The Strawberry Dish - A 2020 Gift

Just before the holidays a dear friend reached out to see if I knew anyone who specialized in pottery. (He had obviously forgotten that my husband is a potter with a full-blown studio.) He had a friend whose partner had a broken ceramic piece that belonged to her late, and very special grandmother. The partner was looking for someone to fix it, for hopefully a Christmas or birthday surprise.

I told my friend that there may not be anything we could do to repair it, but that I would like to think on how we could remake it into a special remembrance piece. So, he connected us.

 

When I saw images of the broken strawberry dish, my heart sank. I can only imagine how I would have felt if this had happened to me. I was close to both of my grandmothers and cherish many things that I have of theirs. I would have been devastated! I wanted desperately to revive these pieces into something truly special.

 

I told her that I had longed to do a mosaic piece and that this would be a fun way to save what was left of this dish. I also told her that I had not done one before, so I totally understood if she would want to use someone experienced in this art medium. 

 

Though I have not considered myself an artist until the last year or so, I am learning to own that description of myself. I am a floral designer, and that is my art. My husband and I have the Mars Hill Arts Center, a nonprofit that inspires the arts and creation in our community. But it really has been hard for me to think of myself in those terms, until now. What I am realizing is that I am good at thinking through creative problems to come up with a viable solution, salvaging, repurposing, reusing things that others may discard or think unworthy of use for a creative purpose. That is what I wanted to do with this special piece; salvage it, repurpose it, into a special keepsake that honors its past, and gives it a brand new future.

 

Not only was that my intent for this piece, but I realized that one of the meanings behind the strawberry is rebirth. In repurposing these pieces into a new work of art, it was experiencing its own rebirth. And haven’t we all longed for that during this year of 2020?

 

Both of my grandmothers must be looking down smiling. They both were creative, artistic, and inspired many of my creative endeavors. But they also inspired an appreciation for our past, our families, the connections, and also the ability to begin anew.

 

This strawberry dish has a new life ahead, has been reborn into a piece of art that can be enjoyed for many more years to come. My hope is that you take the pieces of 2020, make them into a keepsake that you can use to appreciate what we’ve experienced and what we’ve learned during this year. May your rebirth be as beautiful as a strawberry dish.

 

Blessings,

Lisa

ps. She loved it! "...the look on her face was priceless!!!!! It instantly brought tears to her eyes, she absolutely loves it."