We have all been cooped up for just about a year now with this pandemic. Not much has changed for me as a self employed potter. My working days are spent alone with my two studio dogs. As an introvert I’m not longing to be with people all day long anyway. This all being said, I do miss people and community! Even introverts need community!

Sometimes a potter needs to change glazes. Even if that particular glaze is a fan favorite. This is the third iteration of the galaxy urns in the 15 years that I’ve been making them.

Springtime is here in western Massachusetts. The buds on the trees are just beginning to open. The sprouts on the ground are coming up, soon the fiddleheads will be ready for harvesting along the river. This spring has a darkness over it though… with the global pandemic, covid19. Such a difficult time for everyone around the world. It is a time of pause, a time of introspection. Everything is on hold. Still spring comes. New life continues.

In these uncertain times I look for hope in the regenerative power of the earth, and I remind myself through my pottery, that I am making something out of a piece of pliable earth. I realize that the earth sustains me in many ways, and that I have a place in this world to bring beauty and hope through my art.

I have made a new line of cremation urns this past summer. They are glazed in a glaze my son Andrew readily named, “Green River”. He was a lifeguard at the time, who looked at that beautiful color for three summers. There are so many shades of green on this beautiful earth. So many names I could have given this urn, but to me the perfect name for it is “Tranquil Waters”.

Ever wonder how those little Soul Circle Stones are made?

They start with the tiniest bit of clay, the size of a golf ball. I place it on the potters wheel, center the clay, and proceed to make a little hollow ring. Take a look at the photos to see the progression.

There are many potters in the valley of western Massachusetts. Two groups of potters have a pottery tour every year. I belong to the Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail. We have our tour the last weekend of April. The other group, Hilltown 6 have their pottery tour every July. The Fuller Craft Museum near Boston

This past January my 36 year old niece lost her year long battle with cancer. Christina loved everything butterfly. So I asked her husband and my brother if they would like me to make a biodegradable urn for her that would have butterflies, and be reminiscent of the grasses of the field.

How do you want to remember a loved one? For me personally, I would like to remember their spirit, the love we shared, and memories that make me smile. I don’t necessarily need to have my loved one’s ashes… but I do need something tangible, that I can see and touch. Something that reminds me that their spirit is always with me.

My pottery studio changes here in summer. One large work table at the south facing window is designated to making biodegradable urns. It's quite a different process from my regular pottery making process. The table is cluttered with large sheets of colorful papers that I have painted. These papers get cut into various shapes and soon become the patterns on my biodegradable urns. 

Each urn takes about 40 minutes to carve the leaves... the perfect time to listen to podcasts or to sit outside on a warm sunny porch. (The latter isn’t happening anytime soon.) Over the weekend I carved three urns while watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. A big smile came to my face when I saw the huge moon jar holding the Olympic flame! 

Sitting with the sun deliciously at my back all day while throwing large urns, I caught a glimpse of sunlight on my red rubber rib tool. 
Sometimes magic happens.
Is it me, or some creative force beyond my realm of comprehension. It's like the red rib touched the pot like a wand... and poof... the pot became.