My favorite pottery mug is one I brought back from a trip to visit my Aunt Sheila in Devon, England. Everything about that trip was wondrous... the rolling patchwork fields and charming Devonshire cottages, the cream teas and lovely people we met. I found the mug in a wee shop that carried local handmade pottery and thought it would make a light-weight memento to bring home, something that wouldn't take up too much room and was practical too. It’s not surprising then that when I came across an inexpensive thrift-shop lamp, years later, I turned to my special mug for inspiration when trying to figure out how to transform my shabby find into something quite different. The lamp was a darker shade of yellow than the mug so applying some cream-coloured paint to lighten the overall tone was my first task. Then, using tole paint, I gently sponged on various colours, trying to duplicate the effect of the glaze that had been painted on the mug. While it is not an exact match, I think the lamp at least catches the feeling of the mug — lovely warm cheery tones in soft-focus.
Beautiful, almost a perfect match!
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