Hello my favourite forest people, I need to tell you about this little adventure.

We went to a kids pottery session.
The plan was simple. Let the kids play with clay.

But then… the parents got invited to have a go too!!

And you know me: give me a creative tool and a bad idea, and I will run with it.

So of course… I decided to make a quail bowl. There are a few families living in my garden, and I watch them all the time. Tiny, round, chaotic little creatures. Absolute perfection. I’m so in love with their silly military march in the lawn. Even got a couple tattooed on my arm haha.

Now. Important detail.
I have almost no experience with pottery.

And I had a very specific vision.
I wanted the bowl shape… but with the quail’s head popping out of it. Including the tiny feather on top. At this point, it already felt like a questionable life choice.

I was not sure it would hold.
I was not sure it would survive.
I was not sure it would not just collapse into a sad clay pancake.

When the kiln time arrived, my potter friend warned me: things can crack, things can fall… Things can betray you.

So when she put it in for the first firing… I was slightly stressed! but somehow it survived. 😆

Then came the painting stage.

We had these special ceramic paints, and I had so much fun bringing it to life. Colours, patterns, tiny details…

And then… the varnish. If you have never used ceramic glaze before, let me tell you: it is terrifying. You carefully paint your piece. You love it. You are proud.
And then you cover it entirely with this thick, milky, slightly fluo-looking varnish that hides EVERYTHING!!!!!! 😬😬😬

Hours of work gone invisible: I had a small internal panic. But we trusted the process (or at least tried not to show the panic)

And after the final firing… magic! The colours came back! And my little quail bowl turned out so, so good.

I am honestly so happy with it.

Also, my son made an incredible lion bowl. Truly iconic. (Already eating his autumn soup in it. look at this tiny lion’s tail going out of it!)
And all the kids’ pieces were absolutely stunning. So much creativity 😍

I already cannot wait for the next session.

Let me know what you think of this little quail 🐦✨