At first glance this piece appeared to be a humble and unassuming work but it drew me in and asked me to touch it and pick it up

 At closer inspection Boat Form 1 reveals a sophisticated and beautifully crafted work that demonstrates a masterful and gutsy approach to form and texture as well as function, glaze formulation and application

The form takes on a boat like quality with an uplifting bow and stern held by an elliptical thrown and altered foot

Gestural marks by both tools and fingers are rendered to create movement and expression both inside and outside of this vessel

The crazed blue/white glaze inside the vessel is thick and unctuous and has been applied over what appears to be tooled carving in a spontaneous and gestural approach

The outside glaze surface is warm and rich with reduction fired iron bleeds from the clay body penetrating through the glaze surface in a random, organic nature adding to the movement embodying the extreme oval, elliptical form

The handles on each end elongate the vessel further adding to the visual ellipse and upward curve of the arc boat form

Each handle seems to fit effortlessly into your hand when you pick up the vessel and speaks of plastic clay moulded by the potter before being attached and worked into the form

Overall, this is a work that spoke to me on many levels and is deserving of the 2022 Ceramic Arts Association of Western Australia Mike Kusnick Award