EarthSong Pottery

Doris Slade – Earthsong Pottery

I have a deep fascination with nature and the myriad forms of nature– rocks and leaves and twigs and the creatures that go creeping among them. I’m also intrigued by Japanese netsuke, an art form which came about as a small toggle worn by Japanese men on a silk cord to suspend a sagemono (a pouch containing purses, writing implements, pipes, tobacco, etc.) from their obi (sashes). I like the idea of sculpting the knob of a lid into something eye catching and playful. Hence have come birds and lizards and frogs and crabs and fish ….

By far, the most prevalent creature I sculpt is the frog. To me, frogs are an indicator of how we are caring for this planet. They are creatures of the earth and the water. They inhabit the woods, the ponds and lakes, the meadows and the rain forests of the world and have flourished for millions of years. They will continue to flourish if their habitats are not obliterated or polluted with pesticides and other chemicals.

doris slade hands

frog dish Did you know that :
· All toads are frogs? “Toad” is applied to species with squat bodies, short hind legs, little foot webbing and dry, warty skin.
· Spring peepers sing in trios? One frog starts off with the note of “A”, another frog responds with a G#, and then the last member comes in with a “B” and they continue in the sequence of A, G#, B. A full chorus is made up of many independent trios, all singing their own note and ignoring others except the two with which it is singing.
· White’s Tree Frogs exude skin secretions that are being studied by zoologists and chemists for their ability to lower human blood pressure and also destroy staph bacterium responsible for abscesses and cold sores?
-from Frogs, by David Badger, 1997, Barnes and Nobles Books

Each Earthsong creature is a unique creation,
individually sculpted and attached to a pot
that has been thrown on the wheel or hand built.
May these creatures sing to your heart and bring a smile to your face.

No work may be reproduced in any form without expressed written permission of the artist, Doris Slade