Description

I was excited when the complex ceramic form finally came together for this small, plant like, stoneware sculpture. The top part was originally a crown made for another piece, but it didn’t look right, so I kept it wrapped in plastic all summer, spraying it regularly to keep the clay workable.

This piece is a complicated assemblage of shapes, which made glazing equally challenging. I had to use a tiny brush to reach all the nooks and crannies, carefully avoiding cross-contamination between colours – especially the manganese oxide, a fine dark powder that tends to get everywhere.

During my hyper-focused glazing session, I checked in with myself and realized how much I loved the process. I was born to paint intricate 3D forms! On opening the kiln and seeing it for the first time was pure joy – the final piece is small, elaborate and my favourite sculpture from this firing. Now I just need to figure out what it is – some kind of plant life? A discarded husk, flower or pod?