back behind the wheel

To get my hands back into clay, I sat down and threw a bunch of bowls. I have not worked at a wheel for a few years, and was happy to find that it is just like riding a bike. My hands remembered what to do. Here is the beginning of small bowls, they are drying a bit, and then will be ready for me to trim out the foot.
The final step in throwing a bowl is trimming the foot. It is during the trimming stage that the bowl's personality comes through. I generally like this part, unless I am unable to center the piece on the foam. If the bowl's sides are uneven, it is impossible to center, and the foot ends up all wonky, which could be charming, but mostly it's just frustrating.

There are many ways to secure the bowl upside down in order to trim it. After trying many different methods, I found the foam to be the most bowl-friendly. The surface of the foam grips and holds the bowl in place without damaging the sides or the inside in any way.



The foot is trimmed so it contrasts the fullness of the bowl. I am inspired by the proportions of Japanese bowls, the ones where the basin floats above a delicate foot.

a productive weekend

I am finally inspired and working in the studio. I have spent the past few months thinking about what to make, doing a lot of looking and absorbing of shapes, surfaces, textures, colors, patterns. My friend Claudia and I were talking about feeling guilty taking the time to think as opposed to make. I came to the conclusion that thinking is an important part of my process.

I carry the thing that I will eventually make around with me, turning it over in my head and dreams. It will manifest itself, but in its own due time. I have to admit, I found the thinking a bit frustrating. I had left my job to have more time for ceramics, and I wasn't doing it. Is it a case of getting what I want, and realizing that I do not want it after all? No, I just can't rush the creative process.

I am happy this weekend got me back behind the wheel, so to speak. And yes, I love having more time to make, and to think.


The gourd halves I picked up in French Guiana (here they are above, displayed at a market) are finally cast into a mold. Follows my mold-making process.

The gourds are turned upside down on a plastic surface, and secured in place with plasticine. Wooden coddles are placed around the gourds, about one inch away from the edges. The coddles are secured to one another with clamps and kept in place with plasticine, which keeps the plaster from leaking out the bottom.

The plaster is then poured into the coddles. I use Pottery 1 plaster, made specifically for slip casting. Since I coated the gourds with wax before I cast them, they will pop out easily once the plaster has set. The plaster mold takes about a week to dry out, and then it will be ready for slip pouring. I cast four different sizes of gourds, to add to my petal bowls collection. Pictures to come soon.

sassy spring

The days are longer, the sky is blue, the air is soft. It's finally getting to be spring-time, and Orla Kiely's new collection is a true celebration of the season. I love her graphic bold patterns and vintage-inspired sassy bags. They make me want to go out there and conquer the world (economy be damned). She's an inspiration, that Orla!

BONUS Orla's vintage bags are on sale right now. Also, check out iloveorla.com for some serious Orla deals.

"The world of Orla Kiely is one where color, pattern, graphic control, texture and rhythm continually work and rework together. Orla has a unique, immediately recognisable design language, developed through graphic patterns that celebrate her optimistic spirit. As down-to-earth as her designs are popular, the key to what drives Orla is her fixation on the evolution of a signature style, devotion to quality and practicality." ~ from OrlaKiely.com

richard devore

"Whether DeVore’s work brings to mind worn, weathered skin or the roughened surface of a crater or hillside, it is the sensation or feeling evoked that is so significant. The objects DeVore references are starting points, the essence of which he captures through reductive and carefully chosen physical qualities. If one takes a moment to concentrate, standing before a DeVore becomes an intimate and breathtaking experience. It is possible to get lost among the folds, ridges and wrinkles of a single piece, all the while aware that it is a humble pot, made of clay and glaze, that has so transfixed you." ~ from the Frank Lloyd Gallery website

subtelty and simplicity

Lucie Rie's ceramics is the embodiment of subtlety and simplicity. Her forms breathe. A gorgeous exhibit of her life's work is now at Issey Miyake’s 21_21 in Tokyo, a place I have always wanted to visit. Some day. The exhibition was designed by Tadao Ando and features a pool of water on which the ceramics actually float.

artist in her home: no.3

I live in a renovated mill which was built in 1912. The building started out as an underwear factory, then was a jewelry factory, then sat empty for a while, and finally was converted into condos five years ago. My loft is filled with light, due to the 20-foot-long and 6-foot-wide skylight that spans half of the ceiling. I love watching the light change throughout the day, it's magical when it is raining.


I keep the decor minimal, but like to surround myself with books and art. I collect paintings created by friends and family, but most of the ceramics in the collection is mine. I never quite figured out how to sell my sculptural work. Maybe it's because I don't really want to part with these pieces, they tell such an intimate story.

A few years ago I decided to create a mini gallery for the art in my loft, and commissioned my friend David Dilks to build deep shelves which could be easily adjusted to fit many different heights. Within the shelves, the pieces can be viewed individually or in context with everything else, an installation of one life's mosaic.


Collection of pots and bowls thrown on a wheel. I was experimenting with form and clay texture for a while. The clays I experimented with are pictured here: white stoneware, chocolate low-fire clay, and porcelain. My favorite: porcelain.

This installation is titled Skins, Shed. Each "skin" is made out of one white stoneware slab.

A white stoneware sculpture titled Repose, hand-built with coils.

Oil painting on wood by my friend Jennifer Inderland French.

Pencil drawing of my grandmother by her second husband, Gregory Marozov, done in 1958.

Acrylic paintings on wood by one of my favorite illustrators, Trisha Krauss.

Collage and pencil on canvas, by my friend Claudia Middendorf.

more polaroids

Speaking of polaroids, photographer Jen Gotch creates beautiful images with the standard Polaroid camera. You know, the one you point and shoot, and a picture pops out? Here are some of Jen's gorgeous photos, visit her website, it's super fun.

photo relics

So much has changed in the editorial photo industry recently. On a photo shoot for a story, one of the things I miss the most is seeing the polaroid of the shot in progress. I even miss waiting for the polaroid to develop, tucked under the photo assistant's arm. During those few minutes of waiting, great conversations happened. Today, with digital photography, the shot appears on the computer screen, instantly. And though many will argue with me, I feel that digital photography is missing a little bit of soul.

I love the slow 4x5 camera process, from the adjusting of bellows to loading the film to pressing the shutter release. After so much hands-on adjusting, one could feel a connection between the camera and the photographer. That humanness came through on the final film. At the end of the shoot, it was wonderful to have a set of large format polaroids, my personal collection of photo moments. Each one, like a souvenir, brings back the people, the conversations, and the feeling of that day. Here is my collection.



photography by: Anna Williams, Lisa Hubbard, Kate Sears,
Gentl and Hyers, Rick Lew, Sang An
styling by: Dawn Sinkowski, Allison Liebman, Ayesha Patel

cup of joe

If in New York City you are trying to find an alternative to Starbucks, I highly recommend Joe, where they consider coffee an art form (and a responsibility). Even decaf, my bean of choice, is delicious.

If you would like to improve your own coffee technique, Joe offers classes on subjects like Espresso Fundamentals and Milk Steaming. Locations at Waverly Place, E. 13th Street, W. 23rd, and Grand Central Terminal.

PLUS Joe has a compost and recycling program at all the locations. Every bit of coffee and organic material is composted and all of the containers are recycled. Bring your own to-go mug and get 10 cents off every drink!

a breakfast gem

This morning I met Leslie for breakfast at Gemma, the restaurant at the Bowery Hotel in New York City. Gemma is surprisingly styled with mismatched antique velvet chairs, copper pots and pans, Renaissance oil paintings, Baroque light fixtures, and huge brass candelabras. It is a trip in time to duck into this cozy interior. Worn wood tables are set with inviting linen napkins and vintage mugs. The city was gray with winter rain, but we were warmly tucked away enjoying eggs and cornmeal pancakes in a Parisian-inspired setting. Excellent service combined with good coffee and tea, and we were two very happy ladies. What a treat.

thé adoré

On my recent visit to New York City, I met a dear friend, Adriana, at a lovely little café, Thé Adoré, on the north side of 13th St, between University Avenue and 5th Avenue. It is Japanese, with French pastries. I cannot think of a better cultural combination. This serene spot is a tiny oasis in a neighborhood teaming with New School and Parsons students. The leak-potato soup and a mixed greens salad I had for lunch were just right. On our way out, Adriana and I drooled over the sweets dispalyed in an antique glass case. It's a wonderful spot to duck into after a day of shopping at the farmer's market which takes over Union Square on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

artist in her home: no. 2

Petz Scholtus, an industrial designer, recently bought an apartment in the historic part of Barcelona. Not only did she get her mortgage from a green, or ethical, bank, she also paid close attention to how her move and her new home impact the environment. Petz hired a local bicycle mover to transport her belongings, which did not include furniture at the time of the move. For the renovation, she wanted to find products that were made close to home, were produced without a huge environmental impact, and which could be dismantled after her tenancy (following the cradle-to-cradle recycling model) and did not use too much energy. After a few initial bumps, she created an eco-friendly, creative, and cozy home. Read the full article from The New York Times here. I am a big fan of her Bidon Lamp, an open source design that anyone can make at home. Here are directions on how to do it.

snowy retreat

Ten minutes drive from my house, Lincoln Woods, in Lincoln, RI, is a welcome snowy retreat. My walk around the frozen lake reminds me of long Russian winters from my childhood, when afternoons were spent ice skating until I could no longer feel my toes. The air is crisp, tinted with pine which solemnly guard the edge of the lake. Some days, when the ice is very strong, groups huddle around openings, ice fishing. There is no better place to contemplate the serenity and majesty of winter.

taizo kuroda

photographs courtesy of Taizo Kuroda

"Taizo Kuroda's white porcelain is always a masterpiece of balance. Retaining the freshness of the spur of a moment for all time, it has all the fragile beauty and wondrous vitality of a living thing just born"
~ Nobuhiro Yamaguchi, from Taizo Style