Skip to content

Natural Elements of the PNW-Inspired Ceramist Carolina Silva

Shaped by Spanish roots and a connection to nature, Dorotea Ceramics owner creates unique pottery

By Marianne Hale June 14, 2016

A group of plates hanging on a wall.
A group of plates hanging on a wall.

This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.

Ceramist Carolina Silva blends artistic influences from her native Spain and natural elements inspired by the Pacific Northwest into the handmade pottery pieces she creates for her line Dorotea Ceramics. Silva’s daintily etched florals and playful color palettes make ordinary objects like plates, bowls, vases and pie servers extraordinary.

The Phinney Ridge resident says she hopes that her connection to the natural world translates to the homes where her clay creations take root. “Patterns and colors bring that sense of connection with nature,” she says. “It’s the joy of these natural elements that inspires me.” Available at The London Plane, Pioneer Square, 300 Occidental Ave. S; 206.624.1374; and online at doroteaceramics.com.

 

Follow Us

Blueprints for Building Community

Blueprints for Building Community

After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.

Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.

It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…

Collaborating Cultures

Collaborating Cultures

Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.

For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…

Whale Of A Remodel

Whale Of A Remodel

The transformation of an Orcas Island home takes advantage of remarkable views

For many years, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders entertained his Orcas Island neighbors with breathtaking acrobatics in his vintage airplane. Anders and his wife, Valerie, had purchased a five-acre compound on the isolated western edge of the island for its mesmerizing view, a subject he knew something about. As a member of the first human…