My process is a collaboration with intuitive choices, one after another, and details from nature that I collect studying life on the trail- growth patterns, movement, and also inevitably decay. This little vase series takes a few of these collected details as studies to play across the surfaces of a basic form. 

The turn of a leaf has a lyrical quality, it curves sweetly and uplifts as our eye follows it's flow. The overlapping leaves of a succulent radiate around the plant, almost dancing, in a manifestation of the golden ratio. Out of the forest floor, a staghorn fungus erupts stark and glowing amongst the leaf litter. Through all of it, I walk, quietly observing, listening, immersed in the scents of the season. 

For the places I cannot go, books and marine bloggers are a resource I turn to often. Can you deny the commonalities between form on land and sea? 

This month's focus is a building block for the year to come. I set up this vase challenge to expand my form dictionary and most importantly to surprise myself, allowing my hands to play and layer.  Integrating experimentation with production and practice is a necessity. It is so exciting to allow for the unknown around the corner, for my hands and intuitive choices to surprise me. 

This series is meant to be a focal point in the room- a vivacious declaration of beauty and the inherent optimism in life. They are not direct lines from the inspiration, but become their own things as expression of the inspiration's essential nature.

This piece came out sooooo stunning. Check out the full load of these beings headed for bisque in the kiln!

I hope you love all of these as much as I do! These pieces are wheel thrown, altered, and handbuilt from there. They have thoughtfully sculpted details which are amplified by porcelain slip under the sunset and botanical inspired brilliant glazes.

Their exuberant color sets off from neutrals beautifully and work with other pieces of mine, tied together by color and movement. The gently radiating form feel fresh as flowers every time you see them. They are a gentle reminder of life even in winter days and glowing in summer's sunlight.

These are all available on this month's shop release! The ones that do not find homes will join me with new pieces at Showcase with the Oregon Potters Association at the Portland Convention Center. See you soon!

The best way I have found to develop new pieces is to give myself a series with constraints. Projects that are wide open can almost be more difficult than projects with limitations that you have to dance around creatively. A small series is perfect, acting like little sketches to explore detail, color, and form. A specific lesson from one of my creative heroes, Ray Bradbury said- "once you are sitting down at your desk, studio, wherever you practice… don’t think!" That is a time for action. The thinking is done, time to move.

I tried this out in a very limited way in the holiday season. It created excitement for me when I'm in production mode, leading to new forms. 

You can see how each one of these is trying a different type of sculpted detail by degrees. Forms come from the intertidal zone, flower forms, mushrooms, cactus and plants.I have a large bank of collected inspiration over the years that I'm diving into. My constraints will be (mostly) limiting the type of detail to be explored to one element. Limiting the main form to 6 or so pieces in a little bunch. I'll also be *attempting* to constrain my glazing to one main color with little accents. 

This type of exploration allows me to pull the best of the bunch forward to more expressive pieces OR combine elements for completely new styles.

Of these little vases, just about all found homes! The last little vase in a summery rose colorway is still available. What they also did was lead me to several new styles! These were snapped up and many gifted from holiday events. 

This piece above, led to this one below scaled up in more expressive way. Both sizes may make their way to my continued collection. They are so stunning.

This beauty very quickly found an enthusiastic home. It absolutely filled my heart the way this was snapped up!

I am deepening this series for my February release, just in time to start seeing blooms outside our windows! Expanding to wall vases and trying out a couple different earthy clays to see how they layer. I'll share along the way and give first peek to my Collector's Club subscribed to the Journal. SIGN UP HERE. But here's a peek of a few wall vases on the drying rack. I'm already so thrilled to keep going!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you who has purchased my work this past year. You all truly fill my heart with joy and inspiration. Work that has been exceptionally inspiring to me has found homes, collectors added to their collections, and new collectors found their way to me at events or through social media. Each piece that finds a new home is energy that carries me forward. THANK YOU. 

This past year was all about getting fully immersed in my practice again. The dust has settled, we're loving the Portland area and the PNW. Consistency in the studio and getting fully acquainted with new materials was key. Restarting a creative practice after all the big moves I've made in the past few years is like starting up an old engine, but once she's oiled up, let's gooooo! 

• I am continuing on the expanded forms that I have begun to develop over the course of last year. Starting first with a bit more exploration, limiting myself to a particular function- the vase- and letting my mind and hands explore singular details. More on that in another post! Think more servers, one of a kind pieces, treasure boxes, butter dishes, and plates. Detailed and beautiful pieces that are centerpieces. 
• I am committed to restock my absolute favorites- neptune and barnacle styles in expanded forms so you can create a cohesive collection. 
• Ahead are simplified wall pieces in attainable price points that finally get a handle on technical issues.
• I am returning finally to watercolor and illustration after many many years of longing and wavering. I have so much to express that is very limited with clay. I long for the immediacy of paper and media. One of my first series Ill be tackling will be pulled directly from my clay work. They will loop back into one another and feed each other in practice. These may take a while to make it to the shop, but Ill share very soon. 
• You'll see me around the show circuit a bit more. I absolutely LOVE seeing everyone in person. The moment someone's eyes glow when they see their piece fills my heart and creative spirit with energy to bring back to the studio.
• LAST BUT NOT LEAST I'm launching my quarterly studio newsletter, The Collector's Journal for my collectors which will share news + blog posts here, give insight into my process while I'm working and what I'm thinking about when I'm creating. This will be a little window into my work in bite size form. Collector's Club subscribers will ALWAYS be first to know about shop releases. Make sure you're signed up!

Trying on some layered watercolor effects below:Exploring sculpted vase details in this one. This piece came came out of a short bud vase series I am expanding on first thing this year!

A few projects that I am thrilled to highlight:

The Pony Collab | Custom Mugs The owner of Pony Communications has been a long time collector of my work. This year, she wanted to bring Unurth into her office and created custom pieces for her team! These came out so lovely. 

Carving in the Pony Logo.

Glaze and headed to final firing.

Finished pieces at Pony Communications!

...

Fabulous Feathers | Wedding Favors I was contacted by a long time collector looking for some custom wedding favors for a wedding. They had feathers as a theme and knew my ornaments would be the perfect thing! I made over 200 feathers for this project in several different colorways in wedding colors. We created a custom stamp with details to brand them for the wedding. Not knowing exactly how they would be presented, I was blown away by the display they created. One part of an absolutely stunning wedding! This was such a delight to work on. 

Great efforts require rest to keep going. Refill, refresh, calm. The rainforest is on another level, filling my dreams with layers, textures, life and death overlapping into eternity. 

Sending you these moments of peace. May they fill you up a little on your journey today. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I felt like a dino may jump out at any moment. The amount of dead-fall and new life coming from within and on top of it was absolutely overwhelming. You could feel the centuries and the future simultaneously. Even though we don't see it everyday in such visible terms, our world is also like that, building on the knowledge of generations past and it's consequences both.

It seemed there was a miracle around every corner. If you went slow enough you could see so much. 

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who picked up one, two, or more beauties from this last drop!! They are stunning and I’m THRILLED to carry what I’ve been learning forward a few steps more. If you missed it, there’s still a few beautiful pieces on the site. Glazing a few last saucers and moving on the next batch as the summer wanes. ✨