SLURRY-STREAKED HANDS GENTLY COAX CLAY INTO SHAPE, BECKONING FORMS INTO EXISTENCE. CRAFTED IN SHADES FROM WHITE TO BLACK, VAN RADEN BALANCES GRAVITY AND LIGHTNESS
It was within the meditative rotation of the potter’s wheel where Sarah Van Raden grounded herself. In an exploration of greater creative freedom, she took an evening class in pottery and found herself instantly enraptured by the tactile quality of ceramics. Her decade long career as a photo stylist slipped to the wayside in pursuit of her passion, which, after time and practice, bloomed into Notary Ceramics. She soon donned the potter’s apron permanently, and devoted herself to the creation of ceramics. Nurtured by rural Oregon, Van Raden began using clays sourced in the Pacific Northwest.
Slurry-streaked hands gently coax clay into shape, beckoning forms into existence. Crafted in shades from white to black, Van Raden balances gravity and lightness, rawness and refinement, to achieve a purity within each piece. Dainty stems protrude from ikebana vases; meals entice on a cool background of matte grey plates; steam swirls soothingly from satin white mugs.
- WORDS: Libby Borton
- PHOTOS: Ellie Baygulov
- STYLING: Sarah Van Raden
- ORIGINAL POST: Readcereal