• This ceramic teapot is hand-built of white stoneware clay. The body of the sneaker is formed of clay slabs; the Chihuahua puppy's head is sculpted; the handles are of extruded clay.
• The lid, which is located at the top of the shoe tongue, is shaped like a free-form fire hydrant modified in Dali-esque style to become a rocket-like structure.
• Construction sequence: Initially fired to cone 06. Hand painted underglazes. Matte gold cone 6 glaze to the lid and bomber helmut for the faux leather appearance. Reired again to cone 5/6. Assorted overglaze techniques applied to create the intricately detailed plaid design for the sneaker.
• Size: 10.5" x 10.5" x 4.75".
• Date: 2008.
• Shown at National Teapot Show VII, Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC.
• Sold to a Florida collector.

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CREATIVE PROCESS

• This piece is the fourth progressive iteration of my developing sneaker-Chihuahua series. It was inspired by my daughter's gift of a pink plaid sneaker made by Rocket Dog Shoes. The concept of a rocket puppy dressed in matching pink followed naturally.
• it is a hand-built teapot made of white stoneware clay depicting a sculpted white Chihuahua puppy decked out in an old fighter pilot's leather helmet and whimsically contrasting pink and orange Argyle sweater emerging from a plaid faux-canvass shoe.
• The teapot's spout is the dog's snout with protruding tongue. The lid is located at the top of the shoe tongue. It is shaped like a free-form fire hydrant (draped like Dali's melting clock) to become a rocket-like structure.

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