Fractured Healing

I believe the title might be enough of a reason. Here’s some more information why I make these “Fractured Healing”mugs: as an art teacher of 18years I look to help lift-up my students by fill their cups with my trust, encouragement and respect. While teaching I’ve noticed lot of hurt, frustration and brokenness. As an art educator, my mission is to foster an
approachable and inclusive classroom environment; one where all students feel welcome to explore and grow their creative abilities.
My wife have a heart for people who feel and/or are loss and have been mistreated (broken). We’ve open up our home to foster/adoptive/respite care over 10 years now. My mug series is titled “Fractured Healing” pay tribute to those who are loss/broken. We all have brokenness and are in need of healing in our lives. I’ve made these to be a reminder of that truth in your own life.
For these mugs, my vision was to use local, indigenous low-fire red clay. The local red clay I used as a slip over a white porcelain stoneware mix. I make a cracking texture as I expand to its form while throwing on the potters wheel.
I enjoy finding things in nature and like how nature shows us how healing works. My 5 boys and I find these burl knots on branches in our woods. Caused by injury, infection (bacteria, viruses, fungi), or stress, burls are like slow-growing tumors as it creates a bandaid to heal itself. By doing so it makes unique aesthetics: the deformed grain. I attach the burl as handles using PC-11. They are fully functional, hand washable and food safe. This item is glazed for function, making it safe for food and daily use. As a general rule of thumb, hand-made = hand-wash. Enjoy!