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Find me more frequently for the time being at Folk-Art-Life.

8.06.2011

Open 4 Discussion: Clay Comfort


You know... I had a quirky realization this morning as I poured my coffee into my Kristin Pavelka mug. While overall, my sentiments about the southwest and this strange new city are very, very good, I do have my moments where I realize my life has changed drastically in the last month. My friends are all hundreds of miles away... All of them. I have no studio to run off to for a creative kick in the butt. And the art culture in this city is so different from back home and, truth be told, a little more hidden then I'm used to.

Yesterday all these thoughts backed-up a bit and the result was a case of homesickness. It wasn't too bad, but the thought of living away from my city by the bay for so long unsettled me for a while. 


Yet this morning, when I opened my cupboard and looked up at my collection of charming handcrafted mugs, the strangest thing happened. I felt right back at home. As I lifted the curvy green mug with the orange-centered flowers from the back of the shelf, I immediately felt the comfort of my little hobbit hole back in San Francisco. And it's not just the way the mugs look, but the feel of each one in my hand that I have become so familiar with over the last year and a half. And the shape of the lip as a warm drink passes over mine. And the way the grounds from the crumby french-press look when they get trapped at the bottom of each different mug.


I think this is one of the reasons I am so in love with ceramics, and pottery in particular. When objects are hand-crafted, like the ones in my cupboard, they're imbued with a type of character that makes them more of a friend then just a mug. It may sound silly, but I guarantee I  am not the only one who feels this way.

I like when artists really embrace this quality of their creations. Have a read at Michelle Summer's blog, where she talked about this recently. Then tell me what you think. Do you have relationships with some of your pots, or other handmade objects in your home?


6 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

Oh I definitely have a relationship with my cups!Some mornings when I choose a cup and there sits one that I use a lot but haven't selected, I feel like I owe it an apology or something. We moved 5 times in five years and every move the first thing I unpacked was my kitchen stuff, my pottery. It immediately made me feel like I was home, where ever that was. Good luck in your new place. I wrote a blog today about my friends here. I met all of them through pottery, so hopefully you will start feeling a sense of place soon. Find some potters!

Patty said...

I feel you on this post. I just moved to a new state and had to pack my studio into a storage unit until I find somewhere to work. And to add to that I couldn't fit all my mugs and cups in our teeny tiny kitchen so I had to pack some of them up in storage. They are the perfect grounding tool and were the first things I unpacked. Good luck in the new city!

Ron said...

Hey Jesse Lu,
Great that you have this realization. I feel very connected to most of the pots we have. And a connection to the maker or the place and events that brought the pot into my life. Good luck settling in and learning more about your new city. I'm happy to be a part of your collection there.

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Fun peaking in your cupboard and recognizing some of the makers! What a wonderful post. Thanks.

Lori Buff said...

I am another one of those people who stand at the cupboard deciding which mug will hold my morning coffee. All of them have a memory and maybe even an attachment with the artists. It's a beautiful way to start the day.

crimsonlaurelgallery said...

I often stand and stare at the pieces in my collection, I get such joy out of the way they make my home look and feel. More importantly for me it's a connection with the artists who made them. Most of the pieces I own are made by my friends in this crazy business of studio ceramics. That connection makes each piece it's own little treasure.

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