As I look at these mugs on my glaze table this morning, they are like little books – each one holding a story about the person who ordered it and why.

There is a pair of monarch mugs ordered as a Valentine's gift for a lady who has a butterfly garden. There is a set of "happy whale" mugs ordered by a family who is relocating to a home by the sea. And there is an "old crow" mug ordered by a man whose friend is retiring...

So many mugs were ordered during my last online event – and each one has its own personality and special destination.

Thank you to all who placed orders! Your pieces are in process... and my studio is alive with your stories!

Within days of returning from my workshop with artist and color guru David Hornung in Ohio, my pieces are taking on a life of their own, swimming in color and lively lines. I don't exactly know what happened, except that I am unafraid to use color and feel a new freedom to draw spontaneously on my vessels.

Using the mug/cup form as a playground, I'm experiencing with the surface and seeing where it takes me. When I go to sleep at night, I'm thinking of overlapping colors. When I wake up, they're still on my mind and I can't wait to get back into the studio.