. Purple shamrocks in a white basket, shown at right, was taken on their front porch.

"I grow them. He takes pictures of them." Mary says. "I have no patience for flower pictures. I do my best work on moving objects."

One of her favorites, "Tootsie Roll Truck" was taken on Highway 45 outside of Mayfield. On their way to Barbecue on the River in Paducah, she grabbed her camera as Ivan passed the truck. Another of her moving photos of a giant farm tractor was taken on Highway 307 in Carlisle County. She was struck by its resemblance to a monster movie preying mantis. That photo truck became the cover of their 2013 calendar.

When the display is taken down, Mary Potter plans to move the photos to her office where she can see them every day. "They are so very cheerful and they are great conversation starters."