In honor of Memorial Day, I am posting a purple heart pot that can be used as a vase or a bowl (3.5 inches high x 5 inches diameter). The Purple Heart is a military decoration given to people who have been wounded or killed in service. To read more about the history of the medal, check out the Military Order of the Purple Heart website.
Enjoy the coming weekend and the unofficial start of summer!
On my most recent visit to southern California, there were bird of paradise flowers (Strelitzia reginae) blooming everywhere. I love their sculptural form. They are so different from anything growing naturally in New England. The bright orange of the flower petals is also a big attraction for me, seeming just right for this vase (6.5 inches high x 5.5 inches diameter).
Come see this piece and many of the others featured in this blog at the Beacon Hill Art Walk, Sunday, June 3rd from noon to 6pm. The show is outside in the nooks and crannies of the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. I am not sure where my spot will be yet, but it is usually on Primus Avenue, just off of Phillips Street.
With all of the rain we have had recently, the grass is growing like mad. I haven’t seen many wildflowers yet, but this small vase (3.5 inches high x 4 inches diameter) can be adorned at any time with a few spring flowers, colorful toothbrushes, or a fresh supply of golf tees.
Having perfectly a manicured lawn is controversial these days, so depending on your viewpoint, one of the following sci-fi books might be fun. Ward Moore’s Greener Than You Think is about what happens when a scientist discovers the ultimate fertilizer, creating grass that can’t be stopped. John Christopher’s The Death of Grass is about what people do to survive after a virus kills all the grass on the planet. One or both of these books, with the vase (of course), would make a very creative Father’s day gift.
This vase is ‘ladies go to the beach day’ (7.25 inches high x 4.75 inches diameter). These women come from different walks of life, but they are great friends and love hanging out together. There are eight of them and they all enjoy a good margarita and a few laughs. Having just come from a girls getaway weekend myself, this vase seems like the perfect follow-up. I hope you enjoy it.
by Jean Girel
Although I have yet to see his works in person, given the photos on his website, I am definitely in love with his work. Written up in the the Wall Street Journal (of all places), Jean Girel is a French ceramicist showing in the United States for the first time. His work will be in New York City at the Maison Gerard gallery from April 25 through May 24. I suggest that if you are in the city during this time, check out his show. Animals seem to grow out of the clay and the glazes he uses could easily be their skin– a stunning effect.
This vase (6 inches high x 6 inches diameter) was inspired by a mural created for a Marrakech home shown in Elle Decor magazine. The mural was inspired by an Armand Albert Rateau screen not specified in the article. After a little research I found a photo of what I believe was the screen in question on the Aestheticus Rex blog. Inspiration clearly travels the world. My vase features a deer, a peacock, and a spotted cat, all happily co-habitating in a stylized paradise, where it rains flowers and everything is floating on clouds. Ahhhhh.
This abstract serving bowl (3 inches high x 8 inches diameter) is about a dream. Peering through a camera lens in mid snap of the shutter, the dreamer is looking at some thoughts on where we came from. Part primordial soup and science, part garden of eden and religion, the ideas are swirling around together. Perhaps this bowl will stir some friendly debate or be a part of a contemplative meal.
The perfect summer seaside meal in New England? The lobster boil has to rank among the top five. This shallow bowl/plate (1.75 inches high x 8 inches diameter) was inspired by a delicious photo in Elle Decor magazine. The recipe by Daniel Boulud is included, but with this bowl on your table you won’t even have to go to the effort. To complete the look, I made the outside of the bowl with red checks, just like an old-fashioned picnic tablecloth (see below). Bring on the warmer temperatures and let’s play outside.
Amoebas are generally thought to be simple creatures. However did you know that their genome is orders of magnitude larger than the human genome?
The amoebas on this vase have evolved a bit, with lots of arms and legs. Who knows, maybe if I had waited a million years, they would have been caterpillars. Since none of us have that kind of time, I think it is best to enjoy them in their current state. This abstract vase is 4.75 inches tall x 5.5 inches in diameter.
This small piece has three stalks of wheat circling the inside of the bowl (2 inches high x 4.75 inches diameter). Wheat has been a symbol of fertility in wedding ceremonies for hundreds of years. Traditions have morphed over time, but the cake (made with wheat flour) is how we typically incorporate this symbolism into weddings today. Cutting the cake together and serving a bite to each other is an integral part of the symbolic ritual.
Starting this week, I will begin posting once a week instead of every weekday. I will add a new pot on Tuesdays (starting tomorrow).
I knew when I started the blog that posting every day that it was not going to last forever. The time has come to make the switch. The sgraffito on my pieces requires a lot of hours and I do not average four pots per week. If there are special events or interesting ceramic news, like I have been posting on Fridays, I will continue to post them as they come to my attention.
An excellent annual event that takes place in Boston each spring– CraftBoston. Top quality pottery and other crafts at the Seaport World Trade Center this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. This year they are doing a steampunk theme, which should be interesting. I am not sure how much it will impact the work being shown, but there is one way to find out. Go to to the event!
On my last trip to Florida there were a lot of American ibises (Eudocimus albus) walking around the lawns and ponds. They are mostly white with pink legs, beaks, and faces, using their long curved beak to looks for little crabs or fish on the bottom of ponds. The funkiest thing about them is the way they walk– kind of a chicken strut on very long legs. This cup (3.25 inches high x 3.5 inches diameter) is covered in ibises just looking for a quick bite. Watch you plate carefully!*
Many people have asked me where I get ideas for my pottery. I am always looking for design inspiration as I go through the day– walking around the city, playing on the beach, exploring the mountains, or where ever I happen to be. Sometimes it is an interesting creature, like the hermit crab on the bowl posted last week, that draws my attention. It could also be fabric on a person’s clothing, a painting, a scene in a park, or a song (see the post from yesterday). Sometimes ideas will pop into my head in the middle of the night seemingly out of no where. I also keep an inspiration folder of photos, magazine clippings, and sketches that I refer to if I am having trouble coming up with a strategy for a specific ceramic piece.
Once I start carving a pot, the picture may evolve and change as I go along. When carving, I am concentrating very hard on the design. As a result, it isn’t uncommon to think of things that will make the pot better. Designing ‘in the round’ on a piece with contours also presents challenges that are much different than those of a flat surface with edges. Changes may need to be made as I feel out how much the curves are impacting the picture.
In short, keep you eyes open and be flexible.
This one is for the Beatles fans out there. I had ‘Yellow Submarine’ in my head for many days after hearing it on the radio. I thought that by making a yellow submarine pot, maybe I could expel the song from my head. The vase (3.5 inches high x 4 inches diameter) has three different submarines around the outside and ‘All Together Now!’, a song from the movie, written twice around the rim.
