My Pottery and Blogging Beginnings : Behind the Scene at Clay Fairy Ceramics

Welcome to my very first blog post!

It feels abit unreal that to finally be sharing this space with the internet for all to read. For a long time, I have considered writing a blog, just like writing in my dairy when I was a teenager, but life as everyone’s life is just busy busy. We can never find the time to do what we want! We have absolutely great intentions without actually doing. Usually when I have the free time away to get away or when the kids are tucked into bed, my time to do things starts. I'll run out to my studio world to get on the quiet hum of the pottery wheel, to feel the cool, yielding touch of clay, and the slow magic of transforming earth into something beautiful and functional. Today, I wanted to pull back the curtain a little and share my thoughts so that you can glimpse into my world – the heart and soul of Clay Fairy Ceramics.

For those who are just discovering Clay Fairy Ceramics, you might see the finished pieces – the unique Celtic mugs in a modernized style and colour, the delicate gorgeous butterflies’ mugs, the stars and moon swirl handle mugs and my personal favorited the drippy glazy mugs. But behind each creation is a journey, a conversation between my thoughts, my hands and the ball of clay. The image above captures a moment in that process, a quiet focus as I put pulled handles on a new batch of mugs.

There's a certain rhythm to working with clay that I find incredibly grounding for me and my energy. It demands my presence, my patience, and a willingness to embrace imperfection when the final work doesn’t turn out the way I had visioned it in my head or on paper! I learned to find my center of patience and had to learn to let go with some works, it is hard not get too attached to a certain piece, but I move on with the disappointment and start fresh, learn, perfect, keep going, like literally keep going.

Why Pottery? One-word Covid!

People often ask me what drew me to pottery. It wasn't a sudden revelation, but rather a gradual unfolding. Let’s just say like anyone who has started a pottery journey as a hobby, might have gone down a rabbit hole abit, for me I followed that cute pottery rabbit and went down down that rabbit hole deep, too deep and expensive! - potters you know what I am talking about!

I was drawn to the physicality of it, the way it engages all the senses, the feeling of tranquility when working in my studio space, the sound of the wheel, the checking in the work, almost like babysitting the pieces as it dries out, handling the work oh so delicately into the kiln as this is the stage the work is at its most vulnerable moment. Yes, I have cracked mugs, banged mugs, broke mugs, butterflies mug details fell off oh countless times that had to have last minute repair jobs, swirl handle broke countless times, yes it can be terribly frustrating. For me this probably ‘the’ tensest part of pottery process is loading into kiln for bisque firing. I mostly do three firings because I absolutely love lusters, I love shiny things which I will blog later dates about my experience. What comes out of the kiln as the finished works are an absolute visual transformation, it is unbelievable, and it always takes my breath away as I handle, critique, and delight in warm finished mugs, the whole process from start to finish is a truly immersive experience for me it’s the light at the other end of the rabbit hole.

Beyond the process itself, I'm passionate about creating unique mugs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and enduring. In a world of mass-produced items, there's a certain value in something specially handcrafted, something that carries the mark of the maker. My hope is that each piece from Clay Fairy Ceramics brings a little bit of that intentionality and care and delight into your home.

More to Come...

This is just the beginning of my journey into sharing the story behind Clay Fairy Ceramics. In future posts, I plan to blog more of my thoughts into:

• The Inspiration Behind My Pottery Mug Designs: Exploring around me to the beauty found in everyday objects.

• My Pottery Process: My thoughts, my frustrations, and delights at the different stages of creating a piece, from wedging the clay to the final firing.

• Behind the Scenes: Sharing glimpses into my studio, the tools I use, and the occasional happy accidents that lead to new discoveries.

Connecting with You: I'd love to hear from you! What are you curious about when it comes to handmade pottery? What kind of pieces resonate with you?

Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog post. It means the world to me to share this passion with you. Stay tuned for more updates and new creations from the studio.

Warmly,

Angelina Chung

Clay Fairy Ceramics