Sometimes short and sweet is the best way to communicate. I have used words to enhance the surface of my creations over the years.
I have collected a number of alphabet stamps to use.
Often the words I write have special meaning to me.
I like to mix the different font styles to express the message.
I am lucky to spend creative time in the studio on a daily basis
What words hold meaning for you?
Ideas for the shapes I create often come from Family, Friends and Customers. I’m looking forward to getting back in the studio this week to work out some new pieces for the fall and holiday season. Also on my ‘to do’ list is a familiar shape I will make again and again.
Over the last fifteen years (or more), I’ve been making a tray and serving bowl set. Originally, each free form tray was slumped over a piece of Styrofoam I had covered in masking tape. There are a few different sizes I use to create trays. More recently, I've played with pressing a wood shape in the clay to achieve a desired serving piece. I have a large collection of these forms in the studio.
I like to include a recipe card with clay pieces I sell. It answers the question, "What do I use this for?" and is another way of personalizing what I create. I play around with textures on the tray and repeat the pattern in the matching bowl.
I've experimented with different styles for the tray and shapes for the bowl. But the long tray style with matching bowl seems to be the most popular.
The most recent iteration of the Tray-n-Bowl features the two color process I use on many of my other clay pieces. I layer one color of underglaze with another color of glaze. I like how the pooled glaze highlights the applied texture. I've also changed the size and design of the matching bowl for the set.
As much as I enjoy adding new shapes to my clay repertoire, the familiarity of the Tray-n-Bowl sets is satisfying to make as well. This useful item has evolved with the techniques I've picked up and use along the way and continues to be a popular seller. I'll be restocking my inventory just in time for serving holiday goodies and gift-giving season!
Paddle boarding through the Hilton Head marshes with my son was an opportunity to balance on a number of levels. It was fun, challenging, breathtakingly beautiful and good quality time. And, I didn't fall once!!!
Searching for balance is a constant both in and between my life and art. There are times where clay is predominant in my daily routine leaving little time for other enjoyments. I tend to lose track of time when I’m in the studio as the creative juices are flowing and I’m focused on the task at hand. It can be kind of addicting; it's easy to spend so much time in the studio that it minimizes time for friends, family and other fun activities. I've found time spent away from the studio is beneficial and contributes to success when I'm creating.
My angel-inspired clock is a new direction for me. I like the contrast of the glazed and unglazed surface areas!
The intensive cycle of clay-making can be unforgiving and contribute to the abundant time necessary for successful completion of a piece. As a material, clay has its limitations and balance requirements. Too wet, and the clay will not hold a form. Too dry, the clay will crack when bent into shape. Additionally, there are numerous stages throughout the journey to completion that require good timing. Learning to dodge these stumbling blocks is part of creating a successful final product. It’s another balancing act to achieve.
This series of bowls was designed and created exclusively for Yarn On The House (YOTH) to hold knitting accessories and incense. It was a fun collaboration. I love the simplicity of the decoration. Contact Veronika for sales details!
Finding aesthetic balance is another ongoing challenge I face in the studio. Imagining the final piece guides me through the creation process. I’ve learned to trust my own artistic eye. This translates into an authentic outcome that says, “I’ve been created by Laura.”
Sunrise on Hilton Head is filled with natural beauty. It's surely one of the things my family misses about living here. Luckily, we can all come and revisit the activities and friends we knew here and regain some of that special balance we need in our lives.
This South Carolina-themed totem now greets visitors to this beautiful island home!
Lots of times when I create, I try to weave an idea and concept into a finished clay shape. The assignment for another recent totem project was filled with symbolic imagery to convey a sense of whimsical welcome at the owner’s front door. Each piece of the stack represents a visual message of warmth and hospitality to visitors of this residence. Once I have an idea of what I'd like to make, I often research a variety of imagery to spark my creative juices.
Here’s the breakdown of how this totem came to be:
The base of this totem is a pineapple which has long been a symbol of welcome. The texture was created with the plastic webbing you often find securing fruits and vegetables in the produce department at the grocery store. I have a large 'cache' of texture-making materials around the studio just waiting for the right project! The butterfly resting atop an ocean-blue flower is representative of the Monarch Butterfly often seen throughout this southern isle. I use colorful wire and glass beads to complete this shape.
Hearts are the universal emblem of love. This stack of three hearts spells out what these homeowners cherish -- Family, Friends and Home.
The yellow bead-embellished flower embodies the South Carolina state flower, Yellow Jessamine. I've made other generic flower shapes in the past; this time I tried to mimic the shape of this particular blossom. I knew I wanted to use the Palmetto Tree and Crescent Moon symbol of the South Carolina State Flag to adorn the top of the totem. Figuring out how to turn this idea into reality took some planning and experimentation. A visit to the hardware store produced just the right type of wire to suspend the moon over the tree.
So there you have it. Another totem project is complete and in place! Do you have an idea for a personalized totem for your yard or indoor space? Send me a message and let's start the conversation! I'd love to create one just for you! Take a look at other totems I have created here.
This past week I installed a large commission project I've been working on for months. It included several totem stacks with specific themes, toad houses and custom herb containers for an existing plant stand.
Not all artists are fond of commission art. I happen to like the challenge of creating a new, one-of-a-kind piece and have learned through experience that continual communication usually makes the outcome a success. I want to make sure my adaptation of the client’s vision will meet and hopefully exceed their expectation.
I met this customer many years ago in a dog training class, so this 'pooch' inspired totem was especially meaningful to create. My inspiration started with several ideas the customer suggested resulting in a final collaboration that brought us both to tears.
Usually, when I’m asked to make a special order, the person is familiar with my creations and style of clay art. I like to send photos of previous pieces I’ve made along with color choices to help reinforce the words I use to describe new visions. Sometimes I’ll prepare a rough sketch to show my interpretation. Ultimately, it’s a matter of trust. The purchaser must believe I can create a ClayByLaura item to their satisfaction and I must rely on my clay experience to produce a piece that meets their approval. I've found good communication and frequent status report updates helps smooth this process. It's up to me to relay the nuances of clay and my ability to manipulate it into a final product. When I am successful at this, the results are usually good.
These toad houses bring a pop of color to this beautiful garden area!
My feelings range from panic to euphoria when I finally share my creation with the new owner. By the time the design is set in clay, I’ve spent abundant time thinking about, planning and executing the project. And when the stars align, and the piece is welcomed with joy, well, there‘s no better ego boost!
I was given immense creative freedom and good initial guidance to create this outdoor clay project. I think that's one of the reasons it turned out so well. The customer trusted I would interpret their ideas with my artistic sense and create objects to satisfy their desire. This symbiosis is special and when it happens, it's magic!
Here are more detailed photos of this commission project.
The dog tags add a personalized touch to the dog collar!
The address numbers are easily recognizable on this totem stack.
Each flower creation represents something meaningful to the owners.
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.”
An Ancient Chinese Proverb.
I just finished a mixed media piece for a fundraiser supported by The Muse in Frederick, Md. I like the inspirational quote for this art project. I’ve talked before about how clay connects me to the world and people. It is my red thread.
When we have moved to a new location, clay has often lead me to forge new friendships. I have made enduring encounters at clay classes, workshops and local pottery studios. Clay has opened new doors and opportunities for lasting connections.
Sometimes even my knitting habit gets entangled with the red thread of my clay. I am working on this custom bowl project that came about through a yarn workshop I attended!
Clay has also proved to be the catalyst for reconnecting with people in my life. Just this week I heard from a past friend who recognized my creations on-line. It has been years since we had communicated; clay has renewed the relationship.
These custom mugs were just completed this week for another long-time friend. We have been able to reconnect since my move back to Maryland.
Direct-selling my clay creations is another way I connect with people. Craft shows, home sales and co-op galleries where I’ve sold my pieces are opportunities to make new relationships. These encounters allow me to share a piece of "me" with "them". Sometimes it’s brief but meaningful, other times it leads to a brand new friendship.
Clay also helps me stay connected to friends and family who have died and make donations to helpful community organizations. I've been able to create special urns for holding a loved-one's ashes. Additionally, I make a yearly rendition of an angel in honor of a friend who died long ago of breast cancer. Here's the angel-themed clock I am working on in the studio this week. These clay opportunities help me stay connected also.
Clay is my red thread. What is yours?
My hands are the most important tool I use in creating my clay art.
Clay is a heavy material and requires a certain amount of physical finesse to lift, cart and move around. To begin with, clay is usually sold in 50-pound boxes split into two 25-pound plastic bags. Once it’s shaped into a form, it needs to be carried to and from and lifted in and out of the kiln. Some of the clay equipment is also large and heavy. Kilns, potter’s wheels and slab rollers are usually set in one place in a studio – too cumbersome to move around. Creating with clay on the wheel or hand-building at a work table requires some strength, fluid movement and fine-motor skills. Bulky kiln shelves are layered and lifted in and out of a kiln each time it is fired. Many potters mix their own glazes that are carried and stored in large heavy buckets. I've switched to pint-sized paint on glazes which is one less material to lug around. And even when the making is complete, the finished pieces are packed and transported to shows in crates or carefully wrapped for shipping to customers. These actions also require some heavy lifting.
The clay-making cycle begins with a 50 pound box of clay.
Most potters I know experience their share of aches and pains related to their time with clay. So when the pain in my elbow persisted for the last couple of months, I knew it was time to have it checked. I had avoided diagnosis, afraid I’d be told to stop any clay or knitting activity. Luckily, the ‘tennis elbow’ I have can be rehabilitated through physical therapy, regular exercises and a fancy pressure bracelet I now wear. My daily clay activity, nightly knitting and yoga practice can proceed as usual.
My goal is to rehabilitate and become pain-free.
I was able to spend fun-time in the studio this week with some neighborhood friends and their young daughters. I received pleasure introducing my young neighbors to pottery. We painted several clay shapes to make a pot-sticker. It was great to see their enthusiasm and the fantastic outcome of their color application! I'll assemble the finished pieces later this week once the applied sealer is dry!
First, I showed the girls an example of a pot-sticker I had made. Next, we got to work painting and blending colors on the clay pieces. Getting messy can be fun!
My pottery collection includes pieces like the carved platter I made in 1993 and interesting shapes and glazes of other clay artists I like.
Although pottery can be a solitary medium, there is an entire village ‘out there’ providing instruction, guidance, ideas and feedback. One clay resource I like is Pottery Making Info. It has virtually connected me to many other clay artists I might never have known, tweaked my creative juices on more than one occasion and posed thoughtful artistic questions to ponder. Despite the fact potters all mimic the basic fundamentals and clay-making actions, each individual artist leaves a unique personal impression on the clay to make it their own.
When I began to use more hand-building techniques and get away from throwing on the potter's wheel, I wanted to add an organic nature to my creations. This 'quilted bowl' made in 2008, was one of my early attempts to loosen up.
The most recent query posed by Pottery Making Info: ’What do you hope people experience when they view/use your work?’ piqued my interest this week. It’s a great question and also has me thinking about the experience I have with the pottery I’ve purchased from other artists. I think there is more than one simple answer to this question.
I often purchase pottery I don’t/can’t make myself. I bought this vase from a craft store many years ago. I love the simplicity of the form and how the glaze emphasized the texture of the clay. I also like the wire handle. The organic nature captured in this vase was my goal.
I have bought lots of pottery at craft shows and enjoy the opportunity to buy directly from an artist. I get to see a variety of pieces made by that individual and choose one that I like. Each time I use that purchase, I think of the artist and appreciate our encounter. I bought this mug at a local art fair when we moved back to Maryland a few years ago. I love the shape, glaze and feel of this piece.
In addition to using pottery I purchase, I also display pieces I've bought throughout my house. The rustic bowl was made by a friend, the brushes were created by a fellow classmate in a community clay studio and the vase with clay flowers was purchased from a fantastic craft gallery where I worked when I lived in Charlotte, N.C. All of these purchases connect with a fond memory.
So my answer to the Pottery Making Info question is guided by the pottery purchases I have made along the way. I'd like the owners of ClayByLaura pieces to share the sense of fun I have when I create; I like my clay art to portray my artistic identity and be recognizable as made by me; I like functionality and like hearing how my pieces are used. Overall, I want to connect the pleasure I receive in making art to those that end up using it.
