Summer plates

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Long, late, evenings outside in other people’s gardens, shared platters of salads and fresh berries, watching the last sunlight trail on the flat water,  cool mountain hikes as that favorite birdcall echoes in the gathering dusk, kids on the grass until the stars come out.  I was thinking about how to safekeep these beautiful summer moments and how to keep them fresh,  so, when I looked over these shots I took of my new work, I realised – this being the seventh summer I’ve enjoyed on Orcas – I may have already stored them in the plates I just made.

Handbuilt porcelain dish, 18" long
Handbuilt porcelain dish, 18″ long
Handbuilt dish in cassius clay.  19" long.  Food safe.
Handbuilt dish in cassius clay. 19″ long. Food safe.

Spring shore

The Sea Is Blue vessel (one of 3)
The Sea Is Blue vessel (one of 3)

Spring had sprung when I looked up from my pinched pots; the hills and shores are alive.   Millie, my mother-in-law a.k.a personal florist, brought me this beautiful bouquet picked this morning from her garden and I knew exactly which vase it should sit in.

Petite clam dishes with carved detail, oxide washes
Petite clam dishes with carved detail, oxide washes

Spring is here on Orcas Island and the pace in my studio has been fevered.  I have been working on a new flock of birds that are awaiting their first firing and jewelry for the studio mixed media/ceramic line.  One project I am really excited about is a small-batch collection of tableware for a local retailer to be launched this summer.  Sneak preview soon, maybe 😉

And, very special thanks goes out to Outlook Inn on Orcas Island for featuring our very large mixed media wall piece, Collaboration I, by Christa Smith and I, in their restaurant, New Leaf Cafe – the must-do dining spot on my Orcas list for visiting family and friends.  Heading out for a walk in the spring sun now, see you on the shore!

At the hostess table, New Leaf Restaurant, Orcas Island
At the hostess table, New Leaf Restaurant, Orcas Island

Sweet turtles

These turtle dishes put a smile on my face, and I hope it brings a smile to you too.  Maybe it is the colour in bloom all around me that’s inspired me to explore tones that are not in my usual glaze selections.  Fun to be out on a limb and hanging on for a bit.  Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

Sweet turtle tapas dishes in a clear glaze over carribean blue and rubbed salmon coloured stain.
Sweet turtle tapas dishes in a clear glaze over carribean blue and rubbed salmon coloured stain.

Rim detail

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Oval dish

Ready for first firing
Ready for first firing