Avocado Half

Building the smaller avocado, I was so taken with the elegant simplicity of form that I immediately began imagining the piece in a larger scale. The avocado half and base were crafted as two separate pieces, with the fruit (yes, it is a fruit) settled snugly into the base. Hours and hours were spent adding and subtracting clay, scraping and smoothing, refining the form. I ran both my hands and my eyes over the smooth rounded surface until, like a boat builder admiring a wooden hull, I was satisfied with the sweet lines.

This is a garden focal point with a function when filled with water. Song birds will flock to its stable platform at just the right height for a dip. Might they also admire the shape? The African-inspired, hand carved texture set against the burnished finish exaggerates the contours of this oversized avocado.