At first glance, these pieces are not what most would consider to be beautiful. Some are cracked, thick, rough, and have imbedded material. These pieces have been though intense conditions during the wood/soda firing process; severe heat, some partially buried in ashes, and rapid cooling. Because of these conditions these pieces exhibit a story, much like a life lived. They display their life experience through cracks, flame marks, and ash deposits.
A closer look reveals a beauty in their imperfections, such as the ash melting down the side of a piece or melting into a pool of glass in a depression, the flame marks that have been painted on a piece throughout the firing, a beautiful crack that serendipitously appears, or a well placed shell mark acting as a means of support. These pieces become unique individuals and in some cases survivors.