2019 has drawn to a close and it has been a challenging year in many ways, but I have done my best to harness those challenges and use that energy to make beautiful things.
Among the challenges, there were many bright spots to my year both personally and creatively. I wanted to take this opportunity to share my top five creative achievements with you!
One: My first book ever! ‘A Potter’s Dream: Myths and Legends’
‘A Potter’s Dream: Myths & Legends’ pairs my pottery creations with myths and legends from around the world retold with my own quirky spin.
You can get your own copy of this book here. It makes a great gift for those who love pottery, mythology or both!
Two: ‘The Healing Vase Project’:
was born out of my personal grief and that of others who shared their experiences with me. It was the most meaningful and special project that I completed this year. You can learn more about this project by watching the video below.
Three: Mother of Dragons – Raku Vase
2019 was the year that the television show ‘Game of Thrones’ ended. The ending was a disappointment to many of the fans, including me. But one thing I was not disappointed in was how my ‘Game of Thrones’ inspired vase turned out.
Four: ‘The Myth of Family’ – My first solo art show for my pottery.
In this month long solo exhibition, the Alchemist’s Studio explored family from a spiritual, cultural, emotional, and personal perspective through the use of sculpture, vases and mythology. Each piece tells part of the interwoven story that explores our collective roots and the twisted branches that tell the tale of our human family and experience through myths and stories from around the world and throughout time.
See the exhibit at Oxford Riverside Gallery as highlighted in the video below:
Five: Completed my first ‘Pit Firing’ of pottery.
One of the goals I set for myself last year was to explore alternative firing techniques. Firing pottery in a pit, or pit firing is an ancient practice that dates back to 25,000 – 29,000 BCE. Learn more about the process here and you can find some more of my examples of pit fired pottery in this gallery.
I guess it was a busier year than I thought! I would also give honourable mentions to a few other accomplishments in 2019. This was the first year that I was able to throw vases that reached the maximum height of my kiln, like this piece here.
There was also much work done on my studio. There is still much more work, but the progress was quite substantial as you can see below:
What pieces or projects of 2019 at the Alchemist’s Studio did you enjoy the most? You can stay current on all of our upcoming projects, news and special offers by subscribing to our newsletter here.