Winter Sprig

The piece began as a pinched circle of clay, pressed and coaxed until its edge acquired the uneven rhythm of something found in nature rather than turned on a wheel. White glaze was brushed on in a single layer, thin enough to let the body breathe, smooth enough to catch the light. The gold was applied last, painted along the entire rim with a small brush and fired a second time so that it fused into the surface rather than sitting on top. It catches the light at different angles, moving between matte warmth and mirror-bright depending on the hour of day. The holly sprig, sculpted separately and attached before the first firing, is a nod to the quiet ceremony of winter. The berries carry a small point of red in any room they enter, the way a candle does, holding a season in miniature.