My micro-batch ceramics are lovingly made by me, Amanda Love, in Austin, TX.
My motivation is to bring a dash of delight into everyday spaces with handmade objects intended for daily use and enjoyment. I think of my work as functional whimsy, designed for utilitarian purpose and enhanced with aesthetic charm and novelty to complement the user's everyday life.
I often use elements of vintage designs in my work to serve as nostalgic reminders of years gone by. I have a deep-seated appreciation for vintage items such as mid century dinnerware my family used when I was growing up. Items such as these have been passed down through generations as their quality and styles were intended to become heirlooms, rather than mass produced wares of today. I also find it important to combine thoughtful craftsmanship and quality with bright, bold patterns I encountered as a child of the 80's and 90's, keeping these fun vintage vibes alive in a fast-paced modern world. Visual language comprised of colors, patterns, textures, and shapes can awaken memories and their connected emotional responses.
Most of my work is thrown on the potter's wheel, then decorated by hand so that every piece has a dynamic color palette, pattern, and texture. My current process involves using a variety of underglazes in conjunction with stencils, carving, and slip trailing, creating subtle textures that make each piece tactically pleasing to use.
“Whenever we make or use an everyday tangible thing, or even when we contemplate one seriously, we commune with this pool of human understanding.” - Glenn Adamson, Fewer, Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects
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