Making Memories

Often, I’m commissioned to create something out of clay that captures or generates a special memory for the owner. I like these assignments. They are humbling, fulfilling and terrifying all at once.

Some examples of recent projects include this memorial wind chime I just completed. It commemorates the love of a dog and its human. This particular animal was rescued and adopted. As a dog owner myself, I know the heartache when a favorite pet dies. Hopefully, this memento can provide a visual and musical reminder of happy memories as it gently sings and sways in the wind. 

It’s the hair of this mask that has me excited. I’ve made similar shapes in the studio before. This one was commissioned by a local friend. I found a discarded broken construction broom several months ago and knew I could use it as part of a future project. Et Voila! I cut the 'well-worn' bristles to create the spiky mane for the mask!

I love it when customers send me photos of their purchases in use. Here are some recent examples. A baking dish (pictured above) purchased as a holiday gift and commissioned in a specific glaze color combination was put straight to use filled with a favorite baked grits recipe. An oval flower block can be used year round. This beautiful mantle display (pictured below) features local art and the vase filled with cotton branches. Seeing these photos evokes memories for me too. It makes me happy to picture customers using their ClayByLaura creations and reminds me that what I do is fostering new memories all the time. 

What special memory can I create for you? Click on the photo above to begin!

Naughty Or Nice?

My long holiday weekend ended at the theatre with a preview of the Broadway-bound musical Mean Girls. The production capped off days of family, friends, food, and fond memories. It pinpointed the underlying message this holiday season seems to encourage. Let’s just all be nice to each other and not just during the holiday season. Niceness is always the preference. Period.

In between cooking, and lots of togetherness, I was able to keep up with some special orders in process. I always love a new challenge and when I was asked to create a number of ‘ugly sweater ornaments’ as a party favor for a holiday gathering, I jumped at the chance. This is where my ongoing collection of stamps comes in handy. I mixed up the design of each ornament, applied a variety of contrasting color and voila – these beautiful ugly sweater ornaments came to life.

Here is another holiday ornament I'm preparing for a customer. These will be distributed to a special list of her clients. It seems the message of cooperation and working together is a theme in the studio right now!

The message I picked up from Mean Girls is this: Making someone else feel bad to build up our own self-value is a lose/lose. Embrace our differences. Talk to each other. Value the uniqueness of individuals. Love yourself and all your flaws. We all have them. Most of all, just be nice.

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.