tasha mckelvey

i was introduced just recently to tasha mckelvey pottery while browsing a friend of a friend's blog and was instantaneously attracted to it. i have a nack for unique art, or really, anything that allows creativity to be expressed by the maker. her work is truly sensational and one-of-a kind. nothing about her work screams 'i am a piece of machine made work.' each piece, though similar, is its own and something about it is extremely sentimental. i imagine sipping coffee out of one of those speckled mugs would make the whole 'saturday morning' coffee experience all the more delightful.
as a maker myself, i find inspiration in a quote taken from mckelvey's blog:

my clay work is intended to be useful- this is art that is meant to be touched. in the past everything we used in the home was made by hand. today our homes are filled with stuff stamped out by machines. when we seek out handmade art we make our surroundings a little more human.

the existance of an object gains more appreciation with the knowledge of its journey to completion. and knowing this, mckelvey's entire collection is a handful of handmade delicacies all beautiful and sophisticated in their own way. the aesthetic quality of the pottery: from the selection of more earthtone colors and speckled glazes to the use of animal inspired details, all contribute to making each piece more realistic and well accustomed to the non-manmade realm. each piece, though made, would fit perfectly in the woodsy backyard of a rustic cabin. however, i'd love to eventually see many of her pottery pieces find a nice place in the comfort of my own home one day.