Well Traveled Wares

I have started making this trendy “kinda chic” post a few times now but it feels inauthentic to me. I am just one human with big ideas and lots of determination trying to to build my path forward.
I am not chic. I am not trendy.
I am a hard worker who has never wanted to be anything other than an artist. And I want to help other people embrace their artistic side so they can make they art that makes them happy and fulfilled.
So that’s what I am doing. The move to Portugal has been hard. At first it was culture shock, and long thought out plans that collapsed around me when I arrived here. I spent most of 2025 full of despair and self doubt and depression. That definitely did not feel chic!
But I kept finding ways to pivot. And while the path forward has been so different than the original plan, we are in fact moving things forward in exciting and unexpected ways.
Maybe that part is kind of chic?
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things- this is just a reminder that you don’t have to be chic or sure, you just have to keep trying. ❤️

It’s not too late for a summer ceramics retreat in Portugal! The Persian Potter will be leading a workshop on how to make her textured rollers and stamps at Well Traveled Wares Studio and we still have a few spots left.
Whether you are local to Portugal or want to travel to join us, we have a package for you. Nicole is available to answer questions, have video chats and tours- just ask.
Our studio and guest house is set in a small agricultural village an hour north of Lisbon and it’s the perfect place to relax, and play with clay without the interruption of your day to day life.
Workshop begins August 31 and ends September 4. See you there? ❤️

There’s a funny story behind this plant and how it ended up on our patio. Nick and I walk the dogs around our village several times a day. It’s good exercise for all of us, but it’s also a great way to interact with our neighbors AND practice our Portuguese, basic though it may be.
Last summer, I noticed my neighbor had a giant cactus bursting with blooms on her porch and I said, “Eu gosto a sua planta!” (I like your plant). The next day, when we walked past, she had taking a cutting and had it in a bag waiting for us to pass by. Such a simple gesture, but so very meaningful to two immigrants in a new country who are trying to connect. We took it home and potted it up. It limped along most of last year but finally started to show signs of growth, so I repotted it in one of my newish planter designs, and it’s taken off!
The funniest part about this story- is I have said this to various neighbors about their gardens and potted plants. So many plants here that I could have never grown in Portland , and have never even seen before, so it’s been my way of making conversation on a shared interest, despite not having much shared language (yet). And each time I say “eu gosto a sua…” whatever it is, (plant, or fruit and veggies growing) the kind person I am talking will rip a plant out of the ground, or leave a bucket/bag of apples, potatoes, tomatoes or cabbage on our doorstep.
This is actually how we ended up with Lucy too. A dog in the village had a litter of puppies that were loose. (We feed all the neighborhood dogs kibble on our walks to make friends) When I say the owner outside I said “ eu gosto o Prato and Branco cãozinho!” (I like the black and white puppy). And she scooped her up and handed her to me saying “queres?” (You want it?)
Nick has since asked me to stop telling my neighbors I like things they are growing. So I guess I need to learn some new conversation starters in português.
But this blooming flower will forever remind me of the kindness of people, who don’t have much, but are so generous and welcoming to two foreigners in their tiny village.

Shelves stacked with crisp white bisqueware are so satisfying. It’s the pause in the making process where clay creations sit raw and unfinished, but still beautiful.
Some designs speak to me and the glaze choices are obvious, but with these more complicated forms; forms that have been painstakingly layered and carved and fussed over, the pathway to completion is not so simple.
I love glaze applications that lead to juicy drips and colorful ombrés. But it’s important to consider the carving marks and patterns and how they can act as a channel directing the flow of glaze in the extreme heat of the kiln. A glaze combo the works perfectly on an untextured surface can behave very differently on a surface with holes and lines and curves.
So sometimes piles of work will sit unglazed for weeks (or months) in the studio while I contemplate how to proceed. They are always in view so I can see them and consider the best way forward. Sometimes I test ideas on smaller pieces and hope they translate well to the more complex designs. I have one of the mugs Jordan C***s Ceramics made during her residency and workshop time here in the kiln now. My goal is that it looks like a reverse stain glass window and the colors change from pinks and reds to blues and purples, with a glossy black background.
If it works, I will know how to move forward with the bigger vase we collaborated on. If it doesn’t, the mug may be ruined (in a functional sense) but I will have new information on how to do better with the next piece.
Pottery and glazing “fails” are almost always learning opportunities if we are brave enough to try again.