Bird Mugs

Artist Statement: The designs on these small mugs were painted on with underglaze and then I used a sgraffito
technique to outline the birds. The first one has hummingbirds, which I chose because they
have a special meaning to my family. Hummingbirds remind us of certain people in our family
that passed away, and bring some comfort. The second mug has chickadees, one of my
mother’s favorite birds, sitting and flying around some tree branches. The third mug I chose to
feature ravens because they can be very beautiful, yet a little intimidating.The last mug was
inspired by a family of cranes that used to reside in my grandparents’ old horse pasture. For
unknown reasons, the natural clay color of this mug especially, took on a blotchy fog-like
appearance. Although it was not intentional, I enjoy that it makes the mug much more
interesting and unique.