While living in Portugal in 2002 I visited a beautiful cloister with carved lattice windows that had a variety of shapes and interlocking patterns. Returning to my studio at home the handles began to intersect the top of the pot and form lattice to hold the flowers in place. What began as a clumsy attempt evolved into lyrical lines and patterns reminiscent of the cloister and decorative wrought iron found all over Portugal.
The latticework at the top of the piece enhances the way a group of flowers appears. The flowers are supported in an unusual way, which I believe heightens their beauty. The vase also provides an out of the ordinary experience for the person using it as the latticework helps to determine how the flowers will be placed. The user chooses how to arrange the flowers and there are many choices so each time the vase is used the experience changes. The arrangement is also dependent on the choice of flowers giving rise to endless possibilities. I am interested in this interplay between the user, the vase and the flowers.