As a potter, it is a pleasure and privilege to buy another potter’s work. I know firsthand how laborious working with clay is. I also know how hard is it to quantify originality, imagination, and the many failed pieces that pave the way for the successful ones. Machines have become so damn good at emulating human hands that $50 mugs are hard to justify. Until you’ve held one. Sipped hot ginger tea out of one. Until you’ve amassed a collection of them, purchased over time, each one with its own distinct personality and story. I came across Caitlin O’Reilly faceted mugs in emerald today and I love them. Her mini dishes are tactile and warm, too. I walked away with a large bowl glazed in a deep, dark oxidized green that reminded me of an ocean pool. Now, what to fill it with? Shells? Lemons? Or nothing at all?