This piece was heavily inspired by the ceramic work Fanny Ollas. Fanny makes personified vessels and vases. Sometimes somber sometimes more playful these expressive vases have always captured my eye. Fanny almost entirely makes her work through coiling and handbuiling. Unfortunately coiling with this natural clay body is nearly impossible and the easiest way to build a consistent form. However wheel thrown pieces have their own challenges with the backuyard clay body as well so I wasn't sure if this was something I could ever achieve. But after months of careful attempts I finally landed on a form that I felt proud of and happy with. I wanted to keep the form simple and plain to highlight the features of the natural clay body as this piece was quite a feat that I felt was powerful enough to stand alone. I hope you find this emotive vessel as impactful as I.
 
This collection is comprised of both old habits and new experimentation. I've spent the past 4 months working on paintings, prints, and a secret collection (soon to come!) Having all of this time away from the clay studio and instead in front of a canvas or with a pen in hand naturally created some noticeable changes in my ceramic work and the purpose I see it serving. I had 4 months to unlearn what I had taught myself and known as a ceramicist and I'm finding a new joy, curiosity and sense of playfulness with these pieces. Some work may appear more childlike and whimsical others more mature and serene. Collectively these works create a book, each page (mug, bowl, vessel, etc.) a new thought, feeling, phrase or idea. Each of these pieces is informed by all of the 2D work I've been working on behind the scenes for the past 4 months and is done without planning, rather an innate emotion and necessity to share and the permanence of ceramics allows for these pages, pieces, ideas and emotions live on past me.
 
I had a lot of fun experimenting with photographing these with some of the paintings and sketches I’ve created and been working on recently! I always talk about how every piece I create informs the next and I felt like this was a great was to visually convey that!
 
This piece was in fact made with the natural clay bodies I harvest by hand from the forest behind my house! Part of why I spent 4 months away from pottery was because my forest has recently been deforested for what I later learned was merely profit because we have a national wood shortage and prices are higher than ever. Going into the the forest to harvest clay before snowfall and trying to make pieces out of the same forest that I felt already had so many of its rights violated, felt wrong. Taking more (clay) from a forest that already had so much taken without it have a say, felt wrong. I know what I'm doing is special and I hope that my work reminds others to appreciate the beauty of their own environment, including the literal earth (dirt/clay) they walk on. Nonetheless making work during this incredibly emotional time was challenging. So I hope if you do take one of these pieces hone you appreciate it as I do.
 
PLEASE NOTE: Natural clay bodies often contain organic materials which create "burnout holes' in the clay. These are holes created when a piece is constructed with organic material (ie. a stick, root, bug, leaf, etc) still remaining in the clay body. Once the piece is heated to over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit this organic material combusts leaving a vacant space. These holes prevent the glaze from creating a full and complete coverage. Meaning ALL WORK MADE WITH NATURAL CLAY BODIES IS NOT FOOD SAFE. That being said I eat fruit out of mine all the time.
 
Dimensions 
Height: 5in. 
Width: 5in. 
Length: 5in.