About
Blue and white has been one of the classiest traditional color combinations on porcelain for thousands of years, appreciated by many cultures and loved around the world.
All of the plates in my home are mismatched blue and white porcelain, and I am always looking to expand upon my dinnerware collection. As a professional illustrator and an artist with a strong background in product design, I was inspired to create my own group of porcelain plates. My hope is that I'm not alone in my love of nature as part of a design aesthetic and that others might be able to enjoy these pieces as well.
With just a hint of underlying inspiration from art nouveau, Wild Indigo is a set that is intended to bridge traditional and contemporary styles. The plates are 10.75" in diameter and are graced with serene animal and plant combinations.
The following are details that are important to me when it comes to plates and thus I have made them a priority in design and manufacturing.
Safety
I really love my family and friends, and I'm kinda sure you feel the same way about the people close to you (...at least I hope so!) so I chose a manufacturer that will make these plates free of toxins and completely food safe.
Quality and Durability
After considering many grades of ceramic, I decided on a high-grade, white porcelain that will achieve the look and the ideal, lasting quality I want. These plates are both dishwasher safe and microwave safe.
Of course porcelain is strong, but it is simultaneously fragile. Please read my FAQ tips for how to properly care for your plates to keep them lasting for a long time.
Aesthetics
I believe food brings us all closer when we share our meals and have great conversations with the ones we love. Dinnerware can enhance the atmosphere and help create memories and a nostalgia for the times we are all together.
Plates can be artistic showcases to present your culinary masterpieces (as well as your famous boxed macaroni and cheese.) I hope my illustrations will be enjoyed as decor, brought out to dazzle dinner guests, used daily at your table, or given as special gifts.
Choosing a Manufacturer
After extensive research, lots of back-and-forth with different ceramic manufacturing companies, and the careful inspection of many sample plates, there was no doubt that this project needed to be produced with the Kristoff Workshop in Poland. They are a manufacturer that uses a high-temperature technique to get the artwork completely sealed under the top clear glaze. These plates cost a bit more than the ones from the other potential manufacturer I was considering, but I decided it would be better to work with a world-renowned company... and it definitely shows in the end result. I am really impressed with the final samples.
Each plate will come in an individually-labelled box. This will both help keep the porcelain safe and also looks attractive should you want to wrap it up with a bow to give to someone special.
I start most of my drawings as really rough little sketches, and when it's time to move to the final rendering, the OCD turns on full force as I meticulously account for the placement of every particle of graphite 6B through 2H across all the fibers of the hot press paper. I utilize visual reference during the final drawing process to capture a bit more realism than my memory can do on its own.
The fox was my first piece in this group, and it took several iterations before I was ready to move forward. My original concept was to go elemental with these animals, but I really liked the idea of interesting combinations with floral elements. Wheat and daisies rounded out the design, and the overall look for the line came to be.
The rabbit and koi fish were two designs chosen from a group of coordinating sketches including a frog, an owl, a ram, and a skunk. Others liked the skunk sketch, but questioned how strange people might feel to eat off of a drawing of a creature that stinks. I would love to get your thoughts and opinions on this for future plate possibilities!
The sparrow has always been a special bird to me. I've always called myself a DreamSparrow... a plain little bird who always imagined being something much more grand. Wishing to be a peacock, maybe? Anyway, I based the last plate's design on an illustration I made a few years back because its shape fit well into a circular format. Instead of carrying jewels, sparrow 2.0 is more realistic and now surrounded by ferns, magnolia blooms, and bluebells.
Want to see more of my artwork? Visit entertheglow.com and check out my portfolio page.
Please contact me if you need to know more information about the rewards tiers or how to customize a special reward just for you. If you have any questions that, after being answered, might help others, I will add them to the FAQ page for this campaign.
Plates
Great for everyday use, for room decor, or as gifts. As an incentive, the cost goes down per plate when you pledge for a higher quantity. After the Kickstarter ends, I will send out a backer survey and you can choose all of the same design, all of the 4 different designs, or some combination in between. Since the plates are individually boxed, it is easy to custom build your very own set.
Photo Art Prints
Want to pledge for a set of four 12" x 12" high-resolution, luster sheen, professional art prints in black-and-white, blue-and-white, or color? I would be honored to send them to you. After the Kickstarter ends, I will send out a backer survey and you can choose which design or designs you would like, and if you prefer black-and-white, blue-and-white, and/or color. If you like, I can sign your prints at no additional cost. Please see images of the prints below.
Black-and-white photo prints, each 12" x 12" with a luster finish:
Blue-and-white photo prints, each 12" x 12" with a luster finish:
Color photo prints, each 12" x 12" with a luster finish:
Additional Plates
If you would like to have a certain number of plates that is not currently a rewards tier, please send me a message and I will gladly get you a custom pledge amount. You can still choose whatever combination of designs you want via a survey at the end of the campaign.
Additional Prints
To add art prints to any reward tier over $38, just pledge for the tier you want and then adjust the rewards amount, adding $30 to that tier's total. At the end of the campaign, you will receive a survey so you can choose which prints you would like.
Within the USA:
Free shipping. The cost is already built into the price so it's easy to see exactly what you'll be pledging.
International Orders:
The postage amount built in for US shipping will be deducted from orders shipped outside the U.S. The remaining charge varies and depends on where the package is headed. Porcelain is heavy, so postage costs reflect that. I hope you feel that the shipping on these plates is a worthwhile expense nonetheless.
Please note: Some international countries may apply additional, unpredictable customs fees to your shipment. Most packages will go through with no issues, but some may be randomly selected by customs inspectors and the recipient will be required to pay an extra duty fee. Shipping will be via the USPS because it supposedly minimizes the chance that this will happen, but please consider this risk when pledging. One possible safeguard is to think about having your reward shipped to a friend/family member in the U.S. and asking them to keep it safe until you come visit and bring it home in your suitcase.
It would mean the world to me to have a successful, streamlined campaign, receive positive feedback, and know that something I created is out there in the world and is included in the lives of others. And if these dinner plates are really well-received, it would be awesome to design even more Wild Indigo flora/fauna combinations in the future... perhaps there will be additional dinner plates, salad plates, mugs, or even serving dishes. I'm keeping an open mind and my fingers crossed, but ultimately I need your help to get there.
Thank you so much for your support in this endeavor. Please share this campaign with anyone else who might be interested, too!
Risks and challenges
Designs are done. Pre-production samples have been approved. I am ready to start a production run with my vendor if I get enough sponsors to support this project. Everything is ready and waiting for the final thumbs up to get started.
Craziness can certainly still happen and cause delays. The biggest risk is that production or delivery might take longer than expected.
I will see this through and make sure every backer gets their rewards. I’ll also keep everyone updated as we go. This project means so much to me and my goal is to have everyone 100% pleased with what they receive.
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Funding period
- (30 days)