Practice makes perfect goes the old adage. It’s actually not perfection that I’m striving for in my pottery, but rather functionality with a playful twist. To get to the point where I can confidently and consistently make plates that sit evenly on a table and stack neatly in a pile, I must practice, practice, practice. Once you have a good form, wonky rims and free flowing glazes only add character. It’s easier to embrace imperfections when something functions well, then they look deliberate, organic and charming. Imagine a structurally sound house with creaky floors. So this is my challenge right now –– to focus on better form, so that I can paint my pieces crudely, freely and imperfectly.

I discovered Laboratorio Paravicini today –– a Milano based ceramics house, that produces wafer thin porcelain plates adorned with safari animals, snakes, air balloons and vintage cars. My favourite collection is circus themed, with acrobats, tight-ropists and trapeze acts. It’s the perfect plate for a piece of cake. It’s the perfect plate for anything, really. The company is run by mother and daughter, Costanza Paravicini and Benedetta Medici. Do we not love those names?