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The Message That Changed How I See My Work

  • Writer: Katarina Tifft
    Katarina Tifft
  • Jun 30
  • 2 min read

Also: no more white shells (eek) and ceramic experiments


If you're in Florida right now, you're either inside... or melting. We’re talking sunscreen-in-your-eyes, AC-on-full-blast kind of summer.

 

But in the studio, it’s been one of the most meaningful seasons yet.

 

From a bold triptych that commands a wall, to a commission that brought a client to tears (in the best way), to something totally new… ceramics (!).


This triptych was commissioned by TYE Interior Design and yes, it took over my entire living room before it made its way to its forever home. Worth it.
This triptych was commissioned by TYE Interior Design and yes, it took over my entire living room before it made its way to its forever home. Worth it.

Earlier this year, I created a custom artwork for a client named Nancy. At first, it was a simple commission, a piece inspired by something she’d seen in my portfolio.

 

But after it was delivered, she sent me a message I didn’t expect.

 

She told me the shells reminded her of her late father, a passionate seashell collector. She hadn’t mentioned that before, but somehow, the finished piece brought those memories back.

She wrote that it had become one of her most prized possessions.

I think about that a lot.

How art can hold space for someone. How even without knowing, we can create something that connects deeply and quietly.


What started as a custom commission turned into something much more. Nancy told me this piece reminded her of her late father, who collected shells. I had no idea, but it became a tribute. What an honor to be part of that story.
What started as a custom commission turned into something much more. Nancy told me this piece reminded her of her late father, who collected shells. I had no idea, but it became a tribute. What an honor to be part of that story.

Meet my new creative partner in crime:

Karen Tharp.

 

Ceramicist, detail-obsessed maker, and fellow lover of slow, intentional work. We’ve been elbow-deep in clay bringing a whole new Shellscapes® vision to life.


Karen is a brilliant ceramicist and someone I now consider a creative partner in crime. She’s thoughtful, patient, and deeply skilled.


Together, we’ve been working on something new: a small line of sculptural ceramics based on my original Shellscapes®.


We’ve been testing, tweaking, and making a glorious mess as we

translate the texture of my shellwork into a new, lasting form.


The pieces are still evolving, and we’re very much in the thick of it. But we’re excited.

Like, really excited.


You’ll hear more about this project in the next couple of weeks. We can’t wait to show you.


A note on the white Turritella shells

 


If you’ve followed my work, you’ve probably seen the sun bleached Turritella shells used in some of my most requested pieces.


Right now, they’re no longer available.


I’m still completing a few final commissions with the last of my supply, and there are a few projects on my waitlist I hope to fulfill, but beyond that, I can’t say if or when I’ll be able to source them again.


That said, this isn’t the end.


I’m currently exploring new materials and experimenting with ways to reimagine these designs in different forms.

 

The work continues... just in new directions.




I have so much more to share, but for now this feels like enough.

Maybe I should write these more often...

 

Thanks for being here,

 

Katarina

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