Porcelain joy pot vessel finished with a royal blue crystalline glaze. Handmade by Anna Smyth in County Down, Northern Ireland.

“As 2020 began, I took delivery of my new kiln, thanks to funding from the Arts Council of NI, specifically for creating new glazes for a new body of work. These specialised glazes grow crystals in and on the surface of the glassy matrix of the glaze; crystalline glazes. After many recipe and firing tests, against the backdrop of our silent, uncertain world in lockdown, my crystals began to grow. It is hard to describe the joy that I felt when looking at these beauties, each one unique.
The glaze is the perfect visual expression of life and vitality and has provided me with a whole new layer of significance to my work. The forms have also changed, becoming more expressive.”

Approx. height 15cm; please note, due to the handmade nature of these bowls, there may be minute differences to the image.

About the maker: 

‘I thrive in the creative process of making, with clay. Often my work is spontaneous, emotive, triggered by a thought or event, or by an atmosphere in which there is a sensory stimulus. In clay I find an outlet for expression of these inner responses; another voice with which I can speak, in a visual, three dimensional language. Weaving between handbuilt and thrown work, I strive to demonstrate a balance of skill, attention to detail and a true passion for my craft.’