Suzanne Crane, a Virginia artist, created this lovely bowl. On the accompanying card she gives a fascinating account of the process by which she shapes her pieces. Each one begins with a walk in the mountains and woods of central Virginia where she gathers wild plant specimens. You can see where the plant is pressed into the clay before glazing. With a beer can opener (known as a "church key") she adds unique details while the handles and feet of the piece are hand pulled from the pottery. Using her own glaze recipes, she finishes by firing it twice. The result is a piece often mistaken for iron while actually made of delicate stoneware. I fell in love with this bowl in a gallery in Williamsburg, VA. Although it is crafted for household use, I prefer to treat it like the piece I art I think it is.
