Crystal Anchorite Vase

I had a vintage cut crystal paperweight laying around for many years. I just loved the deeply crenelated bulbous shape of this lead crystal paperweight but it seemed like it was just missing something. I got looking at it one day and I envisioned it as a mixed media ceramic art pottery sculpture and it came to be called the "Crystal Anchorite Vase".

Crystal Anchorite Vase

It now looks to be an exotic alien life form. It's bright orange tendrils virtually writhe with movement. This piece seems to be anxiously waiting for that one perfect addition to be added to the small vase opening at the top. A magic wand? A beaded rod? An outrageous feather? A single rare blossom ? Or just maybe just left as it is. This will be your decision.

I have on a number of occasions used found objects, as they can be called, in connection with my hand sculpted ceramic art pottery. I have used everything from jewel studded earrings to slightly damaged antique frosted glass toothpick holders. I always try to use items that are going to last and not be overly fragile. But items of beauty and having just a special something, an indefinable thing that makes it worth incorporating into my work.

I like items that may have a bit of history or damage that in some cases will actually add to what I am trying to get across with a particular work of my ceramic art pottery. There are pieces that I look at and I will immediately see the finished work that will come from it and there are items that I look at and look at and over a long period of time I will see what they shall become.

Either way, I only use pieces that are special in my vision of how my pieces should and ultimately will be. Also one of my big things is that I want to use some very crazy and expensive items, but I do not do so because, one might think it silly of me to think about this, but I would hate to have my pieces destroyed to get a highly precious item removed from it by future scrapers.