Bowls, lately

Lately, I’ve been spending more time on larger, functional pieces.

Bowls that take up space. Mugs with a little emotion to them. Pieces meant to be used every day and still feel considered when they’re sitting empty on a table or shelf. This kind of work asks for a different kind of attention, and I find myself slowing down in a good way.

With functional work, small decisions carry a lot of weight. The curve of a rim. How a foot meets the table. Where a glaze breaks or pools. I’ll live with a piece for a while before deciding how it’s finished. Some feel right quickly. Others need to be revisited, sometimes more than once.

I’m drawn to objects that don’t disappear once they’re doing their job. I want them to hold their own in a room, even when they’re not being used. There’s a quiet balance there that keeps my interest.

This work leans on exploration and refinement. Forms change slowly. Adjustments are subtle. A few millimeters here, a slight shift there. Over time, those small changes add up and the work begins to feel settled.

Mistakes still happen. A bowl comes out heavier than planned. A glaze settles differently than expected. The kiln gods always surprise me. Sometimes that means starting over. Other times it means paying closer attention to what the piece is already doing well.

I’m not rushing this work. It takes time to get it right, and I’m comfortable letting it take the time it needs. Right now, the focus is simply on making pieces that feel resolved, both in the hand and in the room.

Some of these forms will feel familiar. Others are still being worked out.

I’ll keep making them and see where they settle.