Ceramic Vase with Houses

One of my favorite things about Somerville Open Studios last weekend was connecting with artists whose work I really respect, and also meeting new ones! I just met Arielle from Small Spaces Ceramics and I'm already a huge fan. She makes beautiful, mysterious bowls that incorporate mini houses (!) and "bubbles" of clay that look like large-scale granulation, an effect I've always been drawn to in metalsmithing. We arranged a trade, and I gave her a hairclip and a drawing in exchange for the most wonderful vase. The vase has three openings, which is perfect for my floral needs -- I usually display flowers from my porch garden, but only in the middle of the summer would I ever have enough flowers to fill a traditional vase. The flowers end up being part of the miniature scene in the vase, which is something I just love. The two houses on the vase's rim seem to have grown from the granulation around them. Unfortunately photos can't capture the most compelling part of the vase, which is that it was so touchable that I couldn't put it down once I chose it!

I also just love how it allows me to display simple weeds in a way that shows them off. Look how cute these shepherd's purse flowers are: