Perfect Squares

Tiles have been on my mind the past few months. I put this set of eight in the bisque before I left for Europe and glazed them once I returned. Looking back, I realize that sandwiched between these two happenings was the multicolored rainbow of ceramic squares that I came across in Spain and Portugal. Like a ceramic canvas, they have endless possibilities! My dear mother requested some tiles for her new home which is tucked up in the New Hampshire wilderness, so I felt compelled to use a nature theme. All the impressions were made with natural materials. I was amazed to see how many nice trimmings I found even though it was winter at the time of scavenging. The borders I did with sea shells and driftwood I have collected over the years. With so much already going on, I just rubbed black slip into the impressions and finished with transparent glaze.

Now about that tile rainbow, one of the most stunning aspects of Portugal was that just about every surface is tiled! Apparently the climate is so mild that it makes sense to do this on the exterior of buildings as well. No boring brick here.

 And then there is of course, the all consuming Alhambra.  Located in Granada, Spain (which I am going to have to gush more about in a later post), the old Moorish castle is certainly on my "wonders of the world" list. As gorgeous is the ornate wall carvings and dramatic setting is, the tiling is my favorite part.

Last 3 images via: 1, 2, 3

Wall Flowers

As much as I love the four seasons that New England does so well, I often dream of residing out west where I could have a true outdoor living room. The go-to place for relaxing, reading, napping, eating, drinking, or just sunning. A place with plush cushions, plants, pretty decorations, lanterns and maybe even a chaise lounge or two. Porch, patio, deck, I am not picky. Just a private little retreat where I can get some fresh air! Some day. I inadvertently collect objects that would fit oh-so-nicely in such a space. These hanging wall vases I just finished are a step in the right direction for sure. The glazes are reminiscent of marble or stone and the highly texturized rope makes it hard to deny that these guys belong closer to nature. This project had been in arts n' crafts purgatory for quite some time. The last firing was complete back in late summer but I finally had the chance yesterday to dig through some dusty storage bins to find the rope. It's Japanese garden twine that my dear mother had stockpiled from our time living abroad. And boy am I happy she did. Durable, rich in color and elegantly rustic, I am sure to be incorporating this into many future endeavors!

Adventures in Purple, Green and Black

Have I mentioned that glazing is hard? You think you are in the clear after narrowly avoiding bumps, cracks and warping but a pottery piece can still meet its proverbial death if the glaze turns out to your disliking. To put it lightly, this has happened to me once or twice! Streaky brown? No thanks. Too-thick bright blue that left bare patches? Gross. It's trial and error really so I have tried not to over think which colors I believe will enjoy each other's company. Low and behold, I love the results, especially the purple and black. What do you think? 


PS: I am proud to announce that this is Very Vanilla's 50th post! 

Bowls Four Ways

Weddings are fun but the gift giving can be tricky. Registries are practical for the hard-to-buy-for couple but I felt my special somebodies needed a more personal touch. My love affair with bowls goes on with this set (plates are so overrated). And who could better put to use these dishes than a budding family? Soup, salad, cereal, mac & cheese, these are meant for everyday. Plus, each member of the household can stake their claim on a certain color for an extra dash of fun. I had so much fun making these, I love incorporating thrown and hand built elements. The lotus design is courtesy of a wooden carved stamp I found in a fair trade store. 

Blue Beauties

My newest batch of baked (non-edible) goodies has arrived! After realized that I was using my big, deep Japanese soup bowls much more than my plates, I decided a new set was in order. In pottery, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses - I for one can whip up a vertical vase in no time but certainly struggle with lower, wider shapes. While I am still perfecting my curves, these babies look alike enough, especially in a unifying color. Very happy with the glaze I might add. I dipped each one all in shiny white and then poured a tiny bit of shiny green in each bottom plus did a little sponging. Interestingly, the result is a crisp light blue. Oh and once again, my subconscious has gotten the best of me - this glaze design looks a whole lot like the one on a lovely set of coasters from Anthropologie! 

Images Via: Me, Anthopologie

A Crop of Pots

As one of my favorite pastimes, I have been meaning to do a little rambling on about pottery. I had dabbled in clay for quite some time but I made a commitment to myself about a year ago to stick with pottery and ceramics for good!  Being lucky enough to find a lovely, supportive environment for doing so has certainly helped. It is so refreshing to work with one's hands after a day at the office, it really helps me unwind and clear my head - you would be surprised how quickly 3+ hours pass in the studio! Clay is just the most wonderful of mediums.  It is plentiful, generally forgiving to my clumsy hands, and most cool of all - recyclable up until the point of firing. Above all, this craft has taught me that patience is paramount - I have a lifetime of learning ahead of me. Alone, this is not a bad thing but completing one piece takes hours of dedication, with a little good luck sprinkled in - count yourself fortunate if your work does not crack and the glaze looks good! So far I have been met with numerous challenges but it's all part of the learning process, no one can fully teach you how to do it, it's a trial and error sort of endeavor. In several ways, I have hit my stride, most important is that I now feel comfortable sharing my work! I am even submitting some work for my company's employee art show (wish me luck!). 


It's funny, as I selected the photos for the below pieces, I realized that there was undoubtedly some subliminal bias towards certain colors. My love for all things coral and turquoise really shines through here! Those are my favorite materials for jewelry and plus I even managed to incorporate my favorite color of all time (purple!). I am especially proud of the jar.  The knob is a drawer pull I found on sale at Anthrophogie. It is a little oversized but I could not resist the color combo. I love mixed media and intend to explore this concept further. 

Pravoslav Rada Exhibit in Prague

As you can imagine, after coming back from a 2 1/2 week trip in Turkey/Europe, I certainly have a lot to say about it :) Since working in the "real world," this has been the longest I have taken off and to my delight-it actually feel like a long time! Elise, my wanderluster in crime, and I made it to seven cities. Go us! There will be many posts to come on this adventure, the order of these being dictated by what I am dreaming about at the moment.  

On that note-I visited the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts and while the permanent collection was lovely (great jewelry collections from the past few centuries), it was the current exhibit that took the cake. Pravoslav Rada was a Czech ceramist whose work has a sense of humor that I have never quite experienced before. Each piece is so personal and whimsical without being cheesy.  If I had one of these pieces in my home, I am pretty sure it would evoke infinite smiles. 

Outside the Museum.  Love the simplicity of these posters.

Images via: The Curated Object, Design Mag, Me