Candle light - Petal series
With the onset of winter weather, for me there is the desire to retreat to indoors, light candles and cook some amazing food. It spurred a design exercise to make some tealight holders, and it was a great chance to try techniques and methods we haven't explored before.
I used a few more fluid forms than I would normally do (I blame it on lockdown conditions and missing the great outdoors). Throwing small vessels then cutting into them, and folding the edges produced petal like forms. They are glazed with a soft matt white, and pierced to allow the light to shine through small openings. On others I cut branch forms into the thrown bowl to create a forest of verticals that surround the candle.
Each cut needed to be smoothed, tidied and sanded (carefully!). They are certainly not quick ‘turnaround’ items, and at various stages of the process I was ready to abandon them to the recycle pile - but it has been a good lesson that sometimes you just need to take them through the different stages mindfully … and then the finished product starts to grow on you!
They have become a favourite at the winter dinner table, and I’m looking forward to be able to host winter dinner parties again once lockdown restrictions ease.
