The true inspiration behind our sand-infused ceramics came from a place deeply personal and sentimental to us both.
It all started on a beach called Te Arai, where my wife (Bumble date at the time) and I had our first proper non weird drink at a bar date. We spent that day surfing alone in the clear water under the almost Winter sun, a memory etched in my heart forever.
I was almost a year into my ceramics journey, still learning the ropes, but a very special date was looming. I knew I wanted to make something very special, that looming date? it was our first wedding anniversary
I wanted to create something that would encapsulate that cherished moment. The idea struck me: why not incorporate the sand from our favorite beach into a vase? I wasn’t sure if it was possible to mix sand with clay, but I decided to give it a try.
I chose a creamy coloured clay that reminded me of the east coast. Then, I carefully collected sand from our wetsuit bucket. It had dustings of fallen sand from our East Coast adventures. I sprinkled the sand with all the little bits of shell and stone into the clay. I wanted to make a vase, something Lilly could sit flowers in and lets be honest, really wow her with how amazing I am haha.
As I sat and threw the vase I felt like I was embedding a piece of our story into the pottery. I wasn't just making a vase, a gift or a thing. I was telling her how much I loved her, cherished her, I was telling a story, our story. This would make so much more sense a few months later when we (Lilly??) named the brand Author
When I finally fired the piece, the result was beyond my expectations. The vase captured the essence of that sunrise on the beach, the golden sand, the speckles, and the shells. It felt like I had locked that magical moment into the vase. Seeing the finished piece, I knew instantly that this process would change the direction of what would become Author and our future. It was a beautiful way to tell our story.
From that moment on, we abandoned the use of coloured glazes and started experimenting with sand from different coasts. I explored how black sand from the west coast looked in white clay, and how it contrasted with black clay. Combining sand from both coasts led to a special blend we now call "Sand Dune." Through this process, I aimed to highlight the wild and beautiful coastline that surrounds our country and capture its essence in my ceramics.
