botanical collaboration

A little while ago I collaborated with Pattie Lee Becker to create a set of plates as a wedding gift for Patties's friends. The couple's wedding was in Joshua Tree National Park, and the illustrations Pattie came up with were inspired by the Joshua tree plant. Pattie's illustrations went perfectly with the organic shapes of my plates.





The decal process can be finicky. Sometimes the image comes out very crisp, as in the plates above, and at other times it melts into the glaze, and looks worn and antique, like in the samples pictured below.



The unpredictability of it can be frustrating for a graphic design control freak like me. At the same time, I enjoy the surprise of it. There is beauty in the washed out image, like in a half-lost memory of a place. Just as in any relationship, clay has its own way of doing things. It's constantly reminding me to let go of expectations.