ny now january 2016

To get ready for the NY NOW market, I always set up booth 9145 in my studio a few weeks before the show. I have to admit, the January show is a tough one to gear up for. I am drained after the holidays, and would love a month of doing nothing. So perhaps it’s good that NY NOW comes so quickly in the new year, it gets me back to creating the week after New Year’s Eve. Having the set up in the studio allows me to think through the collection, move it around, fill in gaps, and edit until it’s time to pack the Prius. I keep my booth furniture simple so it’s easy for me to load, unload, set up, and most importantly, break down once the show is over. It also has to fit in the small hatchback, so over the years my system has evolved for maximum compactness, ease and quickness.

new this year are the cylinder vases, about 5" in height, 2.5" in diameter, perfect for spring blooms, a single flower or a bunch.

the roly soup bowls are my favorites, they are just so yummy, I reach for them at every meal: yogurt for breakfast, edamame for lunch, soup for dinner.

add a 7.5" side plate, a 12oz tumbler, and a shorty 10oz tumbler to the roly bowl for a beautiful breakfast or lunch setting. lilacs are my favorite blooms, grown by my grandmother at the family dacha outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. this glaze incorporates the blues and lavenders of that spring beauty.

a simple place setting in ivory and thunder: 10" dinner plate, 7.5" side plate, 5" shallow dish for bread or dessert.

add a set of spouted salt and pepper cellars for a unique touch at the dinner table.

a serving set in thunder, with bowls ranging from 2" to 7" in diameter, for a memorable wedding gift.

flowers in gleena, in the middle of a blizzard

I love it when friends share photos of how they use gleena. During this weekend’s blizzard, gleena was warming a few homes with flowers, and thoughts, of spring.

from the home of and photo by Agnethe: lanterns and boat vase with extraordinary poppies

from the home of Elizabeth: one of a kind, hand-built vessel overflowing with tulips

happy, and full, new year

2016 is off to an interesting start. I was back in the studio on January 3rd, working away on a few custom projects. One of them a set of dishes for a new graphic design office opening up in San Fransisco. Seems like it’s the year for handmade plates, even my mom ordered a set of dinner-sized ones. She likes the rose color, and I am looking forward to seeing her table set with ten of them. Here they are hanging out in their molds until it’s time to clean the edges.

I shape the edge with a surform tool, and finish by smoothing it with a very fine sponge. This gives a sculptural, unique, personality to each shape.

A table full of dishes, all from the first two weeks of the year. So excited to see what the rest of 2016 brings along. Happy New Year!