Shoreline Structure Vase | Lake Michigan Ceramic Vase with Beach Sand, Sun, and Birds

Shoreline Structure Vase | Lake Michigan Ceramic Vase with Beach Sand, Sun, and Birds

This vase is part of a group of forms that explore structure along the shoreline—where sand, water, and built elements meet and shift over time.

The form is hand built and slightly altered, giving it a quiet, architectural presence. The edges move, and the surface holds that same sense of change.

The exterior includes real Lake Michigan beach sand layered into the glaze. During firing, the sand softens and settles into the surface, creating a textured, varied finish that reflects what I notice along the shoreline—where water moves across the sand and leaves behind small shifts and marks.

The surface is more moody than some of my other pieces. The blues deepen and break across the form, while the lower portion settles into warmer sand tones. It’s a balance between movement and stillness.

There are small birds worked into the surface—simple marks that suggest motion across the sky. Alongside these, you may notice subtle, embedded letter forms—an “M” and an “I.” They are not meant to stand out, but to sit quietly within the piece as a reference to Michigan and the place that continues to shape my work.

A single sun form sits low along the horizon line. It anchors the piece and brings in that familiar moment along Lake Michigan when the light settles and everything becomes a little quieter.

This piece works as a vase, but it also holds its own as a sculptural object. It brings a sense of place into a room—grounded, textured, and connected to the shoreline.

Each piece is one of a kind.

The vessel shown here is the exact piece you will receive.