Love Letter Part I: Connecting with Nature

Abstract

People are influenced by the connections they make with their environment. Indigenous teachings encourage relationships with all living things based on responsibility, respect, reciprocity, kinship, love, peace, compassion, gratitude, and harmony. Contemporary psychologists have established that spending time in nature substantially alters a person’s life and well-being. This project identifies the importance of interdependency between humans and the natural world and uses ceramic vessels to inspire viewers to connect with nature. Through adjustments made in the type of clay, the glaze, and the firing cycles, the forms and carvings on my vessels remind viewers of the ongoing dialogue with our environment. Findings are discussed by developing cone six and cone ten temperatures within the same firing. Through clay and the wood firing process, the vessels highlight the beauty of nature with its complex forms and bring attention to fundamental indigenous precepts, contemporary psychological research, and the importance of connecting with Mother Earth.