clay

… she calls it.

Designed a business card and sign for the business before she had anything to sell!

Then she started creating and someone said yes for her creations.

Her passion for clay gave her the name of the ‘clay-lady’ in town. Eventually she wants to mix clay with copper. But for now, the ladies enjoy her necklaces, earrings, brooches, buttons – all hand made and no one design the same.

This slender mom of two works in the mornings when the children goes to school and in the afternoons when they catch their daily nap. Sitting at her table overlooking the garden, she dreams, sketches, pages through inspirational magazines, looking for words or pictures that speak to her creative spirit. Color, nature, culture, photography are the sources of inspiration. She calls it her journaling time, molding the clay capturing all the depth, color, form and texture of nature in her designs. She is not one for detail, but looking at her creations, it is detailed. She loves big and texture. Might still come when she experiments with glass, pottery, silver and pewter.

She opens a drawer. And another book is opened. Words, cut from magazines, stuck on different pages. These words make her think, dream, write. Because she has a love for the word as well. And then there are the loose pieces of paper with tiny water color paintings on. She paints on cloth turning it into bags as gifts for friends. Her gift is shared with those around her, for birthdays, or a friend having a baby, or just because they are special. She puts an empty notebook in my hand with a picture of a bird on it. She has this fascination with birds … free, in cages, out of cages. She tells me her story. Of cages. Of freedom, choices, of getting caught in traps, brokenness and freedom… She cries. We cry.

We drink coffee.

The sun burns gold in her hair. Adorable freckles. She smiles. Green eyes. She’s left handed. I notice the hands. Long fingers. I recognize them…

She wants to quit smoking… We stand in the sun in the garden.

Cobblestone Design. Why cobblestone? Always a fascination with the colors, design and how it all interlocks to form a pathway. She even collected pictures of it. Scribbled and doodled around the word.

She is excited about the little corner her husband is busy creating for her in the double garage – her own work space where she can disappear; work and dream. This man is the strong pillar next to her, feet firmly planted with an open hand, encouraging and creating space for his wife to spread her wings and soar.

We drink tea.

Her heritage?

Her mother especially, and her father. She recalls her mother rolling beads from different colors of clay. She started her business with a little box of those clay beads. She used some of those beads in her very first necklace. In her primary school days she remembers molding a blue dog and a brown dog from clay. She started off with two packets of clay, experimenting, playing…

What does this mean to her?

She can dream. She forgets about everything around her. It is fulfilling.

This little bird is busy spreading her wings and testing the winds.

You can find Cara Anderson’s work here.

It is worth a browse! (And she takes orders.)

P.S. She’s family!