Welcome to our barnyard!
Capucine’s Clever Creatures
In my daydream fantasy, I am not unlike Cinderella! I wake to the smell of lavender warming in the morning sun and fresh bread baking in the oven of my fictional French farm. For who would not like to be a fair maiden living in an enchanted hamlet?! My perfectly folkloric sundress floats on the blossom-scented breeze as I skip barefoot into the farmyard to sing to all of my magical animals. Did I mention that in this idyllic world, I sound just like Adele?
Perhaps it was my French heritage whispering to create something artistic and a bit fanciful, with a nod to my early childhood spent on my grandparent’s farm outside of Paris. I had a desire to create something sculptural and special, that could be infused into daily life with function, drawing smiles from whomever wanders across their paths.
The delightful result is our beloved menagerie of Clever Creatures. We call them “clever” because they can be used in so many interesting ways, for a duck certainly makes an unexpected dessert bowl, and a horse is a statement-making centerpiece. Each charming animal is sculpted in the tradition of Portuguese Majolica, with the addition of a central hollow to display everything from candies to an arrangement of cut flowers or food.
Fabulously versatile, I love using them in unconventional ways - think cotton balls in the bathroom or paperclips in the office - to infuse whimsy into otherwise ordinary spaces. These sculptural serving vessels spotlight anything you want to display yet can stand alone as eye-catching accent pieces that are perfect for any mantel, bookshelf or countertop.
I find them especially irresistible when rounded up and presented together for an enchanting tablescape that is sure to spark conversation and make any meal feel like an occasion. The possibilities are endless - no need to choose just one!
The creative process, straight from the horse’s mouth…
Working in our ceramic studio with our long-time collaborator and master sculptor, José-Carlos, we studied scientific drawings of each animal to determine their specific proportions and anatomy. Photos in their natural habitats helped us to determine their positions, from the twist of a tiny ear to a swish of a tail.
This is where José-Carlos’s fingertips began to dance, magically transforming a giant mound of soft clay to slowly reveal the animal inside the material. Once he created the basic form, we then spent a lot of time mushing the clay around (technical term…) to capture their specific expressions, which we wanted to be calm and pleasant - fitting for a happy life spent in my fantasy barnyard.
Introducing my beloved animals, named after French icons:
Bridget Bardot - Bunny Butter Dish
Marguerite - Butterfly Pitcher
Napoleon and Joesphine - Lovebunnies Salt & Pepper Set