Even as I create larger statement pieces for upcoming shows, my functional ware is still the most important aspect of my work because of the way it exists in people’s homes and everyday lives. Here are a few pieces that have come out of the kiln over the past few weeks. #pottery #ceramics

Yesterday we took our family to our favorite #nature park in #Louisiana. It was my 3 month old nephew’s very first hike and the first place I ever found #WildClay years ago when we lived in Baton Rouge.

This vase was a custom order for a couple’s 9th wedding anniversary. They wanted something they could pass down to future generations and thought a ceramic piece would make a good commemorative heirloom. They mentioned their love for terracotta amaryllis, a variety I’d never heard of. Terracotta literally means “baked earth” so I was excited to render the flower in clay tones using a mixture of pink Alabama #clay and a clay called Newman Red from California. #pottery

Still warm from the kiln, covered in warm earth tones—I’m so relieved this piece came out successfully on the other side of firing. I worked on it over the course of a month and remembered to document moments of process which I think I’ll share in a thread. The most important thing to know is that I consider this pot a collaboration. I coordinated the colors, but I didn’t choose them. Each clay tone was a surprise and a gift, and that’s where my excitement about this piece lies. #pottery

I usually make things for people to use at home, but it seems to me that the only purpose of this bowl is to bob and spin in the Gulf. #ceramics #pottery #nature #water #beach #Florida #birds #PeacefulMoments

Black skimmers begin nesting on our beaches in the spring and we get to watch them grow from little baby puff balls to adolescents to adults over the summer. This bowl, with its rounded bottom so that it can rock and spin on a flat surface, almost functions as a diorama. It honestly feels more like a toy than anything else. My husband spun it around in the water so that I could shoot some video which I’ll post later. This piece belongs to the Gulf. #pottery #ceramics #nature #birds #Florida

I think I enjoy hand building and wheel throwing equally. My upcoming online workshop (previous post) will focus on hand building because it’s the most accessible way to make pottery—no equipment needed. I went through a phase of forming teapots with #PinchPots—yes, like the ones kindergartners make. You take two pinch pots, let them firm up, and then join them together at the rim to create a vessel. It’s a simple technique with endless possibilities. #pottery