Teapots

Many people regard teapots as the highest form of pottery. After making my first three teapots, I can certainly appreciate that notion. They're difficult to make and easy to screw up. Not only are they labor intensive, they demand meticulous attention to detail. And they still may not pour well (mine all dribble a bit).

But for all their trouble, teapots are beautiful. I made these for a fellow artist who donated the use of a wonderful photograph for the cover of my magazine. Just like in the Karate Kid, he now gets to pick which one he likes best.

Happy Birthday Saya!

One of the things I love most about ceramics is that I have the ability to make unique, personal gifts for my friends. In this case, I made a porcelain cup for Saya's second birthday. Although this tea cup isn't terribly unique (even copyright infringement, actually) it's never the less very special.

Both of Saya's parents are potters, and her father is Japanese, so an Asian-style tea cup is rather fitting. But what's more important is the Minnie Mouse decoration. Saya's parents recently took her to Disney on Ice, and she was lucky enough to get within arm's reach of Minnie. For weeks after, Saya told everyone and anyone, "I touched Minnie!"

So now, Saya can touch Minnie every day of the week.

Givin' it Away

One of the things I've realized in the past few months is that selling my work, especially on Etsy, is not as rewarding as giving it away.

Now I'm not saying I just dole it out indiscriminately. Quite the opposite. When I give something away, it goes to a friend, a relative, a coworker or (perhaps my favorite) a student.

When I sell a piece it goes to a stranger. I get a little money, but usually not really enough to merit the time invested in the piece of work. Of course sometimes I get quite a bit of money (which is nice) and I've met some nice people (even new friends) through sales.

But giving my work away brings a different kind of reward. Most of the time I get a sense of pride from the receiver's admiration of my skills. Other times I'm just happy to make someone else happy. In the case of students, I like the opportunity to inspire.

One last thought is that when I set out to make something that will be given away as a gift, it almost always turns out better than I had hoped. It's like karma instills a certain amount of luck into the creative process. Of course, I hope I didn't just jinx myself by saying that...