Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water...

I was lucky enough to hear Paul Simon sing Bridge Over Troubled Water in concert this past week. The lyrics to this iconic tune as well as so many of his other memorable songs ring true to me today as powerfully as they did when I first heard them on my transistor radio, record albums or in the classic movie, The Graduate. Music can bind together gender, generations, culture, background, race, and religion. It is a universal bridge. 

This little village of Historic Huntsville Homes are part of a custom collaboration I’ve created for Harrison Brothers Hardware in support of the Historic Huntsville Foundation.

As powerful storms wreak havoc on so many of our neighbors in the United States and the world, it’s hard not to think about bridging the troubled waters life presents us with. How can we connect together as the world around us swirls apart? Bridges come in all sizes, shapes, and forms. They are a link that join together. 

This custom order wedding bowl will soon be gifted to a newly united couple, bonded together by the vows they are about to promise before friends and family.

Bridging can go beyond a physical structure. Daily living gives us ample opportunities to unify relationships, connect within our neighborhoods, and reach out to understand parts of the world that are so different from ours. Bonding together helps strengthen all sides. Be the bridge.

Listen.

This past week has been a whirlwind, a good whirlwind. I shared time out of the studio with friends and future family which directly impacted the rest of my time with clay. I’ve got lots of ideas and projects in various stages of production for an upcoming group show and a wonderful shop in the South. Special orders were finalized and shipped, new ones were begun.

I received two surprise and considerate gifts this week. My former neighbors were in town visiting and stopped by. They now live in Arizona and brought me a mug from my favorite coffee shop! They know me well! The hat/scarf set was sent to me by a friend from Hilton Head. We have spent yarn time together stitching and talking. Her out-of-the-blue gift and note were so thoughtful! 

When I work, I generally listen to programs on National Public Radio. It’s a habit that started in my first home studio when Diane Rehm (now retired) was on the air daily. I learned something each time I listened to her broadcast. This exposure introduced me to other interesting programs offered by Public Radio stations across the country. 

I revisited this stacking bowl set based on a request for an upcoming group show. I really like it and am glad to have the opportunity to make it again.

Sometimes I listen to music when I work. It’s easy to play what I like on my ITunes playlist. Emotions, memories, sing-alongs and occasional dancing break out when music is my studio background. 

Do you have a listening suggestion for me? What song inspires you? Have you read a good book lately? What other listening opportunities am I missing? Any podcasts you'd recommend? Click on the photo to tell me your suggestion!

Occasionally, I’ll listen to a book. My friend Whitney has offered to help me with a sewing project. We spent an afternoon at an incredible fabric shop in Virginia picking out material and a pattern for me to make.  While we were together, she suggested  I read, The Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (who also wrote Eat, Pray, Love). I downloaded it from the library and listened throughout the week. It’s about the concept of creativity and creative thinking. It resonated. I’m going to listen to it again. I know I can learn more from a second ‘reading’. 

Look who else was attracted to this coneflower in my garden. The beauty and colors of nature often stop me in my tracks. 

I think I’m a good listener, but I know I can improve my skills. When I listen, my mind sometimes jumps around and I lose concentration on what is being shared with me (especially if I'm multi-tasking). I could blame some of that on my creative mind getting sparked as information is fed to it, and fear I’ll forget those inspirations if I let go, but strong focus while listening is important too. 

Urning Trust

The email I received on June 10 started, “I am looking for a covered urn…one that can be secured,” and ended, “I have a terminal illness and was looking for something to hold my remains.” I have never met this person, but she had purchased one of my tray and bowl sets from The Muse in Frederick and loved the pattern and color. Thus began our conversation and collaboration. 

We spoke on the phone just once. Over the next several weeks, we carried on our conversation through email. We explored a variety of possible shapes, textures, and colors for the finished piece. I sent Elise sketches and photos of ideas. She sent me commentary and a photo of a vase she had that she liked. Through our back and forth messages, we built a common trust to design a satisfactory final resting place.

This past week I developed the agreed upon shape in the studio. It took two attempts before I was satisfied the urn reflected the image I had drawn and Elise desired. It would take some time to dry before it could be bisque fired, glazed and fired a final time. I offered to deliver it in person and donate half of the proceeds to one of her favorite charities. 

At the same time, the owner of The Little Green Store in Huntsville, Alabama asked if I could make a special kitty urn for one of her customers who had seen my clay art there. Again, I drew a rough sketch outlining what I could create in the studio. The customer visited my website numerous times to add creative detail to our collaboration. I like this sort of challenge.  

Previously, I have created urns and memorial boxes for family members and friends. I had created some prototypes of standard pet urns I showcased at a few local veterinary practices too; now I think these items need to be personalized and reflect a more unique vision for each customer. 

These owl-themed memorial boxes will hold some of the ashes of my mother-in-law, Helene.

I heard from Elise on Tuesday, June 19 around 1 in the afternoon. She knew I’d made the urn; we were ‘discussing’ how I would deliver it to her home after it was complete in the next few weeks. Around 6:30 that same evening, I picked up an email message. Elise had died. Even though we had never met, this news made me very sad. I’m glad Elise and I had the opportunity to collaborate on her special urn and I’m sorry she did not get to see the final result. The urn has been bisque fired and is going in the glaze kiln later today. It will be ready for the memorial service this coming Saturday.

Creative Frenzy

A wild, wide-ranging mania of activity seems to enter my creative life this time of year. And I like it. Making pottery hits a fevered pitch as I balance each stage of the clay-making process with pushing for deadlines of custom orders, supplementing inventory, and shows. Ideas flow for new projects. The kiln is filled, fired, emptied, refilled and fired continually. 

Some of the custom projects where I've been creatively stuck have become clear and reached completion. In particular, I was asked to design a wall sculpture of a school of fish for a local customer. I knew how I would make the fish, but had not totally settled on the hanging element of the piece. A search through my stash of collected driftwood solved the dilemma, and now this one of a kind artwork hangs in its new home. 

I’ve been playing with different underglaze and glaze combinations. This blue/green is now one of my current favorites. When it is applied to a familiar shape I’ve made in the past, it gives the piece a whole new look. 

Packing pottery for shipment is an art unto itself. This group of 10 packages took several hours of attention. I want each package to survive the rigors of long-distance travel. A combination of bubble wrap, packing paper, shipping peanuts, protective cardboard, and the appropriate box help provide the protection that ensures the pottery arrives safe and sound. Still, I hold my breath each time I send my creations off to their new homes.

Would you like to join the frenzy? If you've been considering a special ClayByLaura piece as a gift for yourself or someone else, now is the time to let me know. Click on the photo above to send me a message and begin! I'd love to create a special piece just for you.

Upon Request

The commission process is a back and forth collaboration between my customer and me. Good communication helps turn the discussion into a successful outcome. The proposed project can be as simple as making a specific color of an existing item from my current gallery repertoire or involve a whole new journey to create a brand new shape or item.

I have made this popular tray and bowl set for many years. Each one is a unique combination of pattern and color. The serving bowl has evolved over the years into the current circle form. If a customer sees a piece of mine that has been sold at a show or is out of stock in my inventory, I can easily make a new one!

When I work on an unfamiliar request, it takes time to formulate the final clay art piece. I sometimes research the creations of other artists, experiment in the studio with various clay combinations and then create a paper template to achieve the final results.

Totems are one example of creations that combine familiar and unfamiliar forms. This special address post was created for the author of the children's book KeeKee's Big Adventures. I knew I wanted to include an image of KeeKee, the hot air balloon and an image of a book along with the address numbers. I studied drawings of KeeKee and then got to work in the studio figuring out how to incorporate the images into a three dimensional format. 

This set of mugs uses a company logo as the basis for the decoration and colors. It took a couple of tries to get this commission to completion, but that's part of the process!

These memento boxes were created recently to hold special personal trinkets to honor the memory of a loved-one.

I love it when I see photos of my creations in their new homes! Here is a custom lazy susan I created ready to 'pass the...!'

Keep in touch and let me know what I can make especially for you!