Where a dancer's hands bring clay to life
The avian spirit permeates the soul of any dancer, and birds often emerge as fundamental design elements in my work. Swans were especially intriguing, so I experimented with ways I could turn a globe-shaped vessel I'd thrown on the wheel into a swan shape -- without adding clay.
After the clay was partially dry, but still soft enough to shape easily, I cut slices into the top of the globe-like structure and carefully opened out what would become the head, neck, tail, and wings of a bird. With some additional fine-tuning, I was able to transform the abstract shape on my wheel into a swan.
These two vessels can stand alone as graceful sculptures or hold bouquets of living flowers. They are part of a private collection in Montville, NJ.
Other bird-shaped vases are available at my online shop
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Copyright Judith Taylor, 2018. All rights reserved.