Leah Nobilette Spikey Vase

Leah Nobilette works in a studio in Southeast Portland, which she shares with six other ceramic artists. She specializes in functional pieces such as cups, bowls and vases (often with super-small Hershey’s Kisses-like spikes that she applies with a pastry bag on the outside of the vessel). Each piece is hand-thrown from white clay on a kickwheel, fired, glazed and
then fired again. "I love all the stages clay goes through," she says. "It’s very comforting to work with. You start with squishy, soft clay and turn it into something permanent that’s beautiful and functional."