Blue Moon
7.5 x 5 x 2.5 inches
Here's two more of the shrines from the last firing. I've been trying to complete these shrines and I couldn't decide what would look best for these. I think I know why. For the shrines to be complete there'd be a conversation between the maker and the one who uses or receives the shrine. The recipient or user of the shrine would make the piece complete. If you don't like the word shrine you can call them whatever you like.
Night Owl
8.25 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches
There are many ways to use shrines. To burn incense, a small candle, place a favorite item. The mementos, additions, or embellishments are what complete the shrines. Perhaps you, your daughter, your son, your parent, your friend, your lover, your boss feel the vibes or karma, have thoughts or feelings about these shrines.
So let's have a conversation, I invite you to suggest something for one of my shrines. If you purchased one, what would you use it for? Where would you place it. Maybe you'd hang one outdoors and put a small bowl of bird seed inside. Who would you give it to? Maybe you'd give one to your mother, your wife, your neighbor. The choice is also yours of what you might add to one of them. I've posted a few ideas I have, but I'm sure there are hundreds more ideas. Tealights will fit in these two smaller shrines but I think a votive candle will fit in the taller ones.
What do you think, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Perhaps you have an idea for a different type of shrine I might make, please let me know. Maybe a different size, a different roof line, a different shape. Maybe you think the shrine should be as it is without any embellishment or addition, left to the imagination each day. Maybe you have an idea of how someone else would utilize these. What do you think, I'd love to hear your thoughts, your feelings?
Your ideas, your thoughts, your feelings are unlimited. You don't have to be an artist, a potter, a painter, a lover of the arts but you could be. This can be really fun, enlightening, and a way to bring folks together for a conversation no matter where you live. If you're a reader here and haven't commented, please join in and make a comment today, I'd love to hear from you, just say hi. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
I love your idea of the recipient choosing what items might complete it. I have a few small items from my childhood that I might use, or something my mother owned, jewelry and such. It's a wonderful idea. It's an idea that could be carried over into other items, like clay amulet "bags," perhaps. I Love how your mind works. :)
ReplyDeleteI like that they seem to be a tranquil place for someone to honor an item that has meaning to them. It seems to me that the item can occasionally be changed to honor another item. I guess I'm thinking about things that remind us of people or events.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda...it's funny that I've just begun making shrines myself, and here you are already doing great ones. I started with a 'secret room' for myself, and then a Japanese style from ancient times. But my latest ones are more like the styles you've been doing. Love to see that good ideas are universal!
ReplyDeletei am thinking of an assortment of my favorite small stones inside one of these shrines. Jeff and I both like to pick up rocks & stones wherever we go. We have little piles of them here and there. A shrine would be a perfect keeper of them.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda:
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, we think that these 'shrines' are best left quite plain in order that the buyer could customise them according to the intended recipients tastes or interests.
For ourselves, we should probably see them as being placed outdoors, perhaps holding a small tea light which would illuminate a small sitting area for enjoying summer nights. The remainder of space in the'shrine' could be filled with small natural elements such as pine cones, twigs,moss etc. which could be regularly changed around for continuing interest. A real talking point, we are sure.
I love all your shrines Linda. Votives would be great in all of them. I would most likely place little bits of my found items in them, and change them out every so often. I have a collection of small bits dragged home from travels. My favorite of your shrines is the barebranch tree, in it I would stand a little twig doll in the corner, with probably some leaves, acorns, a little rusty nail my Dad gave me, things like that. I love the Blue Moon one, it would have a rotating display as well, maybe moss, a little marble, or glass heart. The crow one would probably get, what else, little feathers or twigs. What an interesting dialogue you have opened up here.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting and lovely post, Linda! All of your shrines are beautiful. I love the first and the third ones. If I had one, I would place it on a shelf in the vestibule where I sometimes burn insence. I have tiny blue and white porcelain cassolettes. It would be lovely to place one at the foot of the dogwood tree in my garden. In that case, I would like to put a small lapis lazuli stone in it.
My favorites are the first and fourth. I like the idea in one of the other comments about placing it under a tree. Lot's of room for personalization with these.
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, thanks, lovely to here how you would use something from childhood or honor your mother by using a memento of hers placed in a shrine. I have thought about making amulets out of clay but haven't gotten around to it, perhaps they are in the near future.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks, glad you mentioned the fact that the shrine can be changeable, as life is, not static.
Hi Barbara, thanks, so glad you visited, it is always interesting to hear that other potters have the same ideas at the same time, we are all together in our humaness. I hope you have some posted on your blog. I just did a test pit fire today and hope to put some shrines in a pit real soon.
Hi Michele, thanks, how wonderful you both collect stones where you go. yes shrines I think can be great keepers.
Hi Jane and Lance, thanks, yes I think that is the realization I came to when I tried putting items in them, as I was putting myself in them and really when I made them I made an idea that was meant to be utilized by whomever received the piece and not myself. I just didn't realize it at the time; it sort of evolved. I'm having to let go of the piece. I can just imagine visiting someone and coming upon a small shrine the garden and being intrigued by it. Somehow memory, reality, fantasy and feelings all contained in a space.
Hi Barbara, thanks, so glad you like the shrines. you have such a great imagination and I can see how the shrines can be changed over time, over seasons, over various moods, over whims, and fancies.
Hi Sapphire, thanks, so wonderful to hear about the mementos you would place in one of my shrines and how unique to put one at the base of a dogwood tree, the unexpected, a reason to pause in the garden, and the simplicity of putting a small blue stone in one I can just envision this in my mind.
Hi Melissa, thanks, it's great to hear how you would personalize a shrine. I too like the idea of putting one at the base of a tree or perhaps even in the crook of branch. A little whimsy or the unexpected in the garden is always a wonderful sight to come upon.
Love the shrines. Nice place to set a trinket (small treasures) found on a walk.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlene, thanks so much, I am looking forward to making more of these shrines. I just had a call from a woman who owns a garden art shop and she wants some of my pottery for her shop looking forward to meeting with her.
ReplyDeleteLove this little nooks...given a chance I would adorn them for a jewelry corner and hang my earrings and bracelets....what say?Silver Charm Bracelet
ReplyDeleteHi Charm n jewelry, thanks, and what a good idea to use them for your jewelry. I may have to make one with some little hooks inside for that use. thanks for stimulating my imagination with yet another idea.
ReplyDelete