I started making this line of trays when my kids, husband, and I lived on Rhoda Avenue in Oakland, California. I decided to continue making these pieces because they remind me of that little 1920’s two-bedroom bungalow. We had a garden in back with herbs and vegetables and two trees—an orange and a pomegranate—that must have been close to 100 years old. My ceramics studio was tucked in the basement below the kitchen. It had been constructed when the house was built as a work space with built-in cabinets covered in wainscoting. I turned it into my studio where I created for ten years, improving my throwing and hand-building skills, learning how to follow glaze recipes, and firing everything in my Skutt electric kiln. These trays are hand-built using a variety of commercial clays and studio-mixed glazes. The lines represent the wainscoting in my former studio. The trays come in the following sizes: They can be used to hold jewelry, candles, or incense. The larger trays can be used for appetizers or snacks.

*all pieces are for sale in my Lisbon studio and store.