The post Nastia Calaca’s Colorful Ceramics Bring Quirky Creatures to Life appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Calaca is a ceramic artist and teacher from Ukraine currently based in Paris, who discovered ceramics during a school trip to a summer art camp. She was enamored with the idea of playing with clay all day, and something truly magical happened when she decided to give it a shot.
Over a decade has passed since, and ceramics are now a part of her everyday life. She specializes in making anthropomorphic sculptures that look straight out of this world, but they’re rooted in our reality.
“They started their life as flat images on the printed pages, but then they came to life as real and alive as I imagined them… As for me, I even talk to my handmade fellows. We agree on the number of their fingers, the color of their eyes, come up with their past, and discuss their future,” she writes on her official website.
Calaca kicks off her creative process by making a quick sketch before modeling with clay, mixing glazes, painting, firing, and glazing the sculpture to get the finished product. She finds inspiration everywhere from anatomy books and Victorian fashion catalogs to the natural history museums.
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]]>The post Kelsey Schroeder’s Pottery is a Love Letter to Mother Nature appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Schroeder discovered pottery during her high school years, when he attended beginner-friendly wheel classes at her local YMCA. She picked a photography major during her time in college but struggled spending time in the darkroom after working with clay for hours. She decided to switch her focus to ceramics, and this was where she found her true calling, later displaying her work in galleries all around Cedar Rapids.
After years of experimenting with different subjects, Schroeder is best known for her wildlife series, which celebrates many unique creatures and the beauty of their environments.
“My work has always been inspired by the natural world, particularly the immense biodiversity our planet supports and the unique and beautiful qualities each species adds to their habitat and to our world as a whole,” she writes on her official website.
Schroeder finds inspiration everywhere from coral reefs and ocean tides to desert landscapes and the heart of the forest. She wants her work to make a difference in the world and help protect our planet’s future, so she’s donating a portion of each sale to the World Wildlife Fund.
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]]>The post Faith Charlotte’s Ceramic Art Will Make You Wish You Could Take a Bite appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Faith Charlotte is the mastermind behind the pottery brand Charlotte’s Clay Shoppe, who used the power of social media to put her small business on the map. She attracted 140,000 followers on Instagram and 25,000 on TikTok since the start of her journey, and her unique approach to pottery made it all possible.
Charlotte was just twelve when she first started experimenting with polymer clay, and we’ve seen her make many types of different ceramic objects as the years went by. She kicked things off by making mini food charms but shifted her focus to jewelry boxes and incense burners as her sculpting skills evolved.
The retro aesthetic has always had a strong influence on her work, and her signature food-shaped trinket boxes are a case in point. She enjoys making ceramic art shaped like pancakes, burgers, cakes, toast, cinnamon rolls, and many other comfort foods, putting incredible attention to detail into each piece to make sure they look as delicious as the real thing.
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]]>The post Jessica Thompson-Lee’s Ceramic Mugs Have the Most Unusual Handles appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Thompson-Lee creates colorful ceramic mugs with unusual handles. While the body of these mugs usually follows the traditional shape, its handles are on the abstract side. With their unusual and unpredictable shapes, they look like they are growing out of the mug on a whim.
While some shapes might seem impractical, they also open up an opportunity to experiment with different ways to hold a mug.
According to Thompson-Lee, the shapes of the handles found on her mugs are actually based on organic forms. They are inspired by artist’s observations of “microorganisms, fungi, coral, rock formations, the human body, and insects. “
Still, Thompson-Lee never knows how each piece will turn out before she starts making it. She adopted a playful and experimental approach, which she refers to as “drawing with clay,” which allows her creativity and moments of inspiration to take charge and ensure unique pieces.
“This unpredictability is both an important and enjoyable part of the process; each design is unique, “Thompson-Lee shared in her artist statement.
Continue scrolling to check out more of Thompson-Lee’s unusual mugs below.
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]]>The post Camp Hollow’s Quirky Candle Holders Take Animal Shapes appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Camp Hollow is a pottery brand from Utah, which specializes in crafting timeless porcelain treasures. Its founder JK Dreamer drew inspiration from cherished family memories and the enchanting beauty of the natural world when he decided to start Camp Hollow with a team of collaborators who share the same values.
“In the heart of Camp Hollow, nature reigned supreme. The vibrant tapestry of the forest became a living canvas, inspiring awe and wonder. Majestic trees whispered tales of ancient wisdom, while babbling brooks carried the rhythm of cherished memories,” reads Camp Hallow’s official website.
Camp Hollow (@camphollowstudio)Camp Hollow offers all sorts of quirky products in their unique style, ranging from jewelry to tiny figurines, but they became a true sensation thanks to their signature candle holders. They’re usually used as cake toppers and shaped like all sorts of different animals, ranging from toads and ducks to deer and foxes. Each cake topper is crafted from fine porcelain and meticulously hand-painted in perfect detail, adding a precious little heirloom to your family celebrations.
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]]>The post Maceteo’s Planters Are a Love Letter to the Animal World appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Maceteo’s planters have been taking social media by storm for years, and they deserve all the attention coming their way. They’re 100% handmade and carefully crafted with all the plant and animal lovers in mind.
No matter what animal is your favorite, you’ll find a planter inspired by it in Maceteo’s collection. Their offering is pretty versatile, and they offer animal-shaped planters inspired by cats, dogs, koalas, elephants, and many other amazing species.
Maceteo is even honoring animals that are no longer around, and dinosaur planters are one of their signature products. They offer several dino designs, and one of the most popular shows them outstretching their necks backward, making it seem like they’re eating the plant.
Maceteo’s collectible ceramic pots are usually pretty small, and most people use them for planting succulents due to their tiny size. After some time, your plants will probably outgrow these tiny planters, but you can move them to a larger pot and propagate them so your Maceteo planters won’t stay empty.
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]]>The post This Miniature Pottery by Hamish Bassett is Adorable appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Bassett runs a ceramics studio, Tiny Pots Melbourne, which he started in 2020. Fascinated by pottery, he started it as a hobby while working full-time as a 3D animator. In 2022, Bassett realized he found a lot of joy in his miniature pottery and decided to focus entirely on growing his studio.
Interestingly, Bassett follows traditional pottery techniques when it comes to creating his miniatures. The only difference is that he uses a miniature pottery wheel instead of the regular one.
“Every pot I make is a one-off design, and I aim to make each pot hold the same level of detail as a regular-sized piece of tableware. I want to give the impression that each pot has been shrunk down to a miniature version of itself,” Bassett shares.
Bassett exhibits his works in handmade markets and galleries while also sharing his newest pieces on social media. Continue scrolling to check out more of them below.
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]]>The post Seren Simsek’s Dazzling Handmade Mugs are Pure Magic appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Simsek is a Turkish artist who got her Fine Arts degree from the department of ceramics at Hacettepe University in Ankara. She always dreamed about being a designer and started researching the ceramics sector, but was pretty disappointed to discover most of her peers had pretty much the same style and approach to this art form.
She decided to bring something new to the table, and her brand Goya Ceramics was born out of her desire to offer something no one else did. Her dreamy mugs quickly became a huge sensation, attracting 100,000 followers to her Instagram page in just a few years.
Simsek’s talent and creativity shine through each of her mugs, and they’ll take you to the magical world where everything is possible and the sky is the limit. Most of her mugs are inspired by the moon and the stars and usually feature a hologram effect because they’re adorned with glitter and sometimes even 24K gold decorations.
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]]>The post Karolina Romanowska Will Rock Your World With Her Quirky Ceramic Masks appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Romanowska is a pottery artist based in Madison, Wisconsin, with 100,000 Instagram followers under her belt. She fell in love with making ceramics due to its sense of nostalgia, and this art form always reminded her of her childhood days when she played in the mud and felt free.
“I find that material extremely giving as it’s reminiscent of my childhood days of playing in the dirt. Those were some of the most fun times I had as a child, engaging with my environment and transforming mud into pizzas, birds, and castles,” she told Colossal.
What sets Romanowska aside from most other pottery artists is the unique style she brings to the table. She doesn’t seem to be interested in making mugs, bowls, and plates, and specializes in crafting some of the weirdest masks you’ll ever see.
Romanowska doesn’t consider her decision to focus on masks unusual because they’ve been around since the dawn of time. She enjoys them because they can both hide and reveal who we are, and can be used as a unique sort of expression.
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]]>The post Adam Rush’s Ceramic Creations Have Unique Personalities appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Rush’s ceramic creations, ranging from jugs to teapots and mugs, are known for their imperfect shapes and being adorned with representations of a human face. Each piece comes with slightly different facial features and expressions, some smiling, others frowning, and some having a surprise look. This touch makes them uniquely stand out among the crowd.
For some of the pieces, Rush teamed up with his twin brother Stuart, who is also an artist. The two frequently collaborate together, having similar motivations and ideas they want to present with their work, only in a different medium.
“We touch upon their reality of anxiety, depression, and temporality with an occasional touch of humor,” the Rush brothers describe their works. “In result showing expressive and touching artworks which develops an instant connection with the viewer.”
Rush frequently updates his social media with new collections and ceramic pieces. You can check out more of them by continuing to scroll.
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