Na Farraige (Of the Sea) 2023 #D

Collectable vessel of contemplation

Dimensions: approx.

base: H 2.3 cm x W 6.4 cm x L 6.2 cm

vessel: H 2.7 cm x W 4.8 cm

Na Farraige is Irish for “Of the Sea” and these pieces are inspired from my observations from wading through rock pools and walking along beaches, collecting and cataloging remnants or in some cases whole creatures that once lived in the Sea. I have done this since I was a young boy and will continue for as long as I can. One of my favourite treasures to be found has always been the Sea Urchin and its beautiful shell (called a test), a thing of beauty and an inspiration to many, including myself.

For this design and for my research on how best to create it I combined two marvels of nature and both made of calcium carbonate; the shell of a sea urchin and stalagmites and stalactites that are found in caves deep beneath our feet.

The stalagmites and stalactites were key in resolving the dilemma of how to create spikes that truly looked organic. To create each spike I build up layers of clay, each time allowing the sediment in the clay to settle and water to evaporate, then when reaching leather hard I repeat the process again and again. A time consuming process so one needs to take a meditative approach, usually taking 3-6 layers for each spike but this seems very little when measured beside the stalagmites and stalactites growing at 1 cm every 100 years.

Each Na Farraige sits on a pillow of textured earthenware, some are finished with a blend of engobes (I even use soil from the area in the engobe recipes) and some are finished with a black underglaze wash to emphasise the texture. The interior glaze is a deep turquoise.

Collectable vessel of contemplation.

Note: A few of the bases move ever so slightly but this is only the Sea’s influence coming through the work :) .