Coral Eye

The piece begins with a fragment of sea coral, laid flat on a blue textile ground and allowed to sprawl. Over it rests a ceramic disc the artist shaped by hand, pressing her thumb into soft clay until the form remembered its own hollow center. Layers of coral-toned slip were brushed on and wiped back, building a gradient from deep terracotta at the rim to pale blush at the ring. The amber interior was filled with a drop of golden resin, sealed and fired so the surface crazes faintly, like a sun-dried pond bed. Edges were dusted with gold leaf before a final clear glaze locked everything in. Worn at the lapel or collar, the brooch becomes a small, watchful presence. It carries the memory of the sea without sentimentality, the way a smooth stone carries the memory of a river.