mindful eye

We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of your hand
— Isaiah 64:8

For many years now I’ve been interested in those who shape clay into unique and especially beautiful and useful pieces. While I was pregnant with my first baby just over 23 years ago I took a pottery class at the Adult School with my mom. I remember wearing my overalls and having a cute little belly with my first son growing inside of me. We had such fun in that class my mom and I. I made the most awful things. I made this hand shaped coffee mug for motorcycle man and we still have this oddly shaped mug to this very day. I think they let us on the wheel just one time I can remember and it was so much more difficult than I had imagined it would be and the clay felt abrasive when I had imagined it would feel soft. After I had Austin I was extremely busy raising a baby while working full time and 3-1/2 years later I had his little brother Dylan and felt even more busy, raising two boys and working full time and also deciding to purchase our first home that was quite a large undertaking. It was 3-1/2 years after second born son arrived and we were trying to make our little fixer upper house a home that our littlest and only girl came into the world. Needless to say I’ve been busy the past 23 years. I’ve managed to pick up my camera and keep a blog and do some of the creative things that matter to me but I’ve always wanted to return to the clay creations. I even recently checked out a book at the library about an interesting, lively and creative woman who made her life in pottery, her name was Beatrice Wood. I pin pottery in Pinterst, I admire other women I know on social media who dabble in pottery as well. I try and support those artists with encouraging words or buying things they might have for sale. The cup in the photograph above is a recent purchase, I bought a pair actually and I couldn’t wait for them to arrive. They landed on my doorstep on Saturday late afternoon just in time for afternoon coffee and then later that night I poured a cup of red wine in the same cup. It felt so perfect in my hands and it felt special to know this was a handmade one of a kind. When I picked up the cup to wash it today I noticed the wine drips and I found it to be pretty and real so this is what I decided on for my mindful eye to see. If you might want to take a peek at the selection of pottery Camille has you can click HERE.

Fall is finally here and I’m excited to use this pair of handmade cups for hot cozy drinks and night caps and maybe even a darling bundle of flowers to display. I find the pair of cups/vases to be multi purpose and I love that. It’s important to build others up and support them when we can. Speaking of creative friends, I always wonder what Christina will share in her blog space. I really love that she invited me to be a part of the mindful eye project because it keeps me at the very least posting once a week.