What's in a Name?

Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." He also wrote a lot of other stuff, but most people only really bother to remember that one, along with "to be or not to be."

Ever since I conceived of this idea to sell pottery several years ago, I've been struggling with a name. It's harder than one might think, actually, to pluck a name out of the air by which forever after you'll be known for. A brand image. Easily recognizable. What if I don't like it? What if no one remembers it? What if I want to change it later on down the road? Pretty daunting, when you think of it that way.

"of Earth, Trees and Heather" was not my first choice really. I'd had something else in mind for a while, but waiting so long to actually set up shop, I ended up deciding that I didn't like it very much after all. Of course, well-meaning parents tossed in some doosies too. (Thanks Mom and Dad.)

So, why "of Earth, Trees and Heather"? When I was younger, I did not fancy my name very much. In fact, I really sort of hated it (sorry guys!) I didn't get over this distaste until a family trip across the pond to Scotland. Wherein, I first discovered my namesake, and a tolerance for pretty flowers. There are many different kinds of Heathers, the most common one is Calluna vulgaris, is a shrub with white or purple flowers and grows wild in Europe. It is this flower that is featured (will be featured) in my logo.

The first half then, is pretty obvious, since my work is made out of clay-- mud, basically. The whole process of walking a piece from start to finish has a very earthy, and centering, feel to it. You get elbow-deep in mud, work it with your hands, and then the magic of fire crystallizes it into permanent, beautiful existence. Pottery also serves a purpose within everyday life, in cooking, which gives it a very cyclical place in human history, in between decorative art and functional existence, amidst the food and the growing things. It is from this place, from life, to art, and back again, that my love of pottery and my name came from.

Hopefully in their travels from my hands to someone's kitchen table, my pieces will find as loving homes, as I had for them while creating them.