Mud Pies. All images courtesy of Naomi Peterson, shared with permissionNaomi Peterson Channels a Sweet Tooth and Sense of Togetherness in Her Vibrant Cup-CakesFebruary 4, 2025Kate MothesFrosted sponge and overstuffed pies are just a few of the sweet treats Naomi Peterson crafts from clay. Her playful cup-cakes take confectionery as a starting point, adding layers reminiscent of fondant, ice cream scoops, berries, and sprinkles.Many of Petersons pieces are functional, incorporating lids or handles to be used as vessels or coffee mugs. Im drawn to visual sweetness, imagining the potential enjoyment of confectioneries rather than physically consuming them, she tells Colossal. I actually prefer savory and salty foods to sweet ones!Topiary Jar 2Flowers complement playful lattice patterns in vibrant hues, sometimes leaning into a garden theme with topiary forms. Peterson relies on an intuitive approach that combines wheel-thrown techniques with hand-building methods like coils, slabs, and pinching. I construct different forms and plan surfaces later, she says. I find if I pre-plan the surface and shape from the beginning, the process becomes too controlled, limiting spontaneity.Once the basic form is complete, Peterson adds or removes elements through dartingcutting wedge-shaped pieces from a cylinder of clayand embellishing with sprig or press molds. My surfaces require many applications and separate firings to achieve vibrant, layered effects, she says. Before ceramics, I spent many years painting mainly with oils, influencing much of my surface decisions.We often think of confectionery as a token of joy, celebration, and togetherness. Every cake and bon bon reflects Petersons interest in relationships and the way our actions and emotions entwine us with others and our communities. The spaces in between the dot patterns are essential, not to keep each element distant but to connect them, she says. Although not physically connected, each of us is important as part of a whole.Petersons work will be part of Dirt Folk: Planted, a pop-up exhibition running concurrently with the 2025 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in March in Salt Lake City. If youre on the East Coast, youll be able to see her work in Lines and Patterns from March 22 to May 24 at Baltimore Clayworks. Find more on the artists website and Instagram.Assorted CakesFlower PotAssorted Bon BonsBloom Cake 2Assorted Bon BonsPluff JarConfectionery-inspired mugsHarmoniaAssorted CakesNext article