Seasons

This pot — this simple combination of clay, glaze, and fire — reminds me that beauty can rise from moments of trials and uncertainty, revealing a strong vessel capable of holding all that life brings.

I’m honored to share this special piece, renewed with this handmade top and reimagined from a desire to return to making — to blend the old with the new.

Born as soft porcelain on a potter’s wheel and finished in the fire, this piece has followed me through many seasons of life. Until preparing for an exhibition, I hadn’t considered how past creations live within their creator — how their spirit quietly shapes and reflects our evolving selves.

The Raku firing process is volatile, unpredictable, and at times, unforgiving, so it can be exciting one moment and crushing the next.

I remember swinging this piece gently through the air, creating the surface cracks, yet hoping they would not grow too large. I felt a rush of relief and joy as she emerged from the ashes, whole.

She has strength, beyond what is expected.

I think that is what we do as ceramic artists — and as people. We pass through the fire, changed but intact.

While teaching, I often tell my students to study the work of other artists to find their voice. I’ve now been reminded of the importance for studying our past works - not just to have a better understanding of the craft, but also to bring appreciation and understanding to our current season.

Studying past work helps me evaluate what is working and what must change.

Personally, through this vessel’s survival, unexpected doors opened. It created a bridge of collaboration and conversation with my father, rekindling an artistic relationship we had not shared for years.

Together, we crafted the original knob — handmade from German silver. Then, we crafted others from copper and brass for pots yet to come. That time working collaboratively on an artistic goal was special. For that, I am forever grateful.

Recently, I came across those treasured knobs, stored tightly in a plastic bag. I fashioned a wire daisy to accompany the circular, copper knob resting on the lid today. It is a representation of living firmly within the season I find myself and pushing boldly through fear.

This pot, and the creative community surrounding it, continues to inspire me as I step into making a new body of work after several years of primarily teaching. While my passion is still sharing this medium through instruction, I hope to find a new voice in my ceramic forms during this new creative season.

My hope for you is to find inspiration in the yarn you knit, the bread you bake, the earth you tend, and the quiet, ordinary moments that shape your days.

These moments — cracked, imperfect, and sometimes unexpected — form who we are and reveal beauty, if only we take time to look closely.