Handcrafted by Perdita

I have a creative passion for creating functional art using clay as my medium. As someone who digs in the dirt most of the year by gardening, I suppose it’s not surprising that a creative outlet would involve more dirt. The earthy Virgo in me speaks loudly… My hope is that the items I create will bring joy and beauty to people's everyday lives. Although most of my offerings are functional, their primary reason for existence is the Aesthetic; they are made to be held, to be touched, to be visually enjoyed – the functionality of them is simply part of the aesthetic. This aesthetic embraces simplicity, naturalness, resilience, and a certain “wabi-sabi”, a kind of awareness of the irregularity of life itself.

Much modern pottery is manufactured primarily for functionality; it might even be made by machines with minimal human interaction with the piece as it moves through the factory process. Or in some cases, it might be made by simply pouring liquid clay into a mold and letting it dry into a specific shape – this is great for making many of the exact same item and for mass-produced ceramicware, and it certainly helps keep prices low, but it’s questionable whether this is what most people think of when they are seeking “handmade” items. And since “pottery” denotes anything made out of baked clay, even machine-produced items can be labeled as pottery. All offerings in my shop are made solely by me, using my hands, and starting with a lump of clay, in my home pottery studio; clay artists call this “studio pottery”. Surface decoration and creating interesting surface effects are of particular interest to me. I create both wheel-thrown and hand-built items and each offering is a work of art, a snapshot of the skill, intent, and little piece of my soul that goes into each creation along the entire multi-step making-process.

In addition to my offerings that support the daily life rituals we all have, I'm passionate to offer items that people can use in spiritual rituals they may perform as they pursue their unique spiritual paths – many paths, one truth – and my hope is that these items support others in their spiritual awakenings and evolutions.

Follow me in Instagram: @handcraftedbyperdita