Beneath the Lilies (2025)

When I think of nature, I almost always picture a pond, a lily pad floating near the surface, a flower blooming just above the waterline. That’s where this bowl began. I shaped the rim to feel like a ripple, added glass to give the pond depth, and let the form move in whatever direction it needed.

After the bisque fire, it cracked. Badly. I was heartbroken, this was the piece I was most excited for. I debated whether to finish it, whether to even try. But something in me didn’t want to give up. I glazed it anyway, knowing the risks. And it did crack more. But it also survived.

I used gold finishing to repair it, kintsugi, not to hide the damage, but to make it visible. Now, that golden seam is the part I love most. It’s the piece I was closest to, and the only one that broke. Maybe that’s what makes it so honest.

A reminder that imperfection doesn’t ruin the story, it is the story.