Black and Tan Treasure Bowl

Stephen Day

As a self-taught artist, Stephen Day has developed several unique processes that differentiate the 'Petrified Forest' look from other ceramic forms and surfaces. He spent a year in Japan, where he was introduced to the concept of shibumi, in which traditional Japanese craftsman has a sense of 'oneness' with both nature and their materials. For Stephen, they are leaves, colors, clay. After kiln firing, the fragile, fleeting leaves and malleable clay are transformed into an eternal, impervious work of art. "Good design does not compete with its environment. It becomes a part of it."

Each unique piece begins with a quiet walk in the woods, where Stephen selects the leaves that make every bowl or tile a one-of-a-kind work of art. Back in the studio he rolls out a thick slab of Pennsylvania stoneware clay. Colors are applied, then leaves are pressed into the clay. Fired to over 2000 degrees, the finished piece is a reflection of the woods and fields and streams that surround his studio in rural Berks County. Post firing, the surface is protected with a quarry tile sealer.

Bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe, need no special care. Leaves and colors will vary.