Painted ceramics have a long place in our history. The rise of vase decoration was seen in ancient Greece, which used the surface as a way of depicting everyday life. Today, illustrators loosely follow in this tradition and create their own sort of histories on fired clay objects. Ceramicist and illustrator Laura Bird is no stranger to Brown Paper Bag. I’ve marveled at her many times before.
Laura has recently delved into painted ceramics that focus more on surface illustration than the forms themselves. (Although I like both directions.) In this latest series, she paints long-haired ladies and leafy plants that play with the curves of her elegant vases and plates. Colorful and wild, you can’t help but imagine the stories behind her characters on these objects.
Laura sells her painted ceramics in her Etsy shop—along with prints, bags, and more.
