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.

Yes it is all the title says…. sometimes it’s more so than other times. This Blue Galaxy glaze is my most difficult glaze to create. Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes dark blue, other times lighter blue. It’s four layers of glaze, one of the layers is sprayed on, the other layers are dipped.
This also happens to be my most popular urn.

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.

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.